The story of how a young heterosexual man woke up ‘gay’ continues to capture the public’s imagination six months after his initial revelation hit the headlines, as a new documentary is aired.
'I Woke Up Gay' finds out more about 27-year-old Chris Birch who claims not to identify with his old self after a stroke altered his personality and sexuality.
“It’s like looking at somebody else, but with my face only younger, and in all fairness, if I met myself I’d probably keep walking,” Birch said to the BBC about past pictures of himself.
His claims have caused controversy, as experts question whether a stroke can transform a person’s sexual orientation. Yet, Birch is convinced the stroke was the cause.
"It was a sort of lonely time. It was a time I was afraid to tell anybody because that wasn't who I used to be, so it shouldn't be who I am now," he said to the BBC.
Before the accident Mr Birch, of Ystrad Mynach, South Wales, had spent his weekends watching sport and drinking with his mates, he told the Daily Mail: “Suddenly, I hated everything about my old life. I didn’t get on with my friends, I hated sport and found my job boring. ‘I started to take more pride in my appearance, bleached my hair and started working out. I went from a 19-stone skinhead to an 11-stone preened man.
"People I used to know barely recognised me."
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