Troye Sivan is the adorable, sexy gay singer this world does not deserve, but he’s the one it needs. From posting videos of himself doing the Tumblr Tag and 7 Second challenges to performing with Taylor Swift at the Rose Bowl, Troye’s journey continues to inspire me. Ever since I started watching his YouTube videos back in 2012, I fell in love with his talent, heart, and humor. Little did I know that I was a die hard stan in the making.

I was closeted when I first found Troye’s videos. At that point, I flat out denied that I was gay and was taught to be ashamed of my sexuality. It wasn’t until Troye publicly came out that I began to question the toxic, homophobic doctrine instilled by my family and church. I would constantly hear cruel sermons and statements about being gay and was warned of the consequences of indulging in “homosexual desires.” I was taught to shun homosexuality and learned to secretly hate myself for something I couldn’t ever change. My own mother would tell me that no gay person is ever actually happy and would then proceed to show me videos of gay men who had gone through some form of so-called "conversion therapy" that "worked." I wasn’t even out yet when my mother showed me these videos, but they stuck with me. Nonetheless, when I saw Troye live openly as a gay man, everything changed for me, and I was inspired to come out to my friends and family.

His family’s response to his coming out also improved my perspective on religion. Being raised by a heteronormative, traditional family, I could never imagine someone being LGBTQ and religious, yet Troye and his family, who identify as Jewish, have demonstrated that it is possible to be a queer person of faith. They have shown me that religion can be beautiful and accepting, giving me hope that my own family can come to the same conclusion.

Not only is he an outstanding singer and great performer with an alluring, feeling-myself dance style, he is also an advocate for the LGBTQ community. Troye’s Blue Neighborhood music video trilogy touched on serious topics like being closeted, coming out, unaccepting family members, and heteronormative social pressures. All the while, Troye—loud and proud as ever—struts all he’s got in his new music video for his song “My My My!” off his second album Bloom, which will be released on August 31. Additionally, the incorporation of other trans and queer artists in his music videos celebrates all members of the LGBTQ community and brings more positive attention to marginalized people within it. His most recent release, “Bloom,” is the bop allegedly about bottoming that breaks negative stigma surrounding the receiving partner in gay sex.

But Troye’s good heart extends beyond just the queer community: “The Fault In Our Stars,” one of the most heart-warming songs I’ve listened to by Troye, is one he wrote and released in response to a novel of the same name written by John Green about a young girl living with cancer. He donated 100% of the proceeds to the oncology department of his local hospital, the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation in Perth WA, Australia. His advocacy around the world also earned him the Stephen F. Kolzak Award from GLAAD in 2017, making him the youngest ever recipient of the prestigious honor.

Troye’s music makes me cry, sweat, dance, and groove, while I remain speechless and quaking as he serves looks as fierce as a runway queen’s. If I am ever asked why I stan an Australian singer named Troye Sivan Mellet, I will not be able to name the countless reasons. But I do know that Troye is unapologetically himself and I am better off for it.

#WeStan is an amp original series honoring LGBTQ legends in media because we know that representation matters. Follow along on GLAAD social media—Facebook, Instagram, Twitter—to see who our fans stan!

Daniel Segobiano is a GLAAD Campus Ambassador and rising sophomore at the University of California Santa Cruz studying computer science and dance.