Burmese actor and model Okka Min Maung (otherwise known as Ye Htoo Win) came out publicly after intimate pictures of him and his boyfriend were leaked.
Earlier this week, a close friend of Maung’s leaked private photos of him. The pictures showed Maung lying in bed with his partner.
These photos quickly made their way around the internet before being picked up by local tabloids.
Then, Maung confirmed that he’s not only gay but also in a relationship through a Facebook video.
The actor/model posted the video to his official Facebook page with the caption, “With regards to my photos going viral online, here is the authentic answer.”
He then followed that up with, “I am who I am, I love who I love. I won’t give up.”
In the video, which you can watch below, Okka Min Maung talks about being open and proud, his past relationship, and his current one with his partner that later appeared in the video for a tender kiss.
While the two are currently living in New York, the news of the photo leak and the coming out video are nothing short of daring and worrying.
Maung’s native country of Myanmar (sometimes referred to as Burma in the U.S.) has an anti-gay law that could lead to anywhere between ten years and life in prison.
Section 377 of the Colonial-era Penal Code of Myanmar makes any kind of same-sex sexual act illegal. This is regardless of whether the act was between two consenting adults or not.
In addition, Myanmar is a primarily Buddhist country. While Buddhism doesn’t outright condemn homosexuality, many believe being gay is the result of misdeeds like adultery or sexual misconducts in another life.
While many fans supported Maung’s coming out, others worried for his safety or outright expressed disgust with him.
Its safe to say that Maung is being brave by coming out, and its unfortunate that he didn’t get to decide when it happened.
