When Nick's parents found out their son was bisexual, they threw him out of the house, leaving his belongings on the front yard. Although his parents did not support him, hundreds of strangers rallied around the penniless 18-year-old to offer their support, and they managed to raise thousands of dollars.
Earlier this month, Nick's parents threw him out of the house and took his car after someone told them he was bisexual, according to a description on a GoFundMe page. In addition, the page notes, they took the money Nick had saved from bagging groceries.
Steve Bevers, whose mother-in-law works with Nick, took the Georgia teen into his home and set up the crowd funding page on Oct. 22 to help raise money for Kennesaw State University freshman.
"When I heard about what happened to Nick I was flabbergasted," Bevers said in a statement to The Huffington Post. "I couldn't understand how a parent could do that. While I'm sure there are multiple sides to the story, I just was amazed. I was hurt. The first thing I asked was, 'Does he need a place to stay? Does he need some money?'"
According to a statement on the GoFundMe page, Bevers believes, "[Nick] has felt that the people most responsible for loving and protecting him through anything have turned their backs and don't care where he's sleeping, or how he's going to feed himself." He added, "We're working to show Nick that he is loved, even by strangers. That the horrible acts of some people will not be enough to stop him, and that with the help of people everywhere, he can get through this."
In just a few days, nearly 400 people have donated more than $12,000.
On Oct. 24, Nick uploaded a video to tell supporters his story and offer his thanks. He revealed that he did not choose to tell his father and stepmother about his sexuality because of how they would respond.
"This whole thing started when my stepmom caught wind of me being bisexual," he said. "I don't know where she got her information from, but I know it wasn't from me. She didn't like that and neither did my dad. I got told some very vulgar and disgusting things... That's why I didn't tell them, because I wasn't ready. And I didn't tell them for the exact reaction I was scared about, and that's exactly what happened."
In a video uploaded Wednesday, Nick said he is trying to get registered for the spring semester of school and is hoping to put some of the donation money toward getting himself a car.
In response to the already incredible success of the GoFundMe campaign, Bevers told The Huffington Post, "[I am] absolutely blown away. Amazed, humbled, and once again, I had my faith in humanity restored. Bad things happen -- that will always be the truth. But what this showed me is that people want to help. People want to give, and to trust."
UPDATE: Nick's father sent the following response to this story to The Huffington Post:
Bottom line, Nick had posted his personal business ALL over social media (FB, Twitter, Instagram, Ask.fm). We asked him to come down stairs and verified that it was true. My wife and I have known for 3-4 years Nick was gay, that was NEVER our issue. Our issues stemmed from him admitting to drinking and driving, getting suspended at work for a week for insulting his supervisor, blasting his personal business all over social media for future employers/nursing school applications to read, and his down right disrespect to every member of our household, especially his sisters by giving them graphic details of his sexual encounter with a 26 year old man (not something 3 teenaged girls need to hear from their big brother). Nick has a chip on his shoulder and a temper as well.
We gave him 4 rules:
1)take down all Social Media for 30 days because it was consuming his life and he could be posting things that 5 years from now he will regret
2)that he was not grounded BUT he was to drive to and from work and/or school with our car until he proved he was making better decisions and not drinking and driving
3)he needed to change departments at work because he was currently reporting directly to the ex-girlfriend that got him suspended for a week (I even went & talked to his manager for him & that was his suggestion)
4) that he needed to seek counseling to process all of this and deal with the anger he has towards his biological mother
At no point in time did we kick him out. He chose to leave because he didn't want to abide by our rules. Rules that were still pretty lenient considering. He showed up at the house after his first day back to work from his suspension, started yelling, cursing and threw his car keys at my wife, then assaulted her and grabbed her. She was offered to press charges by the police (that Nick called) but didn't want to ruin his college career or chances of getting into nursing school. He said, "I don't want shit from you people". We told him, "Nick you only have 6 weeks left in this semester. Lets get you through it and we will find you an apartment and get you moved if you don't want to stay here". About the car, it is a leased vehicle that we leased for Nick with an agreement that he would make the car payments, pay for insurance and gas. He agreed to all of those terms and we told him he would be responsible for all 36 payments no matter what, again, he agreed. As for taking his money, Nick was well aware that the remaining payments for his car were transferred to our account. We told him repeatedly take the car you are going to need it, we will make sure the payments are made. He again refused to take it. His sisters were present with all of our conversations with him so for him to lie and say that we took his money, his car and kicked him out is a down right lie. We didn't ask Nick to leave and we certainly wouldn't put out one of our children because of their sexual orientation. We are way too laid back for that.
Kind Regards,
Nick's Dad
In response, Nick's attorney responded with the following statement:
Nick’s Father's version of what has happened is very different from the reality Nick has experienced. Nick is consulting an attorney regarding getting his money back, and regarding his Father's attempts to paint Nick as the bad guy. The fact is that Nick graduated High-School with all A's, he has had a job for three years and is currently in college. The truth will be proven in due time.
Nick is very appreciative of all the support and kindness that has been shown by so many.
Nick is hurt by the allegations that have been presented against him, and wishes to respond point by point, but he will not engage in a public back and forth with them, and will only state that he disagrees with his father’s version of events. On the advice of the attorney Nick is not going to make any more public statements at this time but may in the future. For now any further inquiries can be directed to:
Steven Cayton
Attorney at Law
1401 Peachtree St NE
Suite 500
Atlanta, GA 30309
(404)-290-8990 (c)
(678)-951-0412 (f)
sncayton@me.com
Before You Go
In a 2011 Esquire interview, Megan Fox confirmed her bisexuality, stating, "I think people are born bisexual and then make subconscious choices based on the pressures of society. I have no question in my mind about being bisexual. But I'm also a hypocrite: I would never date a girl who was bisexual, because that means they also sleep with men, and men are so dirty that I'd never want to sleep with a girl who had slept with a man."
The Green Day front man opened up about his sexuality in a 1995 interview with The Advocate: "I think I've always been bisexual. I mean, it's something that I've always been interested in. I think everybody kind of fantasizes about the same sex. I think people are born bisexual, and it's just that our parents and society kind of veer us off into this feeling of 'Oh, I can't.' They say it's taboo. It's ingrained in our heads that it's bad, when it's not bad at all. It's a very beautiful thing."
Comedian Margaret Cho has long been open about her sexuality. In August 2013, Cho discussed the semantics surrounding her open marriage to artist Al Ridenour, saying that she's "technically not able to stay with one person sexually because I’m bisexual,” and joking that she just “can’t stop up that hole.” She also identifies as queer, and opened up about her sexuality in an interview with HuffPost Gay Voices Editor-At-Large Michelangelo Signorile.
Twice-married record executive and music mogul Clive Davis came out as bisexual in his 2013 memoir, The Soundtrack Of My Life. Davis opened up about two long-term relationships he had with men after his divorce from his second wife.
Actress Bai Ling is openly bisexual -- and the identity category has often provided some humorous mix-ups involving her first name. According to GLAAD, she discussed it in-depth in a 2009 interview with Entertainment Weekly: "[A]t first when I was in the United States I didn't always have an interpreter in interviews and I didn't speak English so well. There was some confusion. My name is pronounced 'bi,' so when I was asked, 'Are you bi?' I said, 'Yes, I am Bai.' Do you like men? 'Of course!' Do you like women? 'Why yes!' And later I found out what that means and I said, 'Sure, I am bi!' But I think the interpreters and the reporters thought that I didn't know what I was saying because I was so open about it. They were uncomfortable about it. Such a thing is not important for me."
The "Portlandia" star and former guitarist and vocalist for Sleater-Kinney is often assumed to identify as gay. However, she told "Willamette Week" in 2012 that, "It’s weird, because no one’s actually ever asked me. People just always assume, like, you’re this or that. It’s like, ‘OK. I’m bisexual.’”
The star of "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" revealed that she's bisexual in an "Inside Edition" interview in April 2015. Her daughter "Pumpkin" Lauryn Thompson also came out as bi at the same time.