This takes guts. This guy, a high school senior, accepted an award as "best actor" at his high school senior awards ceremony, and used the opportunity to come out to his entire school. His dad shot and edited the video. [youtube]-c4_anB-Vvk[/youtube] Here's the link to the full article.
I was going to post that yesterday. That kids got some balls. I can't imagine what that could've been like.
This kid is amazing... I probably would have been stuttering over every word, struggling to convey the message. I give this kid major props...
Imagine following that kid... "so uh yeah... I'm straight, just in case you were wondering" I'm just kidding, that took guts
Yaaaay! Lol, i can totally relate to the whole acting thing. I feel like i am lying about myself to everyone every minute of every day. But i doubt i would have got that reaction at my school if i had done the same thing
Why must we come out? Why can't we be like, "I'm not interested in women, btw, " and continue? Why must it be a big deal? ---------- Post added 24th Jan 2013 at 05:02 PM ---------- The best class actor award and coming as LGBT from acting straight is clever. However, he was best class ACTOR, not best class ATHLETE. Why is this such a big deal? I'm not tryna knock this kid down, he's very brave, but to many of his classmates, I bet it wasn't a shocker. Not to be rude or stereotypical, but fine arts such as drama, orchestra, painting, and singing, except garage bands is more feminine. Sciences, business, and sports is more masculine. It's just from what I observed in North American high schools.
Well... it's an old joke in the theater community that the majority of guys who do theater are gay, so that thought occurred to me as well. I worked on a community theater production of "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" and 6 of the 7 brothers were gay, so it was known, internally, as Seven Brides for Six Queens. But it's still a challenge, when no one else knows you're gay besides your parents and maybe a couple of close friends, to come out to 300 people. And it's also a sign that he isn't totally comfortable with himself, that he identifies not as "gay" or "Bi" but as "LGBT" (He said in an interview that he identifies that way, because he hasn't really figured it out yet.) So I think it's all the more impressive that he's making it public while still figuring himself out.
Man that kid is awesome. Good for him! :eusa_clap I would've crapped my pants and then some, if that were me.
I actually work in Parsippany NJ. Nice to know the younger people in our area are so cool about equality.
Good for him, but I saw it on the Yahoo! homepage. I guess that, although I think it's very brave....it still bugs me. My friend died of cancer at 18. He was gay. Why isn't that on Yahoo? He did so much for the world of theater and lighting. Everyone loved him. I just don't want the kids who really stand up for themselves, the ones who are consistently bulled, the ones who are harassed, or the ones who really help others, to be forgotten.
Wow! I love how he tied his acting into how he was acting as "straight Jacob." That is an amazing example of somebody who can really convey his feelings well and express who they are with while putting fears and regrets behind them.
Up until last year, I studied theater, and I must admit.. 90% was gay. And that's not an exaggeration. Equally true; they make a fun bunch of people! Although that may also be the fact that theater people are crazy in general. It really takes guts what he did, though. Can't imagine I'd ever do that.
---------- Post added 24th Jan 2013 at 04:32 PM ---------- An old joke? More like a reality! I love that, though. It's the truth! It's either gays or straight guys who want to be seen as "super cool and versatile." It is impressive that he is still trying to figure it out.
I always enjoy this point, really. I give the guy props for coming out and that was quite brave, but it seems like a move as such is glorified while we never hear anything about the person who's been bullied, beaten down, and fucked over who yet still stands up for themselves, and those who may need some more encouragement. Or those who were battling illness and the struggles that come with being gay or under the varied glbt umbrella of terms. Alas, everything in news has to be "shocking." It has to be heard.
That's funny I've been planning on doing something like this myself for awhile and I'm a high school senior 2. :roll: The best part of this is it provides hope and maybe even a bit of inspiration to the kids like others in here mentioned who are confused about or struggling with their sexuality in some way, and are less comfortable openly talking about it at all let alone on this scale. Actions like this being taken by a fellow gay student should if nothing else reaffirm that we can be as confident and live as wonderful of lives as anybody else. And that that's no less than we all deserve. I even feel a bit more secure knowing there are those of us brave enough to take a stand the way this guy did out there. Leaves me with a sort of mindset like "If he can go out there in front of everybody and declare who he is and what he stands for no matter how it may change other's viewpoint's of him, there's no reason I shouldn't be able to, too."
I agree, in a way. But I was busy helping my friends through their struggles. I was of the sidelines. I was doing the school calendar, or in 4H. I never did drugs. I was never in trouble. Why can't we just be "great gay kids" on our own? Does it have to be a spectacle? I want kids to know being gay isn't who they are. It's who they love. Who they are is what kind of actions they take.