Top American model Nyle DiMarco delivered a speech at the Human Rights Campaign, where he discussed embracing himself as a “sexually fluid deaf man.†The deafness has an advantage, too. “Seriously, I don’t find not being able to hear an obstacle or a boundary. For me and for many of us, it is an advantage and it’s a part of my identity in fact. It’s a huge part of who I am,†DiMarco said. “And in this very turbulent political year, trust me, don’t you want to sometimes just turn the volume off completely when Donald Trump starts to rant? I have a tremendous advantage there as well. I don’t hear a thing.â€
DiMarco, who won both America’s Next Top Model and Dancing With the Stars, has also appeared in an episode of Difficult People as one of star Billy Eichner’s dates. “My passion, personally, is being my true self while inspiring young people who are struggling with their identities to love themselves for who they are,†he said. “As a sexually fluid deaf man, I know that embracing all our identities is the way to thrive and to overcome the limitations and prejudices that surround us.â€