Lez Keep It Real

Today’s Come Out & Play post spotlights National Coming Out Day

National Coming Out Day is an international event which gives gay, lesbian and bisexual people the opportunity to “come out” to others about their sexuality. It also provides a means of increasing the visibility of gay people.

The first National Coming Out Day was held on October 11, 1988. This date was chosen for the annual event in commemoration of the 1987 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. It also marks the anniversary of the first visit of the AIDS Memorial Quilt to Washington, DC.

Many communities and college campuses sponsor programs such as dances, film festivals, workshops, literature booths, and rallies to mark the day.

Yesterday was the “official” National Coming Out Day, but since Friday’s are reserved for Come Out & Play, I thought I do a little reminiscing today instead.

The first time I was made aware of National Coming Out Day was in 2002, when I was working at Wheelock College in Boston, MA. I had a HUGE crush on one of the students who went there. And by huge, I mean borderline obsessive. Don’t cringe! She was only two years younger than me, it’s not like I was robbing the cradle or anything. I had just graduated from college the year before, and she happened to be a senior at Wheelock that year.

It was hard not to mingle with the students and become friends with them, especially since we were so close in age. In fact, one of the girls I became friends with who was a student at the time I worked there is now dating my brother. They’ve been together for almost six years now!

Back to the story. The girl I was crushing on, simply put, was gorgeous. But I had no clue if she was gay or not. On looks alone, she could have passed for any straight girl. And my gaydar was malfunctioning. It was about as effective as a snowball in 100 degree heat. For weeks I agonized over it, weighing all the possible scenarios in my head. I was confused because she flirted with me often and yet she had an off and on again boyfriend. Then one cool, crisp day in October, I walked into the building where she worked as a student to drop off some papers and, low and behold, she was wearing a pink triangle on her shirt! I thought, yes! She’s fair game! I decided to ask her why she was wearing it, just to be sure.

It was then that she placed a pink triangle sticker on my shirt and informed me that it was National Coming Out Day. Everyone should support it. Everyone, I thought? Meaning, straight people too? Yes, she confirmed, everyone.

Great. I was back at square one, keeping my feelings for her safely in the closet.

That was my introduction to National Coming Out Day. Since then, I’ve learned more about the history behind the day and have grown to appreciate it more. As for the girl, well it turns out that she was, in fact, a lesbian masquerading as a straight girl. But she was already seeing someone by the time I figured it out. Needless to say, every time I see a pink triangle I think of her and wonder how she is doing. National Coming Out Day will always make me smile, and not because I came out that day. But because one of my first major crushes was attempting to come out herself, in the best way she knew how.

These celebrities are happy being out & proud.

Tune in every Friday for the Come Out & Play series, featuring coming out stories of celebrities, every day people, personal reflections, advice, tid bits and everything else concerning the complicated world of coming out!

Got an interesting coming out story to tell? Contact me and I will feature it in an upcoming post of Come Out & Play.

wheelock college, national coming out day, gaydar, pink triangle

Today’s Come Out & Play post spotlights your top five. Confused? That’s OK. I can explain …

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Friday’s Come Out & Play post touched a few people. Here’s one response I received through e-mail:

I just read your article on Coming out later in life. It was in the Come Out and Play section. I am 46 and in the process of coming out. I was married for 18 years and finally accepted the fact that I love women right before I left my husband. Then I said I was bisexual and dated men and women. But recently, I finally accepted the fact that I am lesbian. I have known it since I was in my early teens but there wasn’t a lot of information on it except how wrong it was. I can’t wait to read more about others coming out to inspire my own story.
Thanks! ~ M

It’s nice to know that people are affected by the topics I choose to write about and the points I discuss. Coming Out is such a confusing process - if there were a handbook that could be handed out to everyone embarking on their Coming Out journey it would be extremely beneficial. There’s no right or wrong way to do it. It’s just something every homosexual has to muddle through, no matter who you are. Just ask T.R. Knight …
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Today’s Come Out & Play post spotlights coming out as an adult, taking a leap of faith during the middle ages of your life. It’s hard to come out, period. But it’s even harder to come out when your life has already taken another path, when you have already gone down the road for miles only to realize that maybe you should have turned off at a previous exit some time ago. But, even if the road gets bumpy, it’s never too late to come out of the closet.

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Today’s Come Out & Play post spotlights Jack, a well-known character from the now defunct WB’s 90’s adolescent drama, Dawson’s Creek.

Remember the good ol’ days when Katie Holmes was normal? Before she was hypnotized, mummified, cloned or whatever by Tom Cruise and his band of Scientologists? Remember when she was just Joey, the cute, cynical tomboy who, whenever she would smile, would make my heart go pitter-patter? Ah … ahem. I loved that show, even though the characters spoke in intellectual tongues, weaving a tapestry of words that real kids their age wouldn’t even know how to spell, let alone use in a complete sentence. Half the time I didn’t even know what they were talking about. (There I go, off on a tangent again!)

What I did appreciate, however, was the emergence of Jack as a gay character. This was during a time when gay characters were becoming more visible on general programming (primetime television). And I was able to unearth the coming out episode on YouTube!

So, here it is. Jack’s coming out story … enjoy!
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I know when you read the title of this post, you were probably like … huh?

Let me explain.

Today’s Come Out & Play post spotlights Chicken Soup for the Soul: Celebrating Brothers and Sisters!

Why you ask? Well, because the book comes out in stores tomorrow and yours truly has a short story published in it!

It’s a great book if you have a sibling or multiple siblings. The Chicken Soup for the Soul series may be corny at times, but it all depends on the book. It’s a pretty popular series and while over 10,000 stories are submitted to each book, only 100 actually make it in to publication. I’m happy to say that I was one of those 100 stories chosen.

So, get to your local bookstore or purchase a copy here.

Also: Keep an eye out for the anthology Best Lesbian Love Stories: Summer Flings, published by Alyson Books. I have a story being published in that as well. And, to be honest, that’s more our cup of tea!

Tune in every Friday for the Come Out & Play series, featuring coming out stories of celebrities, every day people, personal reflections, advice, tid bits and everything else concerning the complicated world of coming out!

Got an interesting coming out story to tell? Contact me and I will feature it in an upcoming post of Come Out & Play.

chicken soup for the soul, chicken soup for the soul: celebrating brothers and sisters, alyson books, best lesbian love stories

Today’s Come Out & Play post spotlights Alice, a well-known character from the L Word.

Back in season one, when the L Word was at its best (in my opinion) or maybe it was season two, possibly even season three - I can’t remember. Whatever the season, on some random road trip each character described her coming out story and Alice’s was the best by far. Though Dana’s rivaled it (maybe I’ll post Dana’s next week!)

So here it is, in all of it’s glory - Alice’s coming out story:
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Since Friday’s post was about the Fagbug’s Adventure, I moved the Come Out & Play series to today.

This week’s Come Out & Play post continues to spotlight Marco, a well-known character from the hit show, Degrassi.

Basically, Degrassi is a totally awesome show! (That’s my inner 80’s child coming through!) There’s an openly gay character on the show named Marco DelRossi. His inner struggle with coming out was made into a two-part episode a couple of years ago. It was brilliantly scripted and just as wonderfully acted. Other episodes followed, revolving around his coming out to his family and friends. I thought I’d show it as a series, breaking it down in video clips from YouTube.

Remember the days when you’d watch a film in class, knowing you wouldn’t have to sit through another lecture for at least a week because that’s how long it would take to get through the film in the amount of time the class allotted. Well, think of this as a Come Out & Play 101 film! It’s broken up into nine parts.

(If you are confused and missed the introduction of Marco’s story, go here for a refresher. To view the other parts of Marco’s story, click on the Come Out & Play category on the right hand side to watch parts 1-7!)

This is Marco’s story part 8:

Make sure to come back next Friday for the final part of Marco’s coming out story! Trust me, it only gets better!

Tune in every Friday for the Come Out & Play series, featuring coming out stories of celebrities, every day people, personal reflections, advice, tid bits and everything else concerning the complicated world of coming out!

Got an interesting coming out story to tell? Contact me and I will feature it in an upcoming post of Come Out & Play.

degrassi, marco delrossi, come out play, coming out story, canada, gay and lesbian issues

This week’s Come Out & Play post continues to spotlight Marco, a well-known character from the hit show, Degrassi.

Basically, Degrassi is a totally awesome show! (That’s my inner 80’s child coming through!) There’s an openly gay character on the show named Marco DelRossi. His inner struggle with coming out was made into a two-part episode a couple of years ago. It was brilliantly scripted and just as wonderfully acted. Other episodes followed, revolving around his coming out to his family and friends. I thought I’d show it as a series, breaking it down in video clips from YouTube.

Remember the days when you’d watch a film in class, knowing you wouldn’t have to sit through another lecture for at least a week because that’s how long it would take to get through the film in the amount of time the class allotted. Well, think of this as a Come Out & Play 101 film! It’s broken up into nine parts.

(If you are confused and missed the introduction of Marco’s story, go here for a refresher. To view the other parts of Marco’s story, click on the Come Out & Play category on the right hand side to watch parts 1-6!)

This is Marco’s story part 7:

Make sure to come back next Friday for the eighth part of Marco’s coming out story! Trust me, it only gets better!

Tune in every Friday for the Come Out & Play series, featuring coming out stories of celebrities, every day people, personal reflections, advice, tid bits and everything else concerning the complicated world of coming out!

Got an interesting coming out story to tell? Contact me and I will feature it in an upcoming post of Come Out & Play.

degrassi, marco delrossi, come out & play, coming out story, canada, gay and lesbian issues

This week’s Come Out & Play post continues to spotlight Marco, a well-known character from the hit show, Degrassi.

Basically, Degrassi is a totally awesome show! (That’s my inner 80’s child coming through!) There’s an openly gay character on the show named Marco DelRossi. His inner struggle with coming out was made into a two-part episode a couple of years ago. It was brilliantly scripted and just as wonderfully acted. Other episodes followed, revolving around his coming out to his family and friends. I thought I’d show it as a series, breaking it down in video clips from YouTube.

Remember the days when you’d watch a film in class, knowing you wouldn’t have to sit through another lecture for at least a week because that’s how long it would take to get through the film in the amount of time the class allotted. Well, think of this as a Come Out & Play 101 film! It’s broken up into nine parts.

(If you are confused and missed the introduction of Marco’s story, go here for a refresher. To view the other parts of Marco’s story, click on the Come Out & Play category on the right hand side to watch parts 1-5!)

This is Marco’s story part 6:
Make sure to come back next Friday for the sixth part of Marco’s coming out story! Trust me, it only gets better!

Tune in every Friday for the Come Out & Play series, featuring coming out stories of celebrities, every day people, personal reflections, advice, tid bits and everything else concerning the complicated world of coming out!

Got an interesting coming out story to tell? Contact me and I will feature it in an upcoming post of Come Out & Play.

degrassi, marco delrossi, come out & play, coming out story, canada, gay and lesbian issues

This week’s Come Out & Play post continues to spotlight Marco, a well-known character from the hit show, Degrassi.

Basically, Degrassi is a totally awesome show! (That’s my inner 80’s child coming through!) There’s an openly gay character on the show named Marco DelRossi. His inner struggle with coming out was made into a two-part episode a couple of years ago. It was brilliantly scripted and just as wonderfully acted. Other episodes followed, revolving around his coming out to his family and friends. I thought I’d show it as a series, breaking it down in video clips from YouTube. Remember the days when you’d watch a film in class, knowing you wouldn’t have to sit through another lecture for at least a week because that’s how long it would take to get through the film in the amount of time the class allotted. Well, think of this as a Come Out & Play 101 film! It’s broken up into nine parts.

(If you are confused and missed the introduction of Marco’s story, go here for a refresher. To view the other parts of Marco’s story, click on the Come Out & Play category on the right hand side to watch parts 1-4!)

This is Marco’s story part 5:
Make sure to come back next Friday for the sixth part of Marco’s coming out story! Trust me, it only gets better!

Tune in every Friday for the Come Out & Play series, featuring coming out stories of celebrities, every day people, personal reflections, advice, tid bits and everything else concerning the complicated world of coming out!

Got an interesting coming out story to tell? Contact me and I will feature it in an upcoming post of Come Out & Play.

degrassi, marco delrossi, come out & play, coming out story, canada, gay and lesbian issues

This week’s Come Out & Play post continues to spotlight Marco, a well-known character from the hit show, Degrassi.

Basically, Degrassi is a totally awesome show! (That’s my inner 80’s child coming through!) There’s an openly gay character on the show named Marco DelRossi. His inner struggle with coming out was made into a two-part episode a couple of years ago. It was brilliantly scripted and just as wonderfully acted. Other episodes followed, revolving around his coming out to his family and friends. I thought I’d show it as a series, breaking it down in video clips from YouTube. Remember the days when you’d watch a film in class, knowing you wouldn’t have to sit through another lecture for at least a week because that’s how long it would take to get through the film in the amount of time the class allotted. Well, think of this as a Come Out & Play 101 film! It’s broken up into nine parts.

(If you are confused and missed the introduction of Marco’s story, go here for a refresher. To view the other parts of Marco’s story, click on the Come Out & Play category on the right hand side to watch parts 1-3!)

This is Marco’s story part 4:

Make sure to come back next Friday for the fifth part of Marco’s coming out story! Trust me, it only gets better!

Tune in every Friday for the Come Out & Play series, featuring coming out stories of celebrities, every day people, personal reflections, advice, tid bits and everything else concerning the complicated world of coming out!

Got an interesting coming out story to tell? Contact me and I will feature it in an upcoming post of Come Out & Play.

degrassi, marco delrossi, come out & play, coming out story, canada, gay and lesbian issues

This week’s Come Out & Play post continues to spotlight Marco, a well-known character from the hit show, Degrassi. 

Basically, Degrassi is a totally awesome show! (That’s my inner 80’s child coming through!) There’s an openly gay character on the show named Marco DelRossi. His inner struggle with coming out was made into a two-part episode a couple of years ago. It was brilliantly scripted and just as wonderfully acted. Other episodes followed, revolving around his coming out to his family and friends. I thought I’d show it as a series, breaking it down in video clips from YouTube. Remember the days when you’d watch a film in class, knowing you wouldn’t have to sit through another lecture for at least a week because that’s how long it would take to get through the film in the amount of time the class allotted. Well, think of this as a Come Out & Play 101 film! It’s broken up into nine parts. 

(If you are confused and missed the introduction of Marco’s story, go here for a refresher. To view the other parts of Marco’s story, click on the Come Out & Play category on the right hand side to watch parts 1-2!) This is Marco’s story part 3:

Make sure to come back next Friday for the fourth part of Marco’s coming out story! Trust me, it only gets better! 

As a side note, I’m sure all of you have read about Michael Glatze on many GLBT blogs. He’s a former gay activist turned Christian right fear-monger. Seriously, no joke. I didn’t write about him because, at the time, I just didn’t have the stomach to digest it and regurgitate my opinion. Plus, plenty of other blogs tackled the heaviness of the story in a respectable manner.

Recently, however, I came across a sound clip from the GAYBC Radio Network. Benjie Nycum, Glatze’s former partner, was being interviewed. He speaks quite candidly about their relationship and his point of view about where Glatze’s sudden turn around might be coming from. More importantly, he shows a different side of Glatze - a side that is important for us to be aware of. Here is a man who has yet to reconcile with the trauma of his past. For that, I feel great empathy. His own fear of God, life and death have caused him to take an apparent leap of faith that is so extreme, he’s forgotten who he is altogether. It’s not as unbelievable as it may seem. It is, really … just incredibly sad. Please listen with an open mind.

Tune in every Friday for the Come Out & Play series, featuring coming out stories of celebrities, every day people, personal reflections, advice, tid bits and everything else concerning the complicated world of coming out! Got an interesting coming out story to tell? Contact me and I will feature it in an upcoming post of Come Out & Play.

degrassi, marco delrossi, come out & play, coming out story, canada, gay and lesbian issues

This week’s Come Out & Play post continues to spotlight Marco, a well-known character from the hit show, Degrassi.

If you are confused and missed last week’s Come Out & Play post, go here for a refresher.

Basically, Degrassi is a totally awesome show! (That’s my inner 80s child coming through!) There’s an openly gay character on the show named Marco DelRossi. His inner struggle with coming out was made into a two-part episode a couple of years ago. It was brilliantly scripted and just as wonderfully acted. I thought I’d show it as a series, breaking it down in video clips from YouTube. Remember the days when you’d watch a film in class, knowing you wouldn’t have to sit through another lecture for at least a week because that’s how long it would take to get through the film in the amount of time the class allotted. Well, think of this as a Come Out & Play 101 film! It’s broken up into nine parts.

This is Marco’s story part 2:

Make sure to come back next Friday for the third part of Marco’s coming out story! Trust me, it only gets better!

As a side note, Meg (a fellow 451press blogger), wrote about the gay and lesbian film festival in Philadelphia over on her blog. Go check it out.

Tune in every Friday for the Come Out & Play series, featuring coming out stories of celebrities, every day people, personal reflections, advice, tid bits and everything else concerning the complicated world of coming out!

Got an interesting coming out story to tell? Contact me and I will feature it in an upcoming post of Come Out & Play.

degrassi, marco delrossi, come out & play, coming out story, canada, gay and lesbian issues

This week’s Come Out & Play post spotlights Marco, a well-known character from the hit show, Degrassi.

I grew up with Degrassi. Well, not the Degrassi of today, but the older version from the 80s.

It was such a classic and ground-breaking show because it portrayed real, every day kids going through real-life problems. There weren’t all these beautiful actors or actresses playing these characters. These characters were actually played by average looking kids, making the show all the more identifiable. Story lines touched on drugs, rape, teen pregnancy, anorexia, gay and lesbian issues, divorce, etc. You name it, they covered it.

The Degrassi of today is much like the 80s version, only geared towards today’s teens. Filmed in Toronto, it leaves no stone unturned when uncovering the latest in adolescent angst. Of course, they air the un-cut version in Canada. Even today, some scenes are considered too racy for the American audience. You gotta hand it to them Canadians, never afraid to talk about the kinds of subjects that some Americans hush upon.

Regardless, it’s a totally awesome show! (That’s my inner 80s child coming through!) There’s an openly gay character on the show named Marco DelRossi. His inner struggle with coming out was made into a two-part episode a couple of years ago. It was brilliantly scripted and just as wonderfully acted. I thought I’d show it as a series, breaking it down in video clips from YouTube. Remember the days when you’d watch a film in class, knowing you wouldn’t have to sit through another lecture for at least a week because that’s how long it would take to get through the film in the amount of time the class allotted. Well, think of this as a Come Out & Play 101 film! It’s broken up into nine parts.

This is Marco’s story part 1:

Make sure to come back next Friday for the second part of Marco’s coming out story! Trust me, it only gets better!

Tune in every Friday for the Come Out & Play series, featuring coming out stories of celebrities, every day people, personal reflections, advice, tid bits and everything else concerning the complicated world of coming out!

Got an interesting coming out story to tell? Contact me and I will feature it in an upcoming post of Come Out & Play.

degrassi, marco delrossi, come out & play, coming out story, canada, gay and lesbian issues