Interview with “Live Out Proud”
How did "Live Out Proud" get started?
It started as part of an assignment from my Business coach in 2020. The question I had to answer was "What is your movement?" I had been working on being more myself on social media, opening up about all the parts of my life as an out gay man that has kids and also is still really good friends with his ex wife. I was responding to a message from a follower one day and in that response I said "I just want everyone to be able to live out proud." and that was the moment it became a thing in my mind. The expanded message or Live Out Proud is:
Live everyday fully,
Out in the open,
Proud of the miracle human you are!
Who is involved and how did you come up with the idea?
Currently it is me and my partner Adam Owens as co-founders. We are really hoping to provide spaces for the queer community to be able to come together and work on themselves with others who have had similar experiences. The ultimate goal is to have a multi day event where all members of the community can come and learn more about themselves and how to overcome the traumas in our past. I would love to have a family day that allows the parents of queer teenagers the ability to learn and ask questions of professionals so that it takes the burden of education off the kids.
Can you tell us a bit more about your own coming out story and the support you had?
I came out in 2012 and I really had a tremendous amount of support even though I grew up in Alabama with all the messaging of being gay was a ticket to hell. My ex wife was and still is such a tremendous support to me. We were both committed to making sure our separation was amicable but in the end realized our friendship was very strong. and we have raised our kids in the best way through very good co parenting.
You mention on your instagram that you are a mentor - can you tell us a bit more about that?
As someone deeply entrenched in the sales industry, I've witnessed firsthand the challenges individuals face when coming out. Recognizing a need for support, I decided to leverage my sales experience to assist those who were going through the process of coming out, particularly men who had been married to women. Drawing upon my sales training, I developed strategies to help individuals minimize the upheaval and chaos often associated with this journey. Through coaching and guidance, I empower these individuals to navigate their coming out experiences with greater ease and confidence, fostering a smoother transition into their authentic selves.
You have an event coming up May 4th - which looks really cool! Can you tell us about the speakers and what that will look like?
The May 4th Live out Proud conference aimed to provide a platform for GBTQ Men to celebrate authenticity. The event featured a diverse lineup of speakers who shared their insights, experiences, and expertise on various topics related to living out proud. The speakers are from around the country and will talk about everything from self help and healing your gay inner child to sex and bringing out your bad boy in the bedroom. Two of the speakers live and practice in Denver, I have listed the speakers below.
Mike Iamele, Sex Coach : "Good Boys, Bad Boys and Healing Shame Through the Sex You Fantasize About"
Issac Archuleta, Founder of iAmClinic, Denver: "Emotional Tattoos and Life Changing Feedback"
Adam Brooks, Communication Professor: Out of the Closet & Into Personal Development"
Jae Windley, Writer and LPC : "Nurturing the Gay Inner Child"
Eli Honeycutt, Spiritual Coach, Denver : "The Power of Queer Perspective"
What are your hopes for the future of "Live Out Proud" - what are your goals these next few years?
My hopes for the future of "Live Out Proud" are to build a strong community where LGBTQ+ individuals feel accepted and celebrated for who they are. Over the next few years, our goal is to make our annual conference a significant event, bringing together people from diverse backgrounds and featuring speakers who can inspire and educate. We also aim to organize weekend retreats that provide a space for healing and self-discovery. These retreats will offer workshops and activities designed to empower participants and foster connections within the LGBTQ+ community. In essence, we want "Live Out Proud" to be a supportive environment where everyone feels valued and encouraged to embrace their authentic selves. I want Live Out Proud to become a mantra for individuals that emboldens them to live their life in a way that change is created by being seen.
How can we follow and support you?
There are a couple of ways to support us. You can follow us on Instagram at Live_Out_Proud and we are on Facebook. If you know of a GBTQ man that would benefit from this conference please share the website, www.liveoutproud.org and we are a non profit so if you would like to make a tax deductible donation that would be a huge help. We are trying to make sure we keep costs low but that our speakers are also paid a fair fee for the event as well.
