How Nyle DiMarco is Changing the Hearing World | Out Magazine 

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, many were through with Tyra Banks and her reality competition. Then came Nyle DiMarco, a 6-foot-2 blue-eyed beau who happens to be deaf, a first for the show. “The funny part is, it was never challenging for me,” says the Queens, N.Y.–born model. “I have over 25 deaf family members, and we all use American Sign Language.” 

DiMarco recently launched ASL App, a concept he pitched during an episode of

. “We just hit 300,000 downloads, a milestone,” he says, adding that he hopes to reach a million. He also founded the Nyle DiMarco Foundation to improve the lives of deaf people through promoting bilingual education. 

Which doesn’t leave much time for a love life. “Dating is not my priority now,” he says. The model described himself as sexually “fluid” on Twitter last year in response to a fan’s question, though he is more coy about it now, perhaps because he’s too busy focusing on changing perceptions.

, he has toured deaf schools to share his tips for success with kids, and in March, he joined the cast of

magazine raved about his performance. “It felt really good to see that they recognized me and my work,” he says. “I think [my dance partner] Peta and I truly broke the relationship between music and dancing. We were killing every step, and that was mind-blowing for the hearing people.” 

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Tags: Hit List, America's Next Top Model, models

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