OutInform: Houston Pride Guide 2015 Issue | Page 29

Often times, I was the only African American in school, so growing up I felt like the odd girl out and the use of the "N" word meant I would never fit in. In high school, I formed a circle of friends who were all birds of a feather who flocked together, meaning we all felt like misfits! Two of those friends are Gay and I remember thinking how awful it must be to have to keep that a secret. The stage was set for me to give this cause a voice just as my parents had done during the Civil Rights movement decades before. BIOLOGY vs CHOICE Another show we did was called, "Living A Lie". When people were insisting that Gay was nothing but a choice, we had guest who spoke of how painful it was to be in a heterosexual marriage, when it was not their true self. Eventhough they tried to appease society, in the end, you have to honor your personal truth. SUPREME COURT HIV/AIDS Early in my career, I covered this strange disease that did not even have an official name. We were struggling to learn what HIV AIDS really was, but the lesson I learned first was how cruel people could be. Being Gay was already a struggle in our society, but being blamed for a deadly disease was ludicrous, yet it happened. I saw families abandon sick loved ones. As a reporter in Austin, I made it my mission to show people, not as AIDS victims, but as human beings! I would hold their hand during interviews. I would hug them when they cried. Viewers were shocked and would ask, "Aren't you afraid you'll get AIDS?" I took the opportunity to educate them and remind them that, it was a human disease, not a Gay disease. Soon, statistics caught up with us and people began yo realize that this disease can affect anyone. I also covered the repeal of the Sodomy Law, from the originating case in Houston, to the Supreme Court Decision to strike it down. I think eyes were opened when people really looked at how prejudicial this case was! MAINSTREAM And last but not least, we continue to cover events that may be of interest in the Gay community but we present them as part of the overall happenings in our town. And several openly Gay members of our community are routinely featured in our segments covering topics that everyone can share in. Point being, LGBT is not a separate community but rather, part of our community, just like everyone else. Deb LGBT On a "Debra Duncan" show several years ago, we spent the whole hour talking about the definitions of LGBT. I wanted to put a face to the titles. Chaz Bono was one of our guest. By the end of the show, several people were surprised at how "normal" the guests appeared to be! This is a case where coming out of the closet actually helped to change some minds. pridehouston.org OUTINFORM 29