95-year-old embraces “true self” after years of torment

Coming out as gay to your family is challenging for most, but now imagine that you have been keeping the secret for 90 years.

Ronald Blank and his wife moved to the US from Poland just after the conclusion of World War II.  At the time being gay, according to Blank, was “a crime, and you were condemned to choose either suicide or life in a closet. I decided to live.”

In an interview with YouTube Star Davey Wavy ahead of a documentary being released about him by his grandson, Blank spoke about his torment.“I was born and was all my life gay.”

“I told them the whole tragedy of my life, and then they understood what happened to me,” Blank said.

He told his wife of 67 years after she had given birth to their second child, but stood by him until he decided to tell the family.  At 95-years-old, Blank told his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren that he was gay.

When asked by the interviewer if he wanted a boyfriend or companion now that he was out the now 96-year-old said yes but didn’t care what they looked like.  He said, “I don’t look at their face, I look at the heart.

“I’ll be very honest about it. I really don’t need any physical or mental connection. But I want to. I want to go to sleep and have somebody close to me, not for any other reason but to be sure that someone cares. That’s all.”

Blank couldn’t agree more when the interviewer said, “It’s never too late to be your true self.” 

What do you think of this story? How nice is it that he can finally be who he is and have the support of his family that he was too scared to tell?