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Now this is brave Gay Texas teen comes out in graduation speech

Heebie Jeebie said:
Yep. There were probably a lot better places to announce it, like maybe at his graduation party or at breakfast the next day, places where people who might actually have an interest would be. But hey maybe his folks like surprises!
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I don't feel anyone should have to hide their sexual orientation, but to announce it as such devalues the relationship with his parents, IMO. To me, it says 'my parents are on the same relationship level with as everybody else in the world', and maybe that is true for him, but I feel due respect should have been given and they should have been told first, if they hadn't already figured it out.

It also removes the focus of the speech from the students as a group, who he is supposed to be representing, and focus' it on him. But his choice, and apparently the general reaction of the student body was positive. :shrug:
 
I liked the content of what he wrote which had universal relevance for all young adults. I didn't like the fact he didn't come out to his parents first, face-to-face and in private. That doesn't seem like a loving thing to do. Perhaps there are issues and reasons why he did not. I think my parents would have struggled more than they did if I'd chosen to come out to them that way, instead of the way I did... and THAT was far from perfect.

So, to still-in-the-closet girls and boys of DP. When coming out to parents do not do it a) during a Valedictorian speech, or b) while the parent on the receiving end of your confession is driving on a twisty, mountain road in the dark, in January.

Anyone else got a few more suggestions of less-than-ideal ways to come out to your parents?

P.S: Just remembered another story I heard of a somewhat ditsy friend of a friend who went home to visit his ailing father for the first time in a couple of years. Dad didn't seem so bad so he used the opportunity of Sunday lunch to drop his bombshell that the family name ended with him. Monday, old Dad calls his solicitor to write son out of will. Tuesday, old Dad becomes the late old Dad. Nice going! You get yourself written out of will AND get the blame for killing Pops to boot. I'd make that Coming Out Tip c).
 
Nothing but hate for the kid that said The Lord's Prayer, they cut off the mic for the kid that talked about the Constitution.

Why was this kid allowed to talk about his sex life?
 
winston53660 said:


A Texas high school senior used his graduation speech last week to announce to his family, friends and fellow students that he's gay.
Mitch Anderson, a member of Belton High School’s 2013 graduating class, told a local radio station that he had never come out to anyone before his salutatorian speech on Thursday at the Bell County Expo.
“Once I got up there and started talking, I felt completely fine,” Anderson, who lives in Temple, Texas, told KTEM News Radio.
“I myself am guilty of self-doubt, relying on others to give my life definition,” Anderson said in his speech. “But that time has passed, and I feel the moment has arrived for me to be publicly true to my personal identity. So now, I can say, I’m gay.
"It is both a significant portion of who I am and an inconsequential aspect," he continued. "It’s as natural and effortless to me as breathing. I couldn’t change myself even if I wanted and, believe me, I have."

Gay Texas teen comes out in graduation speech
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After leaving his graduation, the student entered a homeless shelter.
 
I'm guessing that you're trying to be funny here.
 
Dapper Andy said:
Can you imagine how different this thread would be if he announced his conversion to Christianity?
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For one thing, no one would be asking "What makes people think anyone wants to hear about their religious preference, especially if they weren't asked about it in the first place? "
 
Wow. I'm going to have to try to find his full speech, what I read from the first article posted was really good. My first impression of this was that he was just using a podium to express his own self and his own issues but he didn't', the parts of the speech that I read weren't just speaking of himself but of the condition that everyone faces in life.

Excerpt of speech from the source in the OP: "You must evaluate your life and give it purpose. You must recognize that you are an expression of the divine, a being made perfect through celebration of your perceived imperfections. Once you love yourself, you can be the best version of yourself. When you feel like you will be abandoned, alienated, and cast out, ignore the sources of such toxicity."
 
sangha said:
For one thing, no one would be asking "What makes people think anyone wants to hear about their religious preference, especially if they weren't asked about it in the first place? "
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I'd ask that question.
 
Dapper Andy said:
Can you imagine how different this thread would be if he announced his conversion to Christianity?
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Yes. He and every Christian in the audience would have been arrested and fed to some hungry lions.

(That's what you wanted to hear, right? How persecuted you are?)
 
Ray410 said:
Nothing but hate for the kid that said The Lord's Prayer, they cut off the mic for the kid that talked about the Constitution.

Why was this kid allowed to talk about his sex life?
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Nothing but hate? Only in your head where not bowing down to the kid in worship for saying the prayer qualifies as hate. I said he had the right to say it, he did, and so that's it. That's not hate.

It's just something for the "poor persecuted Conservatives" to screech about.
 
rocket88 said:
Yes. He and every Christian in the audience would have been arrested and fed to some hungry lions.

(That's what you wanted to hear, right? How persecuted you are?)
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Dramatic much :roll:
 
Dapper Andy said:
Can you imagine how different this thread would be if he announced his conversion to Christianity?
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See....that's where you are wrong. If he announced his conversion to Christianity and talked about how his Christian values helped him through his high school years, I don't think most people would have a problem with it. On the otherhand, if he started reciting scripture and praying....that's a different story.
 
disneydude said:
See....that's where you are wrong. If he announced his conversion to Christianity and talked about how his Christian values helped him through his high school years, I don't think most people would have a problem with it. On the otherhand, if he started reciting scripture and praying....that's a different story.
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It also depends on who the speech is being given to, if you're in an area where 90% of the people believe the same exact thing then reading a prayer to them would be relevant and motivating.

I'm more impressed with this kid though. What he did takes a lot of guts, and his speech turned into one that was good advice for any of his fellow classmates.
 
StillBallin75 said:
Cue the ignorant "this kid is just a gay attention whore" comments now.
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this kid is just a gay attention whore, just like that other kid was a religious attention whore.


happy?
 
DiAnna said:
He had been referring to Jonathan Allen, America's Got Talent, whose parents threw him out when he told them he was gay.

As for the young Belton student, as much courage as I know it took, and as supportive as I am for the plight of all in the LBGT community, a graduation ceremony is not the appropriate venue for "coming out" to a captive audience who is there to celebrate a graduation, not hear religious recitation nor sexuality confessions.
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Folks tried that tack with the Lord's Prayer thread and it was a fail there as well. This does not meet the courts determination of what a captive audience is. The Event is NOT mandatory nor is it required by law or statute.
 
At every graduation I have attended (including my own) I couldn't give two ****s about what the speakers are saying, just as long as they keep it short so I can GTFO of that 135 degree gymnasium and stop sweating my ass off. ;)
 
CaptainCourtesy said:
Truthfully, all these people making political, religious, or personal revelations in their graduation speeches really annoy me. Somewhat reminds me of someone telling a very personal/political/religious secret... on Jerry Springer.
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When YOU earn a valedictorian or salutatorian slot, you can make your speech as acceptable to the crowd as you'd like.
 
GottaGo said:
I read it. Doesn't change what I think, however.

My high school graduation Valedictorian was a black female in a predominately white graduating class . Not one part of her speech made any mention of race. It was all about WE and US.
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To be fair, did your valedictorian experience the same kind of prejudice and rejection at your school that this particular boy did? Overt racism is largely a thing of the past in the U.S., but overt homophobia is still with us, especially in crucible cruel called public school.
 
clownboy said:
When YOU earn a valedictorian or salutatorian slot, you can make your speech as acceptable to the crowd as you'd like.
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been there, done that.


I hate it when you are sitting there sweating like horse and these kids just keep rambling on and on. Back in my day, you had 3 speakers. the valedictorian, the salutatorian and some random guest speaker. At my daughter's HS grad...they had 10 freakin "valedictorians" who each gave a 5 -10 minute speech. it was held at the football stadium because the gym/auditorium wasn't big enough. end of may, 90+ ****ing degrees, 95% humidity and these kids just kept on and on and on... All I kept thinking was "for the love of god, SHUT THE **** UP"
 
ChuckBerry said:
To be fair, did your valedictorian experience the same kind of prejudice and rejection at your school that this particular boy did? Overt racism is largely a thing of the past in the U.S., but overt homophobia is still with us, especially in crucible cruel called public school.
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just out of curiosity...how could this guy have experienced prejudice and rejection if he didn't "come out" until graduation? And if everyone already knew he was gay so that they rejected and discriminated against him...what was the ****ing point of officially coming out at graduation?
 
ChuckBerry said:
To be fair, did your valedictorian experience the same kind of prejudice and rejection at your school that this particular boy did? Overt racism is largely a thing of the past in the U.S., but overt homophobia is still with us, especially in crucible cruel called public school.
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Back in the late 70's, it was still obvious, and yes, she did deal with it. Quite well, I may add. Unfortunately, several others in that school were not so fortunate as she was in having the ability to deal with it.

Actually, I feel there is less prejudice now against gay/lesbian people then there has ever been, more acceptance thankfully.
 
OscarB63 said:
just out of curiosity...how could this guy have experienced prejudice and rejection if he didn't "come out" until graduation? And if everyone already knew he was gay so that they rejected and discriminated against him...what was the ****ing point of officially coming out at graduation?
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"Coming out" is an official acknowledgement, a public admission of being gay...everybody knows who the fairies are in school, but they keep it on the down low so as to attract less attention and to avoid as much stigma and social ostracism as can be done if you don't act exactly as macho as the jocks.
 
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