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| Nick Adams, and why he's proud to ''Live Out Loud'' | |
| Posted by: | WaymanWong 10:27 am EDT 04/28/09 |
| Nick Adams (''A Chorus Line'' and currently ''Guys and Dolls'') has gotten a lot of attention for his fine physique as a Broadway actor and underwear model, but there's another side to him. Besides his work with Broadway Cares (such as Broadway Bares and our upcoming ''Leading Men IV'' concert on May 11), last night he hosted the Young Trailblazers Gala for Live Out Loud, which sets out to empower lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth in living out their dreams. Before presenting scholarships to four terrific teens who have championed gay-straight alliances in their high schools, Nick gave a beautiful, heartfelt and touching speech about why he relates to the mission of Live Out Loud. An excerpt: ''My name is Nick Adams. I'm 25 years old. I'm an actor, a New York City resident and a proud gay man. ... I feel so excited to be here tonight because of the deep connection I feel to Live Out Loud's goals. This is a story I don't generally share with everyone. As an adolescent, like many in the LGBT community, I experienced a lot of struggle. I always knew I was different, but it wasn't until I was 14 that I started to wrap my head around it. ''My family has always been 100% behind me, with my career, but I wasn't self-aware or comfortable enough to share with them the truth of what I was. I didn't tell them until I was 20. My isolation during those years and the lack of out and proud role models left me vulnerable in ways I was too naive to understand. When I discovered theater, I thought I discovered a safe place where I could be myself. ''I found a friend, who I thought, could help me understand what being gay was all about. But his idea of helping me wasn't what I had in mind. And it certainly wasn't what I needed at 14. He was 30, closeted, and I trusted him. He took advantage of that trust and molested me. I bring that up tonight because so much of our LGBT youth today remain as vulnerable as I was when I was a gay teen. ''And the reason I believe in Live Out Loud so passionately is because it's working to end that vulnerability and providing safe venues for LGBT youth to meet with out and proud role models to inspire them and help them understand the lives they can lead. Sharing my story tonight gives me a bit of closure, knowing that [perhaps] something positive can come out of my journey. From here, I hope I can offer my experience to inspire others to live out and proud.'' For more info about Live Out Loud and what its mission and founder Leo Preziosi are doing, visit their Web site. | |
| URL: | Official Web site: Live Out Loud |
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