A post I made as I prepared to speak in Montgomery at Alabama's War on Women rally

Tonight I am preparing for my speech tomorrow at Alabama's War on Women rally in Montgomery. I usually do not prepare speeches. Those of you who have heard me speak know I speak from my heart. I share experiences from my life in order to help others. Tomorrow I will not focus on my experiences. Tomorrow I will be representing the entire GLBT community. I am blessed to have such an opportunity and I am thankful that I have reached a place in my life where I no longer feel I need to silence my voice. Something will happen to me tomorrow that will probably not happen to any of the other speakers...I will come 'Out' again as a gay man in Alabama. Many of my friends may not realize what this is like. Coming 'Out' isn't something that we do once...it is something that we do over and over. It takes a conscious effort each time I choose to share this very personal aspect of my life with others. Three short years ago I did not imagine I would be doing this. Life is not predictable but it is wonderful. Tonight I saw a performance of the Vagina Monologues and I learned that 1 in 3 women have been victims of violence including rape. This is more than 1 billion women! I will remember this tomorrow as I step forward to come 'Out' once again in my journey to support a better future for our community.

I love you all,

James