▁others ▁out do ors ▁and ▁kept ▁looking ▁left ▁and ▁right ▁to ▁make ▁sure ▁no ▁one ▁else ▁was ▁coming ▁within ▁ear shot . ▁ ▁Disc uss ing ▁the ▁repe al ▁of ▁D AD T ▁in ▁the ▁context ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁civil ▁rights ▁movement , ▁Phill ips ▁said ▁repe al ▁of ▁D AD T ▁was ▁" a ▁huge ▁move ▁in ▁American ▁civil ▁rights ▁and ... there ▁have ▁been ▁bigger ▁things ▁like ▁abol ishing ▁sla very , ▁giving ▁women ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁vote , ▁getting ▁rid ▁of ▁seg reg ation , ▁and ▁those ▁have ▁all ▁been ▁great , ▁but ▁this ▁is ▁huge ▁for ▁our ▁generation ." ▁He ▁reported ▁another ▁clos et ed ▁air man ' s ▁fear ▁of ▁dis clos ing ▁his ▁sexual ▁orientation , ▁and ▁rec ount ed ▁his ▁own ▁repeated ▁fail ures ▁to ▁follow ▁through ▁on ▁self - im posed ▁dead lines ▁to ▁come ▁out ▁to ▁a ▁friend . ▁He ▁discussed ▁his ▁YouTube ▁post ings ▁with ▁another ▁clos et ed ▁serv ic eman , ▁though ▁in ▁his ▁later ▁remarks ▁Phill ips ▁never ▁counted ▁their ▁shared ▁knowledge ▁of ▁each ▁other ' s ▁hom osex ual ity ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁his ▁coming ▁out ▁in ▁the ▁military . ▁Prom pt ed ▁by ▁that ▁serv ic eman ' s ▁questions , ▁he ▁allowed ▁that ▁his ▁use ▁of ▁social ▁media ▁might ▁represent ▁a ▁" sub cons cious " ▁attempt ▁to ▁allow ▁others ▁to ▁discover ▁his ▁sexual ity ▁on ▁their ▁own ▁and ▁spare ▁him ▁the ▁decision ▁to ▁come ▁out . ▁ ▁Phill ips ▁turned ▁twenty - one ▁early ▁in ▁May