After years of sidestepping questions about his sexual orientation, actor Taylor Lautner reveals in a heartfelt posting online that he is gay.

“I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man,” Lautner, 19, said Monday to People.com. “I am very blessed to be who I am.”

He said his Twilight costar, Kristen Stewart, inspired him to be true to himself.

“To keep living as I did up until today would be to indirectly diminish the love that my fans give to me,” says Lautner. “These years in silence and reflection made me stronger and reminded me that acceptance has to come from within and that this kind of truth gives me the power to conquer emotions I didn’t even know existed.”

“When someone like Taylor Lautner comes out, hundreds of millions of people now have a cultural connection with an actor, and perhaps most importantly, a celebrity who happens to be gay,” said Jarrett Barrios, President of GLAAD. “His decision to model this kind of openness and honesty can lead to greater acceptance for countless gay people in U.S. and worldwide.”