Deirdre Newman
Alex Tran, a freshman at UC Irvine, is in the process of coming
out as a gay male. While he has already talked to friends and family
about his sexuality, he is still coming to terms with accepting
himself and feeling comfortable to disclose his orientation if people
ask.
So he was inspired to hear Candace Gingrich speak on campus Friday
at the UCI Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Resource Center in
advance of National Coming Out Day Oct. 11.
Gingrich was thrust onto the national radar in the mid-90s as the
"lesbian sister of Newt Gingrich," the former conservative Speaker of
the House of Representatives. Since she had already accepted her
sexual orientation and come out to friends and family, she said she
was psychologically equipped to deal with the torrent of publicity
that followed.
She then channeled her energy from the notoriety she received to
become a spokeswoman for the Human Rights Campaign. Gingrich
crisscrosses the country, encouraging people to live their lives
openly as a way to empower themselves and educate those around them.
"It made me feel like [gay] people are out there and are taking a
stand," Tran said.
Gingrich, who jokingly describes herself as a "professional
homosexual", said coming out is important because it enables people
to share their stories with others who may have experienced the same
conflict in dealing with their sexuality.
She shared her story, recalling how she felt there was something
different about herself as a child, but wasn't sure what it was until
high school, when she chose to ignore her feelings because she didn't
think she was able to deal with them and didn't know anyone who was
gay.
"There were no teachers or guidance counselors [to talk to] so it
was easy to push my feelings down as far as I could," Gingrich said.
It wasn't until college, when she played on the rugby team and saw
lesbians open about their sexuality that she felt comfortable enough
to come out. For Gingrich, it was a positive, cathartic experience.
"I felt fortunate because I felt like my life was coming together
instead of falling apart," Gingrich said. "I didn't stop smiling for
the next year because I knew who I was."
Telling her parents was a little more difficult, since one of the
first questions her mother asked was, "Where did we go wrong as
parents?" Gingrich said.
She told them that her being able to confide in them meant that
they had done everything right.
But she was startled a few years later when Newt Gingrich said in
