SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Declaring that he "has to be true to himself," local man Steve Bakowski announced Friday that he is bravely stepping out and choosing to openly self-identify as a man.

"I don't care what people say. I don't care what people call me," an audacious Bakowski told reporters. "I know in my heart that I'm a man. I've always known it, ever since I was a kid. I've never even second-guessed it. So I'm going to tell it like it is. I'm a man, and I'm not ashamed to say it."

When asked about the possibility of facing backlash for his courageous stance, Bakowski was undeterred.

"I know our culture can be hostile to people like me," he stated. "But I'm prepared to face the consequences. I know there are others out there who feel exactly like I do. They need to know they're not strange, they're not some weird freaks."

"They need to know they're not alone," he added.