By Michelle Garcia on Advocate.com

A young gay airman who had been slowly chronicling his coming out process while serving overseas celebrated the first day of the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” by coming out to his YouTube followers — and his father.

Going by the username, AreYouSurprised, he called his father in Alabama to come out to him. After a few moments, and making his father promise that he would love him unconditionally, the airman said, “Dad, I’m gay.”

“Gay?” his father said.

“I always have been, and I’ve known since forever,” he replied.

His father said he would still love his son, no matter what.

The airman admitted after a moment, “I’ve been working myself up, sitting here with the phone in my hand for four hours,” he said.

Tags: Airman comes out to dad, AreYouSurprised, end of DADT, gay military man comes out