INVOLVEMENTS AT OU:
I am the Bobcat-Masters swim coach and a dazzling usher at TBAMA in my off hours. I am a brilliant alto II in Women’s Chorale and I hold the secretary position on the exec board.  I am also one of the friendly faces that is part of the wonderful organization that is “SpeakOUT” -which gives me a chance to share my own personal story and hopefully give others the strength to come out or help them understand something they may not understand. I am an active face in the LGBT community,but hold no real office in an organization.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO BE OUT or TO BE AN ALLY?       
There comes a point in everyone’s life when they just get sick and tired of hiding who they are and what they believe. I believe it’s important that this time doesn’t come so late in your life that you’ve already lived half of it and can’t remember a time when you were able to be your true self. Allies have it just as hard, in a world where hatred is what leads our society,but I beg you to embrace your acceptance or your ‘gayness’ and stand up. Chances are there is someone who will stand up with you.

WHY ARE YOU “PROUD”? WHAT ARE YOU MOST “PROUD” OF?
I am proud because I’ve gotten past the ‘rainbow’ phase of being a lesbian. No longer do I make ‘lesbian’ the first thing that describes me. Instead it is merely mixed among a list of things that can describe me: writer, singer, dancer, girlfriend, daughter, lesbian, Catholic, mentor…Lesbian is not who or what I am, because I am a multitude of amazing things (the fact that I love women just happens to be a perk).

WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF COMING OUT?
Dealing with the fact that I’m a lesbian and I am a Roman Catholic. It’s hard when you believe in a religion that doesn’t believe in you,and you know in your church community, your ‘actions’ as a homosexual will never be accepted.  That’s hard, but it’s harder to accept that God loves you for who you are.  He made me, there is a miracle in that.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHERS WHO COME OUT?

That there is no easy way to do this, so be sure that once you are out you STAY out. I took back my ‘outness’ twice and it hurt me more than helped me. Make sure it is something you are sure of, and don’t rush in to it. You aren’t going to change, so take your time.  Also, make sure your parents are sitting down and not driving any sort of large vehicle or holding any knives…just in case.

THOUGHTS FOR NON-LGBT PEOPLE ABOUT LGBT PEOPLE AND CONCERNS:
Love knows no boundaries. You won’t catch gay. I would like you to think of the time you woke up and said “I’m going to be a heterosexual for the rest of my life” and then understand that homosexuals didn’t choose this, we just woke up one day and the rest of our lives were never the same.