Metzler was worried about
coming out as gay and originally intended on telling his family while he was in town for his 21st birthday. He later admitted that "I didn't get the nerve to tell anyone." Several years later, Metzler reported that "my sister is gay too, and we knew about each other...my parents called her and said 'We know you're gay, you can come out of the
closet.' She replied: 'I'm not gay, but Brenton is.' She totally threw me out of the closet!" Metzler found that his hometown community was accepting of his orientation despite his initial apprehension. His advice to
LGBTQ youth who feel alone or isolated: "The thing you don’t realize is that there’s somebody out there who is completely going to appreciate you for you. It might not be in the town you’re in, but you’ll find those people in your life, people who are genuinely drawn to what makes you you." == Awards ==