▁open ly ▁for ▁September ▁ 2 0 . ▁When ▁Phill ips ▁discussed ▁the ▁announ cement ▁in ▁a ▁video , ▁he ▁was ▁still ▁worry ing ▁about ▁coming ▁out ▁to ▁a ▁co - worker ▁who , ▁una ware ▁of ▁Phill ips ' ▁hom osex ual ity , ▁said ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁" work ▁well ▁with ▁gay ▁people ." . ▁ ▁On ▁August ▁ 1 2 , ▁Phill ips ▁posted ▁three ▁videos ▁of ▁a ▁band ▁that ▁visited ▁his ▁deployment ▁and ▁performed ▁for ▁a ▁small ▁group ▁of ▁military ▁service ▁members . ▁These ▁videos ▁received ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 7 , 0 0 0 ▁views ▁over night , ▁a ▁level ▁of ▁activity ▁far ▁in ▁excess ▁of ▁the ▁several ▁hundred ▁views ▁Phill ips ' ▁post ings ▁were ▁attract ing . ▁When ▁Phill ips ' ▁co - work ers ▁discovered ▁the ▁music ▁performances ▁on ▁a ▁YouTube ▁site ▁dedicated ▁to ▁D AD T ▁and ▁a ▁serv ic eman ' s ▁coming ▁out ▁process , ▁he ▁left ▁the ▁room ▁while ▁they ▁watched ▁his ▁anonymous ▁post ings . ▁He ▁returned ▁to ▁general ▁app la use ▁and ▁con gr at ulations . ▁He ▁later ▁reported : ▁" A ▁lot ▁of ▁people ▁were ▁OK ▁with ▁it . ▁A ▁lot ▁of ▁people ▁were ▁more ▁than ▁OK ▁with ▁it ." ▁He ▁also ▁reported ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁come ▁out ▁to ▁his ▁girl friend ▁in ▁Alabama , ▁wanted ▁to ▁" play ▁by ▁the ▁book ▁and ▁respect ▁those ▁rules " ▁as ▁long ▁as ▁D AD T ▁remained ▁in ▁effect , ▁and ▁promised ▁to ▁show ▁his ▁face ▁" When ▁I ▁get