Time to Thrive Conference

Disclaimer, I am not a fan of the Human Rights Campaign. I believe that they have a long ways to go to become an organization that has my trust. However, that doesn’t mean that some of what they are doing is not good for the LGBT community.

First I would like to congratulate my friend and former boss during my MSW internship, Robin McHaelen executive director of True Colors for receiving the "Upstander" award.



Also at the conference Ellen Page came out; why is it important that we come out? Just listen to Ms. Page…



Forbes had this to say about her coming out,

In a moving speech on Friday, actress Ellen Page revealed to the world that she is gay. The 26-year-old actress told a group gathered for a Human Rights Campaign even that she is tired of hiding and “tired of lying by omission.”

“I suffered for years because I was scared to be out,” Page told the crowd. “I’m standing on the other side of that pain.”
I think this is the most important reason to come out, is to stop the hiding, to stop the lying and to be ourselves.

When some comes out they never know what will happen to them; will they not get picked in the football draft, will the movie parts stop coming? We never know.

So will her announcement affect what kind of roles she gets? We’ll have to wait and see. Page has never been cast as the sex symbol. There’s no reason studios won’t continue to cast her in roles where the character is young and smart with a sharp wit. Hopefully they will continue to cast her in the same roles they would have considered Page for before her announcement.

Page coming out is important because it’s one more actor who is telling the truth. The more prominent people in film, sports and music who are open about their sexuality, the less stigma there will be for young people who are struggling with their sexual identity. And the harder it will get for Hollywood to discriminate against gay actors. If Page or Parsons is the best actor for a role, that actor needs to get cast.

Some people don’t understand why it is a “Big Thing” coming out, why all the press coverage, but they will never understand because they had never stepped up to an edge of a cliff and stepped off.

Just listen to Ms. Page voice and hear it quiver with emotion as she steps off that cliff.