Candace Gingrich gives support to Coming Out Day

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

an interview to a gay newspaper that gay people should be tolerated,

like alcoholics.

So, seven years ago, when Human Rights Campaign asked Gingrich to

share her story on a national level to humanize gay America, she

accepted.

Gingrich told the UCI crowd of about 50 that coming out is one of

the most empowering acts a person can make.

“Coming out turns the personal into the political,” Gingrich said.

“It frees yourself and people around you, but you’re also freeing

others from ignorance.”

And although gay people have made a lot of strides in being

accepted in their community and at the state and national level,

there is still a lot of work to be done, like the struggle for gay

parents’ rights, Gingrich asserted.

“We’re still not treated like other families,” Gingrich said. “We

can’t rely on the same legal protection ... We’re just seeking

equality federally, statewide and locally.”

Coming out is also important to show the full spectrum of the gay

community, Gingrich said.

“We have to come out because if people just watch TV, they will

think all gay people are white,” Gingrich said.

She also encouraged audience members to write letters to their

high school guidance counselors letting them know why they chose not

to come out at that time in their life or how their coming out

experience could have been better.

Senior Renee Geathers, 21, who came out as a bisexual during her

freshmen year, said she was impressed that Gingrich tackled a variety

of issues.

“I think it’s really important that she included socio-economic

and ethnic issues,” Geathers said.

Tran said he would like to see more lesbian, gay, bisexual and

transgender-related courses offered by the university.

In addition to providing a resource center and a new coming out

support group, the college has non-discriminatory hiring policies,

offers health care and survivor benefits for same-sex couples

registered as domestic partners and recently, a graduate family

housing facility started accepting same-sex couples, said Pat Walsh,

director of the resource center and assistant dean of students.