Jacksonville Jaguars' Kev Maxen is first Amerin male pro sports ach to e out as gay | US News | Sky News

Contents:

• JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS' KEV MAXEN IS FIRST AMERIN MALE PRO SPORTS ACH TO E OUT AS GAY
• AS A GAY MAN, I’LL NEVER BE NORMAL
• SHOP 'GMA3' POWER HOUR ALS FOR LABOR DAY!OPEN MENUVIOSHOPCULTUREFAYWELLNSFOODLIVGSTYLETRAVELNEWSBOOK CLUBGMA3: WYNTKNEWSLETTERPRIVACY POLICYYOUR US STATE PRIVACY RIGHTSCHILDREN'S ONLE PRIVACY POLICYINTERT-BASED ADSTERMS OF USEDO NOT SELL MY INFOCONTACT USCOPYRIGHT © 2023 ABC NEWS INTER VENTUR. ALL RIGHTS RERVED.SEARCHLIVGABC NEWS' ALEX PEREZ ON G OUT: IT 'ALLOWED ME TO FD AND MARRY THE LOVE OF MY LIFE'8:43THE STORY OF THE PRI BYALEX PEREZVIO BYCHRIS CIRILLO AND TONY MORRISONOCTOBER 07, 2020, 4:09 AM•8 M READOCT. 11 IS NATNAL COMG OUT DAY. FOR MANY LGBTQ+ PEOPLE, G OUT VOLV SHARG THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATN AND/OR GENR INTY FOR THE FIRST TIME. YOUNG PEOPLE SEARCH OF SUPPORT THEIR INTI N NTACT THE TREVOR PROJECT'S TREVORLIFELE 24/7 AT 1-866-488-7386 OR BY TEXTG START TO 678678.MY MEMORY OF THE DAY IS CRYSTAL CLEAR.I WAS FIFTH GRA, ENJOYG MY FAVORE PART OF THE SCHOOL DAY -- RECS! MONKEY BARS, EEZE TAG, DODGE BALL -- BASILLY ANYTHG THAT WOULD DISTRACT ME OM WHAT I THOUGHT AT THE TIME WAS BORG: STG AT MY SK.BUT THAT WAS THE FIRST YEAR I N REMEMBER FEELG A LTLE DIFFERENT.MY IENDS, WHO I'D KNOWN SCE KRGARTEN, AND I PRETTY MUCH AGREED ON EVERYTHG.WE ALL GOT NTENDO AT THE SAME TIME, DRSED SIARLY AND FOUND THE SAME THGS UNTERTG; WAS THE GLUE THAT HELD TOGETHER.THAT DAY, SEEMED LIKE I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO WANTED TO GET THIS GAME OF DODGEBALL STARTED.THE GUYS -- MY IENDS AND FELLOW FIFTH GRARS -- WERE ALL HUDDLED UP.SO I JOED THE CIRCLE, TRYG TO FIGURE OUT WHAT EVERYONE WAS WHISPERG ABOUT.TURNS OUT, THEY WERE ALL ENAMORED WH A NEW FEMALE CLASSMATE WHO HAD TRANSFERRED TO OUR CLASS. HEARG THE OTHER BOYS, I KNEW IMMEDIATELY THERE WAS SOME SORT OF DISNNECT THAT I HAD NEVER TECTED BEFORE.THE ATTRACTN AND FEELGS THEY WERE SCRIBG WERE FOREIGN TO ME.BUT I KEPT MY MOUTH SHUT, MOSTLY FOR FEAR I'D OPEN MYSELF UP TO RIDICULE.EDOR’S PICKSABC NEWS’ G BENEZ WR LETTER TO HIS YOUNGER SELF FOR NATNAL COMG OUT DAY: 'IT WILL ALL BE OK'OCT 11, 2022ABC NEWS' BECKY WORLEY TO PARENTS ON NATNAL COMG OUT DAY: 'THIS DAY IS FOR YOU TOO'OCT 11, 2022ABC NEWS' JAM LONGMAN ON G OUT: 'I ULD NEVER IMAGE THEN THE LIFE I HAVE NOW'OCT 11, 2022I HAD BEEN LLED SISSY EARLIER THAT YEAR -- AND STUNG.BADLY.NOT BEG MYSELF THAT ONE RANDOM DAY FIFTH GRA WOULD BEE THE SHAKY FOUNDATN I WOULD LIVE NEARLY TWO S OF MY LIFE -- PRETENDG TO BE SOMETHG I WASN'T.I FEARED BEG THE BUTT OF JOK.I FEARED MY TRADNALLY CUBAN, MACHISTA FAY WOULD ABANDON ME.I FEARED REJECTN.THE WERE TOUGH THGS TO UNRSTAND AS A YOUNG ADULT, SO I DIDN'T EVEN TRY!I SIMPLY BSHED THAT TERNAL "WHO AM I?" NVERSATN UNR THE RPET FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.ALONG THE WAY, AS I TRIED TO MAKE SENSE OF MY EMOTNS, I DATED AND GOT TO LOVE SOME TLY AMAZG WOMEN THAT TGHT ME SO MUCH ABOUT CHARACTER AND BEG TE TO ONELF.BY THE TIME I TURNED 24, THE TOLL OF PRETENDG TO BE SOMETHG I WASN'T HAD TURNED TO PURE AGONY.I ULD BARELY MTER THE FORCED S OR FAKE, CHEERY NVERSATNS.WHAT I THOUGHT WAS SOMETHG I ULD IGNORE FOR THE RT OF MY LIFE, LED ME TO A EP PRSN. I EVEN NSIRED THE UNTHKABLE.WHY WOULD I WANT TO GO ON LIVG A LIFE WHERE I ULD NEVER BE MYSELF?THE QUTN, FOR ONE VERY DARK PERD OF MY LIFE, WAS STUCK ON REPEAT MY MD.BUT THANKFULLY, I WAS ABLE TO HARNS THOSE DARK THOUGHTS.INSTEAD OF BEATG MYSELF UP, I MA THE NSC CISN TO TAKE STOCK OF ALL THE MANY THGS I HAD ACPLISHED.I HAD FIED THE ODDS GROWG UP A BLACK KID A RELATIVELY POOR, VLENT NEIGHBORHOOD, BEG THE FIRST ONE MY FAY TO ATTEND LLEGE AND PURSUE A REER -- NOT JT A JOB.IF I ULD CELEBRATE THE BS AND PIEC OF ME, WHY ULDN'T I CELEBRATE ALL OF ME?THAT WAS THE QUTN THAT WAS NOW STUCK ON REPEAT.SO, I WENT OUT ON A LIMB AND TOLD MY MOM FIRST."THOSE PEOPLE YOU SOMETIM TALK ABOUT MOM, WELL I'M ONE OF THEM," I SAID.BAFFLED, SCE I PROVID ZERO NTEXT, SHE REPLIED, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WHAT ARE YOU TALKG ABOUT? ARE YOU TROUBLE?"I PSED.SUDNLY THERE WAS A LUMP MY THROAT AND SEEMED MY VOICE HAD VANISHED.AFTER ABOUT 30 SENDS, AND MENTALLY JUMPG OFF OF MOUNT EVERT, I SQUEALED AS IF SOMEONE HAD H THE FAST-FORWARD BUTTON ON MY VOICE."I'M GAY, ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE. I'M A GAY MAN AND I N'T HOLD ANY MORE. I HAVE TO TELL YOU, MOM."SHE PSED AND STARTED TO TAKE EP BREATHS FOR ABOUT 10 SENDS -- WHICH FELT LIKE 10 YEARS -- AND THEN SHE SAID, "THAT DON'T CHANGE ANYTHG! YOU'RE MY SON.""I LOVE YOU AND WILL NEVER STOP LOVG YOU AND I'M HERE NO MATTER WHAT."SUDNLY EVERY SGLE SECURE, HORRIFYG, UNFORTABLE MOMENT I HAD UNTIL THAT POT FLASHED BEFORE ME. BUT THOSE MOMENTS SOMEHOW, STANTLY, DIDN'T MATTER ANYMORE.TEARS STREAMED DOWN MY FACE.MY SHOULRS SUDNLY FELT LIGHT.MY SPE SEEMED TO LENGTHEN.AND I SOMEHOW KNEW THAT MOMENT THAT EVEN IF NO ONE ELSE WERE EVER TO ACCEPT ME FOR WHO I AM, I HAD THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE PERSON THAT MATTERED MOST MY LIFE.AS I STARTED TO PEEL AWAY THE THICK ON I HAD BUILT AROUND MY LIFE, MY MDSET CHANGED.WHAT I ONCE THOUGHT WAS MY "PROBLEM" I NOW REALIZED WASN'T A PROBLEM AT ALL.'EVEN IF NO ONE ELSE WERE EVER TO ACCEPT ME FOR WHO I AM, I HAD THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE PERSON THAT MATTERED MOST MY LIFE.'WOULD I STILL BE REJECTED? Y.WOULD THERE STILL BE PEOPLE WHO WOULDN'T ACCEPT THE TE ME? Y.BUT MY LIVELIHOOD AND SELF-RPECT WAS NO LONGER ATTACHED TO WHAT THOSE PEOPLE BELIEVED OR DIDN'T BELIEVE ABOUT ME.MAKG THE CISN TO E OUT PROFOUNDLY CHANGED MY LIFE.IT EPENED MY RELATNSHIPS WH THE PEOPLE THAT MATTERED.IT REMOVED A BLDFOLD ALLOWG ME TO SEE THOSE MY LIFE WHO DIDN'T MATTER.COMG OUT ALLOWED ME TO FD AND MARRY THE LOVE OF MY LIFE.IT GAVE ME THE URAGE I NEED TO PURSUE A PETIVE REER AFTER SO MANY TOLD ME I WOULD FAIL.COMG OUT STRENGTHENED MY BOND WH MY MOTHER.AND G OUT ALSO HELPED ME NNECT WH WHAT I NOW LL MY "CHOSEN FAY" OF IENDS AND LOVED ON WHO HELP ME LIVE LIFE AND SE WAYS I NEVER THOUGHT WOULD BE POSSIBLE.COMG OUT IS A PROCS THAT HAPPENS ON YOUR TIMETABLE, NOT ANYONE ELSE'S.AND WHILE SOMETIM 'S EASY TO FOC ON THE DARK DAYS, YOU N'T STOP BELIEVG THAT THERE ARE BETTER DAYS AHEAD -- TST ME, THERE WILL BE BETTER DAYS.FOR A LONG TIME, I KICKED MYSELF FOR NOT BEG BRAVE ENOUGH TO BE TE TO ME WHEN I WAS WH THAT GROUP OF IENDS DURG RECS BACK FIFTH GRA.I FELT ALONE, LIKE AN ALIEN.NOW, I HOLD ON TO HOPE THAT AS MORE OF SHARE OUR STORI, A DAY WILL E WHEN NO ONE WILL EVER HAVE TO FEEL THAT WAY AGA.EDOR’S PICKSABC NEWS’ G BENEZ WR LETTER TO HIS YOUNGER SELF FOR NATNAL COMG OUT DAY: 'IT WILL ALL BE OK'OCT 11, 2022ABC NEWS' BECKY WORLEY TO PARENTS ON NATNAL COMG OUT DAY: 'THIS DAY IS FOR YOU TOO'OCT 11, 2022ABC NEWS' JAM LONGMAN ON G OUT: 'I ULD NEVER IMAGE THEN THE LIFE I HAVE NOW'OCT 11, 2022UP NEXT LIVG—WOMAN LEARNS T WHO WAS MISSG FOR 10 YEARS WAS FOUND ON LATE DAD'S BIRTHDAYSEPTEMBER 1, 2023FIRE PARTMENT ADOPTS PUPPY WHO WAS RCUED OM LOCKED, HOT RAUGT 31, 2023FROM THE NICU TO HBCUS: BALTIMORE TRIPLETS START LLEGE ATLANTAAUGT 30, 2023BRI SHAR MOM'S HILAR WEDDG PHOTO BOOK FAILAUGT 29, 2023UP NEXT LIVG—WOMAN LEARNS T WHO WAS MISSG FOR 10 YEARS WAS FOUND ON LATE DAD'S BIRTHDAYSEPTEMBER 1, 2023FIRE PARTMENT ADOPTS PUPPY WHO WAS RCUED OM LOCKED, HOT RAUGT 31, 2023FROM THE NICU TO HBCUS: BALTIMORE TRIPLETS START LLEGE ATLANTAAUGT 30, 2023BRI SHAR MOM'S HILAR WEDDG PHOTO BOOK FAILAUGT 29, 2023
• MORMON WOMAN EXPOS BARBARIC AND 'HUIATG' TREATMENT FOR BEG GAY
• WOMAN RELLS BEG HELD AGAST HER WILL DURG GAY CONVERSN THERAPY AS TEEN: 'I WANTED TO DIE'

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS' KEV MAXEN IS FIRST AMERIN MALE PRO SPORTS ACH TO E OUT AS GAY

Every norm everywhere all at as a gay man, I celebrate an nvenient tth of Pri Month: We’ll never be normal.

AS A GAY MAN, I’LL NEVER BE NORMAL

That majory asi, when we discs self-intifyg gay men, lbians, asexuals, pansexuals, two-spir, nonbary and transgenr folks, ’s jt roughly 3 percent of the populatn.

Heterosexuals make up a greater percentage of the untry than whe people do on the Supreme ask everyday Amerins to gus at jt the gay and lbian populatn, and Gallup shows they nsistently overtimate. A majory of the untry thks that at least 20 percent of Amerins — at least one five of — are gay or lbian. Every remr of my different path ma me yearn for a fettable broar, blanr mastream sir thenticy foreign cuise or subtled foreign streamg shows, but mands sad homogenizatn of the forever foreign nature of queerns.

And I realized how different is to be gay , say, Havana or the Bronx. Beg normal is a lie people tell themselv to ver up the realy that they are merely how few number we are, ’s a lerally unpopular thg to say but I am gay. "I'm gay, one of those people.

SHOP 'GMA3' POWER HOUR ALS FOR LABOR DAY!OPEN MENUVIOSHOPCULTUREFAYWELLNSFOODLIVGSTYLETRAVELNEWSBOOK CLUBGMA3: WYNTKNEWSLETTERPRIVACY POLICYYOUR US STATE PRIVACY RIGHTSCHILDREN'S ONLE PRIVACY POLICYINTERT-BASED ADSTERMS OF USEDO NOT SELL MY INFOCONTACT USCOPYRIGHT © 2023 ABC NEWS INTER VENTUR. ALL RIGHTS RERVED.SEARCHLIVGABC NEWS' ALEX PEREZ ON G OUT: IT 'ALLOWED ME TO FD AND MARRY THE LOVE OF MY LIFE'8:43THE STORY OF THE PRI BYALEX PEREZVIO BYCHRIS CIRILLO AND TONY MORRISONOCTOBER 07, 2020, 4:09 AM•8 M READOCT. 11 IS NATNAL COMG OUT DAY. FOR MANY LGBTQ+ PEOPLE, G OUT VOLV SHARG THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATN AND/OR GENR INTY FOR THE FIRST TIME. YOUNG PEOPLE SEARCH OF SUPPORT THEIR INTI N NTACT THE TREVOR PROJECT'S TREVORLIFELE 24/7 AT 1-866-488-7386 OR BY TEXTG START TO 678678.MY MEMORY OF THE DAY IS CRYSTAL CLEAR.I WAS FIFTH GRA, ENJOYG MY FAVORE PART OF THE SCHOOL DAY -- RECS! MONKEY BARS, EEZE TAG, DODGE BALL -- BASILLY ANYTHG THAT WOULD DISTRACT ME OM WHAT I THOUGHT AT THE TIME WAS BORG: STG AT MY SK.BUT THAT WAS THE FIRST YEAR I N REMEMBER FEELG A LTLE DIFFERENT.MY IENDS, WHO I'D KNOWN SCE KRGARTEN, AND I PRETTY MUCH AGREED ON EVERYTHG.WE ALL GOT NTENDO AT THE SAME TIME, DRSED SIARLY AND FOUND THE SAME THGS UNTERTG; WAS THE GLUE THAT HELD TOGETHER.THAT DAY, SEEMED LIKE I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO WANTED TO GET THIS GAME OF DODGEBALL STARTED.THE GUYS -- MY IENDS AND FELLOW FIFTH GRARS -- WERE ALL HUDDLED UP.SO I JOED THE CIRCLE, TRYG TO FIGURE OUT WHAT EVERYONE WAS WHISPERG ABOUT.TURNS OUT, THEY WERE ALL ENAMORED WH A NEW FEMALE CLASSMATE WHO HAD TRANSFERRED TO OUR CLASS. HEARG THE OTHER BOYS, I KNEW IMMEDIATELY THERE WAS SOME SORT OF DISNNECT THAT I HAD NEVER TECTED BEFORE.THE ATTRACTN AND FEELGS THEY WERE SCRIBG WERE FOREIGN TO ME.BUT I KEPT MY MOUTH SHUT, MOSTLY FOR FEAR I'D OPEN MYSELF UP TO RIDICULE.EDOR’S PICKSABC NEWS’ G BENEZ WR LETTER TO HIS YOUNGER SELF FOR NATNAL COMG OUT DAY: 'IT WILL ALL BE OK'OCT 11, 2022ABC NEWS' BECKY WORLEY TO PARENTS ON NATNAL COMG OUT DAY: 'THIS DAY IS FOR YOU TOO'OCT 11, 2022ABC NEWS' JAM LONGMAN ON G OUT: 'I ULD NEVER IMAGE THEN THE LIFE I HAVE NOW'OCT 11, 2022I HAD BEEN LLED SISSY EARLIER THAT YEAR -- AND STUNG.BADLY.NOT BEG MYSELF THAT ONE RANDOM DAY FIFTH GRA WOULD BEE THE SHAKY FOUNDATN I WOULD LIVE NEARLY TWO S OF MY LIFE -- PRETENDG TO BE SOMETHG I WASN'T.I FEARED BEG THE BUTT OF JOK.I FEARED MY TRADNALLY CUBAN, MACHISTA FAY WOULD ABANDON ME.I FEARED REJECTN.THE WERE TOUGH THGS TO UNRSTAND AS A YOUNG ADULT, SO I DIDN'T EVEN TRY!I SIMPLY BSHED THAT TERNAL "WHO AM I?" NVERSATN UNR THE RPET FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.ALONG THE WAY, AS I TRIED TO MAKE SENSE OF MY EMOTNS, I DATED AND GOT TO LOVE SOME TLY AMAZG WOMEN THAT TGHT ME SO MUCH ABOUT CHARACTER AND BEG TE TO ONELF.BY THE TIME I TURNED 24, THE TOLL OF PRETENDG TO BE SOMETHG I WASN'T HAD TURNED TO PURE AGONY.I ULD BARELY MTER THE FORCED S OR FAKE, CHEERY NVERSATNS.WHAT I THOUGHT WAS SOMETHG I ULD IGNORE FOR THE RT OF MY LIFE, LED ME TO A EP PRSN. I EVEN NSIRED THE UNTHKABLE.WHY WOULD I WANT TO GO ON LIVG A LIFE WHERE I ULD NEVER BE MYSELF?THE QUTN, FOR ONE VERY DARK PERD OF MY LIFE, WAS STUCK ON REPEAT MY MD.BUT THANKFULLY, I WAS ABLE TO HARNS THOSE DARK THOUGHTS.INSTEAD OF BEATG MYSELF UP, I MA THE NSC CISN TO TAKE STOCK OF ALL THE MANY THGS I HAD ACPLISHED.I HAD FIED THE ODDS GROWG UP A BLACK KID A RELATIVELY POOR, VLENT NEIGHBORHOOD, BEG THE FIRST ONE MY FAY TO ATTEND LLEGE AND PURSUE A REER -- NOT JT A JOB.IF I ULD CELEBRATE THE BS AND PIEC OF ME, WHY ULDN'T I CELEBRATE ALL OF ME?THAT WAS THE QUTN THAT WAS NOW STUCK ON REPEAT.SO, I WENT OUT ON A LIMB AND TOLD MY MOM FIRST."THOSE PEOPLE YOU SOMETIM TALK ABOUT MOM, WELL I'M ONE OF THEM," I SAID.BAFFLED, SCE I PROVID ZERO NTEXT, SHE REPLIED, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WHAT ARE YOU TALKG ABOUT? ARE YOU TROUBLE?"I PSED.SUDNLY THERE WAS A LUMP MY THROAT AND SEEMED MY VOICE HAD VANISHED.AFTER ABOUT 30 SENDS, AND MENTALLY JUMPG OFF OF MOUNT EVERT, I SQUEALED AS IF SOMEONE HAD H THE FAST-FORWARD BUTTON ON MY VOICE."I'M GAY, ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE. I'M A GAY MAN AND I N'T HOLD ANY MORE. I HAVE TO TELL YOU, MOM."SHE PSED AND STARTED TO TAKE EP BREATHS FOR ABOUT 10 SENDS -- WHICH FELT LIKE 10 YEARS -- AND THEN SHE SAID, "THAT DON'T CHANGE ANYTHG! YOU'RE MY SON.""I LOVE YOU AND WILL NEVER STOP LOVG YOU AND I'M HERE NO MATTER WHAT."SUDNLY EVERY SGLE SECURE, HORRIFYG, UNFORTABLE MOMENT I HAD UNTIL THAT POT FLASHED BEFORE ME. BUT THOSE MOMENTS SOMEHOW, STANTLY, DIDN'T MATTER ANYMORE.TEARS STREAMED DOWN MY FACE.MY SHOULRS SUDNLY FELT LIGHT.MY SPE SEEMED TO LENGTHEN.AND I SOMEHOW KNEW THAT MOMENT THAT EVEN IF NO ONE ELSE WERE EVER TO ACCEPT ME FOR WHO I AM, I HAD THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE PERSON THAT MATTERED MOST MY LIFE.AS I STARTED TO PEEL AWAY THE THICK ON I HAD BUILT AROUND MY LIFE, MY MDSET CHANGED.WHAT I ONCE THOUGHT WAS MY "PROBLEM" I NOW REALIZED WASN'T A PROBLEM AT ALL.'EVEN IF NO ONE ELSE WERE EVER TO ACCEPT ME FOR WHO I AM, I HAD THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE PERSON THAT MATTERED MOST MY LIFE.'WOULD I STILL BE REJECTED? Y.WOULD THERE STILL BE PEOPLE WHO WOULDN'T ACCEPT THE TE ME? Y.BUT MY LIVELIHOOD AND SELF-RPECT WAS NO LONGER ATTACHED TO WHAT THOSE PEOPLE BELIEVED OR DIDN'T BELIEVE ABOUT ME.MAKG THE CISN TO E OUT PROFOUNDLY CHANGED MY LIFE.IT EPENED MY RELATNSHIPS WH THE PEOPLE THAT MATTERED.IT REMOVED A BLDFOLD ALLOWG ME TO SEE THOSE MY LIFE WHO DIDN'T MATTER.COMG OUT ALLOWED ME TO FD AND MARRY THE LOVE OF MY LIFE.IT GAVE ME THE URAGE I NEED TO PURSUE A PETIVE REER AFTER SO MANY TOLD ME I WOULD FAIL.COMG OUT STRENGTHENED MY BOND WH MY MOTHER.AND G OUT ALSO HELPED ME NNECT WH WHAT I NOW LL MY "CHOSEN FAY" OF IENDS AND LOVED ON WHO HELP ME LIVE LIFE AND SE WAYS I NEVER THOUGHT WOULD BE POSSIBLE.COMG OUT IS A PROCS THAT HAPPENS ON YOUR TIMETABLE, NOT ANYONE ELSE'S.AND WHILE SOMETIM 'S EASY TO FOC ON THE DARK DAYS, YOU N'T STOP BELIEVG THAT THERE ARE BETTER DAYS AHEAD -- TST ME, THERE WILL BE BETTER DAYS.FOR A LONG TIME, I KICKED MYSELF FOR NOT BEG BRAVE ENOUGH TO BE TE TO ME WHEN I WAS WH THAT GROUP OF IENDS DURG RECS BACK FIFTH GRA.I FELT ALONE, LIKE AN ALIEN.NOW, I HOLD ON TO HOPE THAT AS MORE OF SHARE OUR STORI, A DAY WILL E WHEN NO ONE WILL EVER HAVE TO FEEL THAT WAY AGA.EDOR’S PICKSABC NEWS’ G BENEZ WR LETTER TO HIS YOUNGER SELF FOR NATNAL COMG OUT DAY: 'IT WILL ALL BE OK'OCT 11, 2022ABC NEWS' BECKY WORLEY TO PARENTS ON NATNAL COMG OUT DAY: 'THIS DAY IS FOR YOU TOO'OCT 11, 2022ABC NEWS' JAM LONGMAN ON G OUT: 'I ULD NEVER IMAGE THEN THE LIFE I HAVE NOW'OCT 11, 2022UP NEXT LIVG—WOMAN LEARNS T WHO WAS MISSG FOR 10 YEARS WAS FOUND ON LATE DAD'S BIRTHDAYSEPTEMBER 1, 2023FIRE PARTMENT ADOPTS PUPPY WHO WAS RCUED OM LOCKED, HOT RAUGT 31, 2023FROM THE NICU TO HBCUS: BALTIMORE TRIPLETS START LLEGE ATLANTAAUGT 30, 2023BRI SHAR MOM'S HILAR WEDDG PHOTO BOOK FAILAUGT 29, 2023UP NEXT LIVG—WOMAN LEARNS T WHO WAS MISSG FOR 10 YEARS WAS FOUND ON LATE DAD'S BIRTHDAYSEPTEMBER 1, 2023FIRE PARTMENT ADOPTS PUPPY WHO WAS RCUED OM LOCKED, HOT RAUGT 31, 2023FROM THE NICU TO HBCUS: BALTIMORE TRIPLETS START LLEGE ATLANTAAUGT 30, 2023BRI SHAR MOM'S HILAR WEDDG PHOTO BOOK FAILAUGT 29, 2023

I'm a gay man and I n't hold any more. In her new memoir, thor Alex Cooper reunts her grisly experienc wh reparative, or "gay nversn, " therapy as a teen.

The Sial told her parents they'd "cure" their dghter of her homosexualy, she said. "No one should be beaten, or be told that God don't want them, or be sent to dangero so-lled 'nversn therapy' bee they are gay, " Cooper, who was 15 when she me out as gay, wrote an excerpt ced by the Human Rights Campaign.

MORMON WOMAN EXPOS BARBARIC AND 'HUIATG' TREATMENT FOR BEG GAY

"Cooper eventually won a legal battle which she was granted urt orrs to protect her right to be an openly gay teenager Utah. Before You GoHomophobic Tweets By CelebsPopular the CommunyYou May Like. The teen, who was raised Mormon, didn’t plan on tellg her parents that she was gay jt yet, but the obv mark on her neck forced the nversatn.

“I didn’t f to the relign beg gay, but I didn’t expect my parents’ reactn to be as drastic as was.

She quickly learned that her parents were forcg her to gay nversn therapy. She says she would also receive beatgs and was forced to wear a backpack filled wh rocks “to feel the physil burn of beg gay. “He was also the print of the gay-straight alliance and he put me touch wh Salt Lake Cy attorney Pl Burke, ” she says.

WOMAN RELLS BEG HELD AGAST HER WILL DURG GAY CONVERSN THERAPY AS TEEN: 'I WANTED TO DIE'

A judge allowed her to go home, but orred her parents to allow her to date girls, attend danc and jo her school’s gay-straight alliance. “The ia that homosexualy needs to be cured or fixed the first place is misreprentatn, ” says Stt McCoy of the Southern Poverty Law Center.