It has been nine months since Finn Stannard delivered a speech that would change the course of his life.
A video of the then 17-year-old coming out as gay at his Catholic high school made headlines around the world after being released by SBS News.
"The fact that it blew up like it did, really surprised me," Finn said on a visit to SBS this week.
"I had people from America, Spain, texting me and going 'wow I just saw your speech'. And I thought 'oh my goodness, I haven't even heard of some of these places before'."
Finn Stannard school assembly speech, June 2018 Source: SBS
In the speech, the Year 12 student is seen telling a packed assembly hall at Saint Ignatius College Riverview in Sydney: "Announcing yourself to the world is pretty terrifying ... what if the world doesn’t like you?”
Joleen Mataele, an advocate for the LGBTIQ+ community in the Pacific who appeared on a panel discussion with Finn, said even her daughter in Tonga was talking about his speech.
"She fell in love with him, and she said 'Mum, did you know that Finn is gay?," Ms Mataele said.
Finn says he decided to make the speech in June last year because he wanted to start a conversation around homosexuality at his all-boys Catholic high school.
"Being gay was kind of the subject that you avoided. It wasn't a subject that you talked about very much."
Source: SBS
Initially concerned about potential backlash from the speech, he now says the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
"I've heard from so many friends and so many strangers with their congratulations and their support," he said.
"So many young kids as well, and older people about their coming out stories and how recently they've been able to come out to their parents, and their family just because of how much Australia is changing at the moment, and how much the world is changing."
I've heard from so many young kids and older people about how recently they've been able to come out to their parents. - Finn Stannard
One story he says will remain with him forever, came from a younger peer who he had performed alongside in the school production, but says he didn't know very well.
"He came up to me and was like, 'Finn, I just had the courage to come out to my parents after your speech' and that just blew me away. That was not my intention at all, I was really just trying to start a conversation."
"The fact that this boy had gone up to his parents and really opened himself up to so much, because of something I did, shocked me. And I felt so pleased about it as well."
LGBTIQ+ Joleen Mataele Source: SBS
Ms Mataele says the speech resonated with people of all ages, including herself.
"When I saw Finn's video it brought back a lot of what I went through as a child," she said.
Finn says he believes schools in Australia need to do more to create safe environments for students who want to be themselves.
"There's definitely huge steps that need to be taken before everyone can feel really comfortable at school," he said.
"School's a scary place, people are changing, they're realising who they are, in a variety of ways."
"Being able to start questions in a school environment where people can start to feel comfortable, and honest, and happy with who they are, and acknowledge other people for their differences, is really the goal."
Finn Stannard school speech, June 2018 Source: SBS
Finn graduated from his high school at the end of last year and now works there as a tutor.
The 18-year-old is preparing to start a teaching degree and hopes he can continue to play a significant role in the lives of young students.
"I was always looking for someone who I could follow, because especially in high school you try and follow the river, you're trying to go with it, you're trying to see what works."
"I guess I always wanted the younger people at school to have that someone to follow."
Source: SBS
This weekend Finn will attend his first Mardi Gras festival in Sydney and will be standing on the sidelines with his partner Tom.
"I'm really looking forward to the costumes, the people, the excitement that I've heard about and I just wanted to witness it for the first time."
He hopes to one day join the parade.
"It's a bit of a dream, I'm not going to lie. I really want to be in the parade next year, and going on a float sounds awesome."
