Romantic comedy “eCupid” is a big hit with crowd Like Alan Cumming&Dustin Lance Black

 By Greg Hernandez   | Permalink  

It was nearly a full house Monday night at the DGA Theatre for the screening of the very appealing romantic comedy eCupidfrom filmmaker J.C. Calciano who was at the festival just last year with Is It Just Me?

“Showing your movie in an incredible venue like this is always a dream for a filmmaker,” Calciano (pictured above with three cast members) told the crowd which included Tony winner Alan Cumming of television’sThe Good Wife and Oscar winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (Milk).

The film tells the story of Marshall (a terrificHouston Rhines), a guy on the verge of turning 30 who is working at a dead-end job at an ad agency and is feeling stagnant in his relationship with Gabe (Noah Shuffman),  his boyfriend of seven years.

He downloads a mysterious dating app called “eCupid” that guarantees to find true love. It turns his life upside down. Marshall soon finds that all the attention is more than he bargained for.

The film has a few familiar faces including former soap star John Callahan (Edmund on All My Children) as Marshall’s obnoxious boss and the ageless Morgan Fairchild as an angelic waitress who is a real cupid in a way. Also look for The Real World: DC alum Mike Manning (flashing his abs, below) who nicely nails his small role.

But the film is carried by its attractive cast of new discoveries. Rhines is the real star here as his character bumbles his way through some major turns in his life. He’s funny, sexy, touching and maddening through the journey. Schuffman carries the more emotional material and conveys Gabe’s heartbreak and anger well.

Quite delicious in the film is Matthew Scott Lewis (pictured with me below) who plays Marshall’s scheming new co-worker Keith in the film. Keith would be irresistible to most guys with his good looks and charm and Marshall does at times gets swept up in his antics. But his heart belongs to Gabe.

Writer-director Calciano told us after the screening was shot in just 12 days on a production budget of just $75,000. This is astonishing considering the production values and the quality of the performances. Since hand-held devices are a critical player in the movie, Calciano confessed that many times it is his hand holding them and not the character’s! He did all those pick-up shots in a single day. That’s how you do a movie in 12 days.

It helped to have two main leads with easy chemistry.

“We became fast friends,” Schuffman said of he and Rhines. “When you are dealing with an intimate story, you get to know each other really well, really quickly.”

Added Rhines: “I was fortunate to have someone I had instant chemistry with.”

Here is a LINK to the movie’s website.

 http://greginhollywood.com/

Ha Ha Pass the Salt Or I will fork you with this stupid Fork, spoon anythting

 | by Hillary Reinsberg

Denise Morrison, the new CEO of Campbell’s Soup, who we dubbed the “low-sodium CEO” has announced a major change at the company: she’s bringing back salt. *Cue gasp*

Just a few weeks ago, we told you about Morrison, the straight-laced woman who grew up discussing “the discipline of test marketing” at the dinner table – and her trailblazing quest to de-salt Campbell’s Soup while running the U.S. arm of the company. Morrison removed sodium from the soup, and customers revolted! Without salt, the soup tasted like…water! If you didn’t think salt could create scandal, you thought wrong. Morrison’s anti-salt crusade made her a controversial candidate to take over as CEO.

But she got the job anyway. And guess what? She’s curbing to the pressure. You heard it right: she’s bringing back salt.

http://www.mogulite.com/

Preacher Mark Driscoll Bullies, Makes Fun of Effeminate Men

 

Dave Rattigan

Celebrity preacher Mark Driscoll, of Seattle’s Mars Hill Church, is a bully — though that’s no revelation to anyone familiar with his macho posturing and derisive attitude towards those who fail to live up to his archaic vision of the Christian alpha male.

Now Driscoll is in trouble again over a vicious Facebook status update in which, with all the finesse of a high-school jock, he called on his followers to expose and ridicule effeminate men:

So, what stories do you have about the most effeminate anatomically male worship leaders you’ve ever personally witnessed?

Before Driscoll apologists take issue with “expose and ridicule,” I ask you what other possible intent Driscoll could have? By characterizing effeminate men as “anatomically male” — he could have said just “male,” or even just “worship leaders,” since only a male can be effeminate — he’s clearly making fun. And by asking for “stories” about subjects his followers have “personally witnessed,” he wants more than vague, friend-of-a-friend tales. He wants the details. “Expose and ridicule” is a frighteningly accurate description of his request.

Doesn’t Driscoll know that every day millions of effeminate young men suffer untold misery because they don’t live up to his misogynistic, transphobic, homophobic ideal of what a man should look and sound like? Doesn’t he know that many kids would rather kill themselves than face such humiliation? Apparently Driscoll doesn’t know or doesn’t care.

He removed the offending status update when he was called out on it, but he has yet to comment on why he made the remarks in the first place.

If he hasn’t learned not to be a vicious bully by this stage in his pastoral career, Mark Driscoll should look for another job.

http://www.exgaywatch.com/wp/

No Probm's in the Us so: BREAKING: BACHMANN PLEDGES TO BAN PORNOGRAPHY

THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS I  THE USA AND THE WORLD . NO WARS, NO THE USA DEFAULTING FOR THE FRIST TIME IN HISTORY. NO SOCIAL SECURITY CHECKS FOR AUG 3, ET ETC ETC..do not want to type all these things that you already know...so..guess what Michelle Bachmann's answer is: PROSTITUTION
BREAKING: BACHMANN PLEDGES TO BAN PORNOGRAPHY | Tonight, Michele Bachmann became the first presidential candidate to sign a pledge created by THE FAMiLY LEADER, an influential social-conservative group in Iowa. By signing the pledge Bachmann “vows” to “uphold the institution of marriage as only between one man and one woman” by committing herself to 14 specifics steps. The ninth step calls for the banning of “all forms” of pornography. The pledge also states that homosexuality is both a choice and a health risk. You can read all the details of the pledge here.

MInnesota Running Out of Booze, Cigarettes Due to Government Shutdown

By David Edwards

MillerCoors has been ordered to pull all of their beer products from Minnesota store shelves.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety told the Star Tribune that the products had to be removed because the company did not renew their brand label registration before a government shutdown began.

Some of the popular brands included Coors Light, Miller Lite and Blue Moon. MillerCoors said they would fight decision.

Original report continues below…

The liquor industry has become the latest victim of a government shutdown in Minnesota.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Tuesday that bars, restaurants and stores are already running out of supplies because many of them must renew their $20 state-issued alcohol purchasing cards before replenishing inventories.

Already 425 establishments have been left with expired cards and it’s just expected to get worse. Another 116 cannot buy liquor because they can’t pay their delinquent tax bills.

“This is going to treadmill across the whole state the longer [the Republican lawmakers] hold out,” Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton told the paper. “It’s going to hit every bar and restaurant that needs a liquor license.”

“This doesn’t just affect retailers, but wholesalers, and the manufacturers, and wedding parties, and church functions, and one day liquor licenses for charity events, and festivals and the list goes on and on and on,” Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association’s Frank Ball told KARE 11.

If the issue isn’t resolved by Labor Day, cigarette smokers could be in the same situation.

http://www.rawstory.com

I Just Give up on Chris Brown: Spewing anti gay slurs again on Game

  by Georgette Cline

Chris Brown is coming under fire for spewing out anti-gay slurs during a basketball game recently.

Star magazine reports that the 'F.A.M.E.' creator took part in a game of hoops at a 24 Hour Fitness gym in Los Angeles, where the atmosphere turned heated quickly once Brown began shouting out expletives and became angry.

"He got really ticked off when things didn't go his way during the game, saying, 'That's gay!' and 'You're a f----- a--!' to the other players," an eyewitness told the publication.

The R&B crooner, known for resorting to physical violence during an argument with former girlfriend Rihanna in 2009, did not throw down with any of the players on the court but resorted to being a verbal aggressor instead. "His demeanor was over the top," the source revealed.

Witnesses also reported that Brown's bodyguards threatened people in the vicinity if they were caught snapping photos of the singer.

Watch Chris Brown's 'Yeah 3x'

Chris Brown - Yeah 3x

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Michele Bachmann’s Problem With Gay People Could Soon Become The Perfect Storm-Against Her

Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

http://nymag.com

Now, it's no secret that Michele and Marcus Bachmann don't like gay people. As a state senator, Michele introduced a state constitutional amendment barring marriage equality, and as a United States representative she's said she'd support a federal amendment doing the same. And in recent weeks a number of stories have revealed that her husband's Christian counseling clinic (which received state and federal support) preaches that gay people can be cured, which is not therapy that is backed by any credible medical association. And this morning Gawker points us back to an audiotape of Michele Bachmann from 2004, which was posted by the Dump Bachmann blog, when she was addressing an educational conference. She spoke exclusively about the threat of gay marriage.

Referring to the 2003 Massachusetts Supreme Court ruling that legalized marriage equality in that state, she said: "Something that was meant for evil was used for good," in that it helped garner George W. Bush's reelection. "If you're involved in the gay and lesbian lifestyle, it's bondage. Personal bondage, personal despair, and personal enslavement," she added. "And that's why this is so dangerous."

For good measure, she also threw in some broad lies. "Almost all if not all individuals who have gone into the lifestyle have been abused at one time in their life, either by a male or a female," she said. "There has been profound hurt that has happened in almost all if not all of their lives." And the consequences of legalized marriage equality, she warns, will be dire. "The first thing that will occur, once the legalization occurs, is that if this curriculum is not being taught already, it will be mandated, it must be taught in the schools."

Bachmann went on to lament the normalization of gay people on television and to look wistfully back on the days when the media used to only make fun of them. She called GLSEN's anti-bullying training to teachers "trash" and "garbage" and lambasted Sex and the City for having a minor gay character. And then she threw in the best whopper of them all. "I almost think that the gay community has hired [anti-gay hatemonger Fred Phelps], or created this guy, to do what he does," she said. "He is their best friend."

Here's the thing: Bachmann seems to realize that pushing the anti-gay button too hard could backfire for her — she dodged questions about her husband's clinic earlier this week, and her campaign refused to elaborate on what services it provides. But her anger-filled stance on the gay lifestyle isn't political strategy, like Obama's quavering on marriage equality or Mitt Romney's calculated support of equal rights for gay couples but not equal wording. It's clear she genuinely believes these things, fervently. It's part of her aggressively evangelical political agenda. So there will be no nuance, no evolution, no compromise coming from her direction on gay rights issues. The best she can do is hope to dance with the bigots now and avoid the issue in the general election.

Because the fact of the matter is, most Americans support the right of gay people to marry. Yes, there is a segment of the population that wants a politician to spout anti-LGBT rhetoric, but it's the segment that GOP candidates pander to in the primary and then flee from, toward the center, in the general election. And even though the vast majority of marriage equality supporters aren't single-issue voters that would turn away from a candidate based on their stance on the issue, the statisticdoes indicate that most Americans find persecution of LGBT people distasteful. Words like evil andenslaved and garbage aren't words that most voters like hearing coming from a leader when it's talking about fellow Americans who aren't doing anybody any harm.

Michele Bachmann in Her Own Words: ‘Gays Are Part of Satan’ [Gawker]
Marcus Bachmann's Big Gay Mess [Gawker]
Michele Bachmann: The Effects of Gay Marriage on Education [Dump Bachmann]
‘God Has Created You for Heterosexuality’: Clinics Owned by Michele Bachmann’s Husband Practice Ex-Gay Therapy [Nation]

Michele Bachmann’s Problem With Gay People Could Soon Become The Perfect Storm-Against Her

Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

http://nymag.com

Now, it's no secret that Michele and Marcus Bachmann don't like gay people. As a state senator, Michele introduced a state constitutional amendment barring marriage equality, and as a United States representative she's said she'd support a federal amendment doing the same. And in recent weeks a number of stories have revealed that her husband's Christian counseling clinic (which received state and federal support) preaches that gay people can be cured, which is not therapy that is backed by any credible medical association. And this morning Gawker points us back to an audiotape of Michele Bachmann from 2004, which was posted by the Dump Bachmann blog, when she was addressing an educational conference. She spoke exclusively about the threat of gay marriage.

Referring to the 2003 Massachusetts Supreme Court ruling that legalized marriage equality in that state, she said: "Something that was meant for evil was used for good," in that it helped garner George W. Bush's reelection. "If you're involved in the gay and lesbian lifestyle, it's bondage. Personal bondage, personal despair, and personal enslavement," she added. "And that's why this is so dangerous."

For good measure, she also threw in some broad lies. "Almost all if not all individuals who have gone into the lifestyle have been abused at one time in their life, either by a male or a female," she said. "There has been profound hurt that has happened in almost all if not all of their lives." And the consequences of legalized marriage equality, she warns, will be dire. "The first thing that will occur, once the legalization occurs, is that if this curriculum is not being taught already, it will be mandated, it must be taught in the schools."

Bachmann went on to lament the normalization of gay people on television and to look wistfully back on the days when the media used to only make fun of them. She called GLSEN's anti-bullying training to teachers "trash" and "garbage" and lambasted Sex and the City for having a minor gay character. And then she threw in the best whopper of them all. "I almost think that the gay community has hired [anti-gay hatemonger Fred Phelps], or created this guy, to do what he does," she said. "He is their best friend."

Here's the thing: Bachmann seems to realize that pushing the anti-gay button too hard could backfire for her — she dodged questions about her husband's clinic earlier this week, and her campaign refused to elaborate on what services it provides. But her anger-filled stance on the gay lifestyle isn't political strategy, like Obama's quavering on marriage equality or Mitt Romney's calculated support of equal rights for gay couples but not equal wording. It's clear she genuinely believes these things, fervently. It's part of her aggressively evangelical political agenda. So there will be no nuance, no evolution, no compromise coming from her direction on gay rights issues. The best she can do is hope to dance with the bigots now and avoid the issue in the general election.

Because the fact of the matter is, most Americans support the right of gay people to marry. Yes, there is a segment of the population that wants a politician to spout anti-LGBT rhetoric, but it's the segment that GOP candidates pander to in the primary and then flee from, toward the center, in the general election. And even though the vast majority of marriage equality supporters aren't single-issue voters that would turn away from a candidate based on their stance on the issue, the statisticdoes indicate that most Americans find persecution of LGBT people distasteful. Words like evil andenslaved and garbage aren't words that most voters like hearing coming from a leader when it's talking about fellow Americans who aren't doing anybody any harm.

Michele Bachmann in Her Own Words: ‘Gays Are Part of Satan’ [Gawker]
Marcus Bachmann's Big Gay Mess [Gawker]
Michele Bachmann: The Effects of Gay Marriage on Education [Dump Bachmann]
‘God Has Created You for Heterosexuality’: Clinics Owned by Michele Bachmann’s Husband Practice Ex-Gay Therapy [Nation]

DA Cowboy Irving Takes a Good Stance Talking About His Gay Brother

 Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin says his womanizing may have stemmed from seeing an older brother whom he idolized dressed as a woman and learning the brother was gay.

Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin says his womanizing may have stemmed from seeing an older brother whom he idolized dressed as a woman and learning the brother was gay.

In the latest issue of Out magazine, Irvin said he was 12 when he discovered his older brother Vaughn's secret life. He said his father told him: "Yes, that's your brother. And you love your brother."

The former Dallas Cowboys star now appears on the NFL Network and on his own radio show in Miami. He has supported same-sex marriage on his radio show and has said he's waiting for an active player in the NFL, MLB, NBA or NHL to declare publicly that he is gay.

"Until we do that, we're going to be stuck in the Dark Ages about a lot of things," Irvin told the magazine. "When a guy steps up and says, 'This is who I am,' I guarantee you I'll give him 100 percent support."

Irvin said carrying the burden of Vaughn's secret gives him a hint of how tough it must be for a homosexual athlete to hide his orientation in a locker room.

"If I'm not gay and I am afraid to mention it, I can only imagine what an athlete must be going through if he is gay," Irvin said. "I would like to see players come forward and be happy with who they are. Hopefully, as we move forward, we'll get to a place where there's no way it's even considered; it just is what it is and everybody can do what they do. That's the ultimate goal."

Irvin said he believes the fast life he's led was to accentuate his heterosexuality.

He said he wanted everyone in the locker room to see him have the most women and the nicest car "so that everybody says, 'Michael's the man.'"

Irvin said he remained close to his brother, a bank manager, until his death in 2006. He was 49 when he died of stomach cancer.

http://www.star-telegram.com

Gay student's suicide trigger a lawsuit for wrongful death

 | Corey G. Johnson

The mother of a deceased 13-year-old middle school student has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the Tehachapi Unified School District after federal authorities concluded school officials didn't adequately respond to the gay teen's complaints of attacks and harassment.

The lawsuit, filed last week in Kern County, accuses school district Superintendent Richard Swanson,Jacobsen Middle School Principal Susan Ortega and several teachers of violating Seth Walsh's federal civil rights.

Left in Alabama/FlickrThe death of Seth Walsh, a middle school student who committed suicide, sparked a renewed focus on bullying in schools.

In September, Walsh, an eighth-grader at Jacobsen, hanged himself moments after being taunted and attacked by classmates. The suit argues that Walsh's death resulted from continual public taunting and assaults from classmates that were ignored by school officials.

Walsh's story sparked outrage and a national dialogue about the harassment of gay and lesbian students in public schools.

Wendy Walsh, Seth's mother, told the Bakersfield Californianrecently that she wanted accountability from the school district. The complaint refers to a suicide note reportedly written by Seth Walsh to his mother, which stated:

I love you. Thank you for having me. It's been a pleasure. I know this will bring much pain. But I will hopefully be in a better place than this (expletive)hole. Please, put my body in burial and visit my used body. And make sure to make the school feel like (expletive) for bringing you this sorrow. This life was a pleasure, mostly having you guys to bring me through the pain. Hopefully I become the universe.

The lawsuit comes days after federal officials found the district violated federal civil rights laws for failing to investigate the student's bullying complaints. In late June, federal authorities sent a letter to Swanson, informing him of the results of the investigation, which included interviews with Seth Walsh's family, friends, district staff and administrators, and about 75 classmates.

As a result of a settlement with the U.S. Justice and Education departments, the Tehachapi district hasagreed to survey all its schools and enact new policies and strategies to stamp out gender- and sexuality-based harassment. The Tehachapi school district has not commented on the lawsuit.

http://californiawatch.org

Minister Tells The Bachmann's 'no gay cure is necessary'

 By Debra Haffner

CLEAR LAKE, IA - JULY 4: Republican presidential candidate U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and her husband Marcus Bachmann wave as they march in a Fourth of July parade July 4, 2011 in Clear Lake, Iowa. (Steve Pope - GETTY IMAGES)In a few weeks, I will perform a marriage ceremony in New York City for two 87-year-old friends of mine. These men have been together as a loving couple for 55 years, and as a result of therecent New York State legislature’s decision, they will now be able to wed. I can hardly wait to say, “By the authority vested in me by the state of New York, you are now legally married.” Despite Peter and Kenneth having lived through the years where being gay was considered a mental illness, their love and their life together survived and flourished.

In contrast, Minnesota congresswoman and presidential candidate Michele Bachmann and her husband, Marcus, have both publicly supported the proposition that homosexuality can be cured through therapy, prayer, or a combination of the two. Undercover visits to Marcus Bachmann’s clinic demonstrate that it offers ex-gay therapy,where patients are advised to “read the Bible [and] pray to God that [they] would no longer be gay.” In 2004, Michele Bachmann openly supported the ex-gay theory, referring then to the “deep emotional wounds” that being gay causes and the “message of healing that is possible,” according to a report in The Advocate.

Homosexuality and bisexuality do not need to be “cured” or treated, although many individuals and their families seek counseling to accept their sexual orientation and for help in coming out. The American Psychiatric Association affirms “those who have integrated their sexual orientation into a positive sense of self function at a healthier psychological level than those who have not.”

Individuals who seek “reparative therapy” to become heterosexual often do so because of personal distress, possibly caused by family, or societal pressures, or by teachings from those religious traditions that condemn bisexuality and homosexuality. A position statement adopted by the American Psychiatric Association in 2000 stated, “In the last four decades, ‘reparative’ therapists have not produced any rigorous scientific research to substantiate their claims of cure.”

Can an individual’s sexual orientation be changed through therapy?One small study in 2003, involving 200 subjects recruited from the “ex-gay” movement, found that highly motivated people can alter their sexual behavior or self-identity, but reversing their underlying attraction to persons of the same sex is rare. People who are bisexual but are more attracted to one sex than the other may be more able to change their behaviors. For some people sexual attraction changes during a lifetime, and the desire and love for a specific partner, regardless of sex, can trump orientation.

For more than 30 years, the major health and mental health professional organizations in the United States have agreed that heterosexuality, bisexuality and homosexuality are all variations of sexual orientation. Because of both the potential for harm and the professional consensus that homosexuality is not a disorder, professional organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association and the National Association of School Psychologists, among others, have spoken out against the reparative therapies engaged in by the Bachmann clinic and such ex-gay ministries as Exodus International.

As a religious leader—along with the clergy from many denominations that fully include LGBT persons—I affirm sexual and gender diversity as gifts people offer to society and to congregations. Misinformation and condemnation of differing sexual and gender identities have created despair, destroyed relationships, and led to violence, and even suicide. There can be no justification for discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, including the use of “reparative” therapies. Religious leaders have an obligation to create a world that embraces the diversity of God’s creation and where each person can thrive and flourish. All people, including my friends Kenneth and Peter, should be able to live fully and express themselves and their sexuality with holiness and integrity. Sexual and gender diversity is a blessing that enriches us all.

Debra W. Haffner is an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister and Executive director of the Religious Institute, a multifaith organization dedicated to sexual health and justice

After coming out, former Player Akil Patterson has a second chance

 

Akil Patterson's career with the Terps football team was derailed by alcohol and partying as he struggled with his sexuality

• 

Former Maryland football player Akil Patterson, an openly gay athlete… (Amy Davis, Baltimore Sun)

By Jeff Barker, The Baltimore Sun

For years, Akil Patterson wouldn't tell the world who he really was: a gay man playing Division I college football.

His secret weighed on him, frightened him, confused him, taking on a life all its own.

In lonely periods, the former University of Maryland player would go online and type in "gay," "athlete" and other keywords. And Patterson, an offensive and defensive lineman on former coach Ralph Friedgen's teams of 2001-03, would wonder: how many other Division I athletes are gay — and black — and feeling as isolated as he was?

"It's not like it's a terrible, deep, dark secret, but you think about the ramifications," said Patterson, now a highly ranked Greco-Roman wrestler and unpaid Maryland wrestling coach. "They're talking behind your back, and everywhere you turn there's this culture that says you're not supposed to be like this."

Patterson, who said he was a binge drinker during his Maryland football years, is one of a half-dozen or so football players to have publicly declared after college or NFL careers that they are gay.

Patterson's decision to come out by name — first in January to Outsports.com, which covers gays and lesbians in sports — required careful consideration because he competes in national wrestling competitions and works with wrestlers on Maryland's Atlantic Coast Conference champion team. He aspires to make the Olympics in Greco-Roman wrestling and said he hopes his disclosure won't cost him sponsors that help pay travel and other costs for matches and training.

In a 70-minute interview, Patterson, 28, sounded like a man emerging from a dream he can't entirely recall. He said memory lapses about some nights are caused by drinking during his football years and the fact that his old behavior is unrecognizable to him today. "I was a wild mess," he said.

He said he hit on a male cheerleader while at Maryland but denied to teammates that he was gay even as rumors spread about his sexual orientation and erratic behavior. He recalls that his heavy drinking included the night before a big game at Florida State in September 2003.

He was suspended indefinitely by Maryland later that season and left school amid charges related to an off-campus fight. He said the case was not pursued by law enforcement authorities and was expunged from his record. There is no record of it in courthouse files or online databases.

A string of offenses came later. None required jail sentences, although Patterson said he did brief community service on a disorderly conduct charge in 2008. "I've done 1,000 things wrong but I've learned from my mistakes," he said.

After leaving College Park, Patterson played two football seasons and earned a degree from Division II California University of Pennsylvania, where he said assistant coaches once pulled him out of a party and told him to "clean up or go home." He later played for the United Indoor Football League's Billings (Mont.) Outlaws. He said he was required to pass a background check performed by TC logiQ, a Colorado-based screening company, before he could coach wrestling.

Now an advocate for troubled high school youths, Patterson said he came out to help younger gay athletes, and because he no longer wanted "to run and hide" from who he was.

"I remember there wasn't anybody for me to reach out to. I had no outlets," he said.

Interviewed in Comcast Center's red-themed wrestling locker room, the 6-foot-3, 284-pound Patterson was animated as he told his story, occasionally smiling to reveal a gap between his front teeth that he said causes people to mistake him for former NFL player Michael Strahan.

He joked that he doesn't fit the gay stereotype because "you're supposed to be a queen with a dress. I have no fashion sense whatsoever." He wore grey sweatpants with "Frederick" on them — he was a state wrestling champion at Frederick High School — and a grey T-shirt. The backs of his hands remain scarred from football-cleat marks.

Patterson betrayed a hint of nervousness only when reflecting for a moment on exactly what he was doing — telling his deeply personal story to a Maryland newspaper. "This is my backyard," Patterson said.

Patterson hopes the culture regarding gays in sports is changing. In May, Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah was fined $50,000 by the NBA for an anti-gay slur at a fan. Earlier, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers was fined $100,000 for a similar slur at an official. Phoenix Suns CEO Rick Welts publicly came out in May.

"I think it's progress," Patterson said of Welts' announcement. "It's just going to take some time to get to the contact sports."

Like football, Patterson's current sport — wrestling — has a limited history of openly gay participants.

"It's still not perceived to be a safe space for an athlete to come out," said Hudson Taylor, a three-time All-American wrestler at Maryland and friend of Patterson's who is now an assistant coach at Columbia. "You're literally grappling with another person, so your sexual orientation could make some people uncomfortable. Maryland was able to overcome those obstacles because of the culture of the team and because of [Coach Kerry] McCoy."

Taylor, Maryland's all-time winningest wrestler, has also been featured by Outsports.com, but for different reasons. During some Maryland wrestling practices, he would wear a blue-and-yellow "equality" sticker on his red headgear representing the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights group. He didn't display the sticker in competition because Maryland's program deemed it inappropriate. "I was certainly ready to," said Taylor, who graduated in 2010. "I got in a lot of debates about it."

"Straight allies are few and far between," Outsports wrote admiringly of Taylor.

McCoy, a former Olympian and Penn State wrestler who has been Maryland's coach for three seasons, said Patterson's public disclosure was not a significant event.

"For us specifically as a staff, it didn't change anything," McCoy said. "It wasn't something where he stood up and gave a speech to the team. It's just like we wouldn't sit down with our guys and say, 'Stand up and explain your relationship status.'"

"He's just a great guy to be around," said Spencer Myers, Maryland's first true freshman All-American, who has been coached by Patterson. "[Patterson's sexual orientation] doesn't change who he is."

Asked about Patterson's wrestling future, McCoy replied: "He's got a ton of potential. He's anywhere from 5 to 15 right now [in the nation]. He can beat the top guys. He can lose to a top guy."

Patterson never quite felt comfortable playing football at Maryland, where he said he was discouraged by the program from taking a course in gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender studies.

Friedgen declined requests for comment. Randy Edsall, who replaced Friedgen as Maryland football coach in January, was an assistant with the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars at the time defensive lineman Esera Tuaolo was on the team. Tuaolo came out after his career was over in 2002, and Edsall said he didn't know Tuaolo was gay.

"Everybody is entitled to their own ways of doing things, as long it doesn't affect your team," Edsall said. "A lot of people are probably going to keep it quiet. I don't think when you're at the [NFL scouting] combine, that one of the questions is, 'Are you gay?' "

Patterson said the arc of his life changed after he decided to no longer be a victim of circumstances. He began telling California University teammates he was gay in 2006.

Today, he posts YouTube videos in which he talks casually about his experiences.

In one video, he describes the stomach-churning dread of revealing his sexual orientation to fellow athletes. His eyes widen as he tells the story, and his body seems to recoil in panic.

"Let me just say it was scary," Patterson says to the camera. "No other word."

He said he has heard from a number of athletes, including one at California University, struggling with issues related to sexual identity.

http://articles.baltimoresun.com