Shawn Kelly: The Most Rich Universe You Can Imagine

Former Consulting Executive Director, Shawn Kelly, is interviewed about the importance of coming out.

Kelly: “I believe that coming out is the most important element of the entire lesbian/gay community and the entire lesbian/gay movement. I believe that completely. And that is why I have a great deal of passion for the Games. The Games provide a vehicle for people to associate themselves with the community along the most familiar lines of arts, of athletics, of human endeavor and aspiring to your personal best in a non-confrontational way, in a way that doesn’t generate any hostilities among anyone in the community. I believe it will draw a tremendous number of people out of their closets and will change their lives.

I believe that we are demonstrating by example that anyone who wants to live a positive gay life or a positive straight life unhampered by anti-gay prejudice that this vehicle exists and there are many other avenues in the gay community in which they can do that. And if it encourages someone who believes that life as a gay person will be sterile or unhappy or lonely to realize that it can be the most rich universe you can imagine, I hope it will show the way to that person.”