An out gay U.S. Marine in Jacksonville, North Carolina, is on the lookout for an extra hunky date for the upcoming 2015 Marine Corps Ball.
Marine Tanner White uploaded a video to YouTube yesterday asking out gay country singer Steve Grand to attend the annual military ball with him. "Hopefully you say yes," the 23-year-old says in the video.
"I chose Steve Grand because I absolutely love his music, and he seems like a generally nice man who wants to help young LGBTQ individuals," White told BuzzFeed News. "Also, he is extremely hot."
Further photographic evidence that singer Steve Grand is indeed "extremely hot."
Only 10 months after enlisting in August 2011, White received an HIV-positive diagnosis — news that initially devastated him, but that he has now come to embrace.
After befriending an out gay Marine who made personal YouTube videos, White decided to start his own channel for sharing his HIV status and experiences.
The Marine recognizes that even in 2015, many people are uneducated when it comes to HIV. "I strive to change that. While doing so, I want to show people living with the virus that we can still live a normal and very happy life."
And what if Grand says "OORAH" to this proposal?
"I will be excited to attend the ball with my 'celebrity man crush,'" said White.