Gay Teen Survived Massive Tornado, Thinking He Was Left Behind in the Rapture. The Truth Set Him Free (Exclusive)
Cecil Cornish was one of the survivors of the deadly EF5 tornado that struck Joplin, Mo., in 2011
Cornish tells PEOPLE that many people have come out to him in some of the messages he has received since his appearance in the Netflix documentary The Twister: Caught in the Storm
Cornish now leads a nonprofit support group for openly queer people who experience emotions similar to those he felt as a kidFourteen years ago, in May 2011, an EF5 tornado tore through the small town of Joplin, Mo., leaving nearly 160 people dead and injuring more than 1,100 others.
At the time, one teen thought the Rapture — the end times as described by some Christian denominations — had begun. When the storm ended, 17-year-old Cecil Cornish believed he'd been left behind and God had abandoned him because he was gay.
But as the dust cleared, he realized that wasn't the case. He'd survived. His whole life lie ahead of him.
Now Cornish is sharing his emotional story, including embracing his identity, in a new Netflix documentary, The Twister: Caught in the Storm. He tells PEOPLE that since speaking out, he's heard from fellow members of the LGBTQ+ community who have been touched by his experience.
'[They were] coming out to me, or they said that they watched my special on Netflix and they came out to their family, which is pretty insane,' Cornish says. 'It's great, but it's also been a little overwhelming for sure.'
In the documentary, Cornish recalls how he was working at a local frozen yogurt store when the deadly twister ripped through town. After spotting the monster storm barreling toward the business, he and others hunkered down inside the shop and held on for dear life as they begged God to 'protect us with your light.'
Cornish thought to himself, "If this is going to be the end of the world, I don't want to stay around for what's going to happen.' '
After the storm passed, Cornish stepped outside and saw there was 'nothing' left of Joplin.
While he assumed being gay meant that he had been ignored by God, soon he realized that his parents were still alive and that the world had not ended after all.
'I was so happy,' he said in the doc, tearfully describing the moment he was reunited with his mom and dad.
Later in the documentary, Cornish acknowledged that he was 'concerned about being chosen,' but now realizes 'it's important to choose yourself.'
Cornish tells PEOPLE it 'was not easy' being gay as a young person in rural Missouri — and that it 'tested' him, his family and his friends 'in complex ways' until he finally came out.
But he says it was also 'fun' being able to eventually embrace his sexuality. He 'found joy in the little things' in life, which he recalls 'kept me going.'
Now openly gay, Cornish leads a nonprofit support group known as Joplin Missouri Equality, or Jo Mo EQ, for queer people who experience emotions similar to those he felt as a kid.
He is also writing a memoir 'about growing up queer in a place that often had no blueprint for people like me.'
Speaking with PEOPLE about the documentary's reception, Cornish says he has 'received several' messages from other LBGTQ+ people.
'I think in America we don't see a lot of men be intimate or be emotional,' he explains. 'And I think that that's resonated with men and women and queer people in general, and they like to have kind of a role model … And I'm glad that could be me.'
Cornish thanks the film's director, Alexandra Lacey, for showcasing him and his story in a 'beautiful' way. 'I know that the truth of my story was told, and that's my biggest concern,' he says.
He adds: 'I love that I was able to talk about being rejected from the church, because that's a very shared experience that people have throughout America. I think that's resonating with a lot of people. And that's way beyond the storm … people that are queer can feel more comfortable being themselves, especially in [today's] current climate.'
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Lacey tells PEOPLE she is thrilled that 'something good' could be taken away from 'something so catastrophic" like the tornado.
'Our priority is always the people whose stories that we're helping to tell. It's very much their story, not ours,' she says, calling the process of creating the film 'an emotional journey.'
'I really care about the subjects of my films,' Lacey continues. 'And all that matters to me right now, honestly, is what these guys think of the film. I don't really care what the public has to say. It's really about the people that chose to bravely share their stories in the film ... They're the most emotional interviews I've ever done.'
Since the documentary's release in March, Cornish says, he has read nearly every message he's gotten.
'One of the biggest things I didn't anticipate were stories from folks. Just like people with PTSD or people that have lived through tornadoes or some kind of natural disaster,' he says, adding, 'It's been a joy to hear from everyone and to hear how sweet people think I am, and to hear the good things has been really awesome.'
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