[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVVfFNW8YHI]

Shawn Ahmed, the Bangladeshi-Canadian blogger behind the Uncultured Project, came out in a series of videos posted over the holiday break. While Ahmed hails from cosmopolitan Toronto, he’s spending most of his time in Bangladesh, which means his coming out could have implications for his safety and the future of the Uncultured Project.

Above, he shares his truth in a streaming video that was clearly difficult for him to record. Below, Ahmed discusses his religious parents’ reaction— which included a promise to help him “pray the gay away”—and reveals that part of the reason he disclosed his sexuality was to prevent his abusive ex-boyfriend from outing him.

May 2013 be brighter for Shawn Ahmed than the past year has been.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c6Rabrkpfs]