AceShowbiz -

Charlie Carver has come out as gay. The 27-year-old actor, known for his roles as Porter Scavo on "Desperate Housewives" and as Ethan on "Teen Wolf" series, addressed his sexuality in an Instagram post on Monday, January 11.

He posted a picture of a message that read, "Be who you needed when you were younger." He wrote in the caption, "As a young boy, I knew I wanted to be an actor. I knew I wanted to be a lot of things! I thought I wanted to be a painter, a soccer player, a stegosaurus... But the acting thing stuck. It was around that age that I also knew, however abstractly, that I was different from some of the other boys in my grade."

He continued, "Over time, this abstract 'knowing' grew and articulated itself through a painful gestation marked by feelings of despair and alienation, ending in a climax of saying three words out loud: 'I am gay'. I said them to myself at first, to see how they felt. They rang true, and I hated myself for them. I was twelve. It would take me a few years before I could repeat them to anyone else, in the meantime turning the phrase over and over in my mouth until I felt comfortable and sure enough to let the words pour out again, this time to my family..."

Pt 1: �Be who you needed when you were younger�. About a year ago, I saw this photo while casually scrolling through my Instagram one morning. I�m not one for inspirational quotes, particularly ones attributed to �Mx Anonymous�- something mean in me rebukes the pithiness of proverbs, choosing to judge them as trite instead of possibly-generally-wise, resonant, or helpful. And in the case of the good ol� Anonymous kind, I felt that there was something to be said for the missing context. Who wrote or said the damn words? Why? And to/for who in particular? Nonetheless, I screen-capped the picture and saved it. It struck me for some reason, finding itself likeable enough to join the ranks of the �favorites� album on my phone. I�d see it there almost daily, a small version of it next to my other �favorites�; I�d see it every time I checked into the gym, pulled up a picture of my insurance cards, my driver�s license.... Important Documents. And over the course of about-a-year, it became clear why the inspirational photo had called out to me. As a young boy, I knew I wanted to be an actor. I knew I wanted to be a lot of things! I thought I wanted to be a painter, a soccer player, a stegosaurus... But the acting thing stuck. It was around that age that I also knew, however abstractly, that I was different from some of the other boys in my grade. Over time, this abstract �knowing� grew and articulated itself through a painful gestation marked by feelings of despair and alienation, ending in a climax of saying three words out loud: �I am gay�. I said them to myself at first, to see how they felt. They rang true, and I hated myself for them. I was twelve. It would take me a few years before I could repeat them to anyone else, in the meantime turning the phrase over and over in my mouth until I felt comfortable and sure enough to let the words pour out again, this time to my family...

A photo posted by Charlie Carver (@charliecarver) on Jan 11, 2016 at 2:14pm PST

  Editors' Pick

• LL Cool J and Queen Latifah Join BET’s First Advisory Board
• Amerie Wins Divorce Battle as Ex-Husband Demands Millions in Court
• Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack Reignite Classic Romance With New Official Music Video
• Marvel’s X-Men ’97 Renewed for Season 4 Ahead of Season 2 Launch on Disney+
• Cassie Leaves US Permanently After $30M Settlement with Diddy

Some fans wore were surprised to learn about his sexuality wrote "WHAT OMG" and "AAAAHHHH OMG" on the comment section. Others were supportive, with one fan writing, "I love you and I'm so proud of you." kayganesh said, "Thank you for standing up!"

"Bravo! Welcome to a lifetime of being surrounded by a truly chosen Family. Great courage," another comment read, while another commenter added, "So what you're saying is...I have a chance...lol. You articulated your thoughts very well. I bet you feel like a huge weight has been lifted! Congrats!!"