A 51-year-old Methodist pastor in New York declared himself transgender before his congregation last week, saying he will give up “pretending to be a man.”

The viral video showed Rev. Phillip Phaneuf of North Chili United Methodist Church in Rochester wearing a rainbow stole as he revealed his newfound identity.

“So I get to announce with joy that I’m transitioning,” Phaneuf said. “I’m affirming to all of you that I am transgender. The best way to put this is that I’m not becoming a woman; I’m giving up pretending to be a man. This is a process, and it may be shocking for some as to what this all means.”

Phaneuf also declared himself asexual, meaning he has little to no sexual attraction to others.

“I’m in the category of what they call asexual,” Phaneuf said. “I’ve been that way since

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