BINGE BY TYLER OAKLEY (LEGIT VERSION)

matthew

TYLER OAKLEY ISN'T MY REAL name. Ahh! See? This book is full of surprises! Right off

the bat, bam! You've got an exclusive! Truth be told, my real name is Mathew Tyler

Oakley, but it feels like I've always gone by Tyler. Back in kindergarten, another

Mathew was in my class, and that simply would not do. I was not there to leave it up

to my classmates to label the two Mathews with adjectives—because Lord knows I

would have been "chubby Mathew," which was not the branding I was going for at

age five (or ever).

So, I came home one day and told my parents that I'd be going by Tyler. I needed to

be one of a kind at school if I wanted to make any impression. I mean, imagine two

celebrities sharing a name! How confusing and ridiculous would that be? Well, just

look at Michelle Williams. No, not the one who was in Brokeback Mountain or Blue

Valentine or My Week with Marilyn . . . the one who used to be in Destiny's Child with

Beyoncé. See?! This kind of confusion was not something I wanted to deal with down

the line.

So here I am, as what has almost become two separate people, Mathew Tyler Oakley

and Tyler Oakley. As time has gone on, Mathew has become my more private identity

—someone who I very much protect. Tyler is who I generously offer, at school, in life,

and on YouTube. Mathew is what my parents and siblings call me, and the name I sign

my binding contracts with, and Tyler is who makes embarrassing challenge videos and

meets guys on Grindr. I've always been both, and to some people I'm more one than

the other.

And now you know. But for me to give you Mathew right off the bat . . . that's me

trusting you. It's me saying hi, welcome to my life, not everything is pretty or perfect

or edited with jump cuts. That's Tyler. You know Tyler. It's time for me to tell you all

of Mathew's stories.

But still call me Tyler because, honestly, do I even look like a Mathew at this point?

Yeah, no.