This rad bestselling YA author just came out as transgender

Any YA junkie has probably heard of New York Times bestselling scribe Heather Brewer —author of two successful vampire series (The Chronicles Of Vladimir Tod and The Slayer Chronicles) as well as The Cemetery Boys, which was released in March.

On Tuesday, Brewer—whose loyal fan-base are known as “minions”—took to Tumblr to share a brave, inspiring announcement about transitioning from female to male.

“If you’ve paid attention over the years, you know that I’m a big advocate for owning your weird, for being your authentic self, for standing up and shouting into the world how proud you are of who you are,” Brewer explained on his Tumblr, formerly titled Auntie Heather Brewer, and now renamed Uncle Zac Brewer. “I confess, I’ve not been as authentic as I wish that I had been years before. But there is a time and place for everything, and my time is now.”

“I want my outsides to match my insides, and my therapist agrees that much of my anxiety, depression, and suicidal tendencies have come from not being able to be myself openly,” he continued. “Authenticity, as I’ve said many times in the past, is incredibly important to me. My name will now be Zachary Oliver Brewer, but I plan to largely go by Zac (unless I get in trouble—what is it about the middle name that strikes fear into the hearts of people?). You may call me Uncle Zac. My preferred pronouns are he/him/his.”

He explained that he told his husband, Paul, that he was transgender three years ago, asking him not to tell anyone until he’s ready. “I’m ready now,” Brewer wrote. “The truth is, Minions, I’m transgender. I am a man—a gay man, actually—and it’s time to live as my true self.”

In an interview with Publisher’s Weekly, Brewer explained that although there has been a lot of news surrounding transgender rights in the media, this decision was totally unrelated. “Nothing in the media sparked my decision to come out,” he said. “I realized about nine years ago that I was transgender. . .All the media surrounding Caitlyn Jenner and Laverne Cox is coincidental. This was a save-my-life moment. I know that if I don’t do this, I’m concerned what my future will be. I need to be true to myself and come out to the world.”

Brewer also described how he previously had been battling anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, which he and his therapist linked to an inability to express his authentic self. “I am so big on authenticity,” he told Publisher’s Weekly. “I always say to my Minions, ‘Own your weird. Embrace who you are, and whoever you are, you are special.’ It’s been weighing on me that I’m not taking my own advice. How can you tell the world to do it and not do it yourself?”

Brewer was terrified to tell his husband of 20 years. “But he said, ‘I fell in love with the person you are, not your body’. . . [and] my kids were completely wonderful,” Brewer told Publisher’s Weekly. Oh, our hearts are full-to-bursting right now.

In regards to the inevitable Internet trolls that will be coming out of the woodwork, Brewer is prepared. “We all know there is a dark side to the Internet and that there are people who are not going to be supportive for whatever reason,” he told Publisher’s Weekly. “I know it’s coming, but I truly believe that good will always outshine the bad, especially if you pay the bad no mind. I focus on the light.”

Besides, Brewer’s loyal fans will continue to have his back. “We are a special band of misfits and they have been accepting and supportive all along,” Brewer continued. “Most people don’t have the money or resources to go away and come back like ‘ta da!’ and present as the gender they are transitioning to. . . I am lucky that I can share my transition with the Minions and have them along for the ride as I go through my second puberty and develop into the man I am inside.”

We are so happy for Zac, and we applaud him for sharing his journey with the public. His inspiring statements and continued success help to raise awareness about individual trans experiences, and remind so many people, no matter who they are, to own their authentic selves.

To read Zac’s beautiful announcement in its entirety, visit his Tumblr here.

(Image via Facebook)

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