Today for a change of pace I escaped to Washington DC for the day. My destination was the Kennedy Center where I watched a performance of the opera “Champion”. It was a clear day weather-wise and the drive into and out of the city was not congested at all. In the corridor of the Kennedy Center they had posters detailing the “coming out” stories of athletes. Many of them are either in high school or college. I was struck by how hard the judgment in society on the issue of sexual orientation is for individuals who are struggling with their identity in a situation that is often hostile to who they really are at the core of their being.

One athlete’s story documented his thoughts of suicide to escape the conflict of who he knew he was and what his family, school and others expected him to be. I long for the day when the youth of America no longer consider suicide as preferable to speaking out about who they are and the type of person they want to love.