uring ▁the ▁ 2 1 - min ute ▁emot ional ▁video ▁Phill ips ▁is ▁mostly ▁met ▁with ▁st oney ▁silence . ▁His ▁mother ▁finally ▁asks , ▁" When ▁did ▁this ▁come ▁about ?" ▁to ▁which ▁he ▁respond s ▁" I ' ve ▁always ▁known ▁-- ▁I ' ve ▁always , ▁always , ▁always ▁known ." ▁Phill ips ▁posted ▁the ▁video ▁of ▁this ▁conversation ▁on ▁September ▁ 2 9 . ▁ ▁Press ▁Press ▁assess ments ▁attributed ▁the ▁impact ▁of ▁Phill ips ' ▁videos ▁on ▁news ▁coverage ▁and ▁others ▁who ▁used ▁social ▁media ▁to ▁announ ce ▁their ▁hom osex ual ity ▁to ▁his ▁ability ▁as ▁a ▁" natural ▁story t eller ." ▁Another ▁wrote ▁that ▁" Ph ill ips ▁presents ▁himself ▁as ▁a ▁thought ful , ▁ground ed ▁young ▁man . ▁He ' s ▁fran k ▁without ▁being ▁tim id ▁or ▁confront ational ." ▁According ▁to ▁a ▁writer ▁in ▁The ▁Atlantic , ▁" no ▁single ▁story ▁has ▁broken ▁through ▁following ▁the ▁recent ▁repe al ▁of ▁Don ' t ▁Ask , ▁Don ' t ▁Tell ... like ▁Phill ips ' ▁has ." ▁" Ph ill ips ," ▁wrote ▁a ▁Canadian ▁journalist , ▁" with ▁his ▁highlight s , ▁mus cles ▁and ▁Bill - Cl inton - ac cent , ▁is ▁sweet ▁enough ▁to ▁give ▁you ▁cav ities . ▁He ' s ▁well - sp oken ▁and ▁manner ed , ▁clearly ▁intellig ent ▁and ▁sensitive . ▁He ▁calls ▁his ▁father ▁' d addy ' ▁and ▁' s ir ' ▁with ▁equal ▁sin cer ity ." ▁ ▁Some