Tony Hill, Gay 
Freshman, Information and Telecommunication Systems                                   

INVOLVEMENTS AT OU:
Open Doors, SHADES and Equality Ohio 

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO BE OUT or TO BE AN ALLY?
It is important to be out because, in most cases, being in the closet will deteriorate your very being. Your grades will drop, you will feel stressed out all the time, you feel lonely, like a failure, and some people even become depressed. I don’t know about you, but I went through the depression and feeling like a failure and I was unhappy all the time and I had to pretend to be happy in front of my friends and family. All of them knew something was up but it is just horrible feeling alone. 

WHY ARE YOU “PROUD”? WHAT ARE YOU MOST “PROUD” OF?
I am PROUD because I do not act differently with different groups of people. I have seen many of my friends act more masculine when heterosexual men come around or they totally flame out when they are around their gay friends. I am the same way with anyone I talk to. 

WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF COMING OUT?
The most difficult part of coming out is feeling like you have let people down. My father prophesized, when I was born, that when I grew up, I’d become a football and track star and I would have a beautiful wife, just like my mother. When I came out to him he said, well gay people can’t play manly sports so I guess I’ll start practicing with your brother instead.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHERS WHO COME OUT?
Don’t come out for anyone but yourself and be comfortable with yourself and the way you act around everybody. If someone sees your weakness they will attack it and you won’t be able to defend yourself.

THOUGHTS FOR NON-LGBT PEOPLE ABOUT LGBT PEOPLE AND CONCERNS: 
LGBT people aren’t extremely different from non-LGBT people; our sexuality doesn’t run our lives, it’s just a part of us. Just like I wouldn’t judge you for playing video games, I don’t think you should judge us for our feelings toward the same sex.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
I think the “Faces of Pride” poster is wonderful to put people that are prideful out onto the streets. If a person is ashamed of his or herself because of his or her sexuality and they will see this poster with some of the prideful people of Athens then they can ask themselves, “Why am I not prideful of myself?” And they can try and work towards having pride for something that is an important part of them.