Jan 7, 2011 13:56 GMT  ·  By

In January this year, Johnny Weir puts an end to all the speculation on his orientation with a little help from his book, “Welcome to My World.” In it, he clearly states that he’s gay and explains why he took so long in coming out.

To promote the book, Weir has already offered a few excerpts for publication to the print issue of People magazine, together with a brief interview, AfterElton writes.

Not only does he come out, but he also takes the time to explain in detail why he chose to keep people guessing for so long: in the end, it should be him that always comes first, he says.

“Welcome to My World” also includes less than pleasant memories about the times when he was mistaken for a girl as he was growing up, the relentless bullying and name-calling, and the pressure from the media in recent years to come out.

“With people killing themselves and being scared into the closet, I hope that even just one person can gain strength from my story,” Weir writes in the book.

He also speaks of pressure from blogs in the community, meant to out him forcibly. They “couldn’t figure out why I was such a jerk that I wouldn’t talk it,” he says.

“A lot of the gays got downright angry about my silence. But pressure is the last thing that would make me want to ‘join’ a community,” the figure skater turned television star says.

In the end, the decision not to come out earlier had nothing to do with acceptance of the fact, Weir underlines. He always knew and, most importantly, like who he was deep down inside.

“I’m not ashamed to be me. More than anyone else I know, I love my life and accept myself. What’s wrong with being unique? I am proud of everything that I am and will become,” he says.

Johnny Weir’s “Welcome to My World” is out in bookstores on January 11, 2011.