When I was at Baylor, I wasn't fully happy because I couldn't be all the way out. It feels so good saying it: I am a strong, black lesbian woman.
Brittney GrinerRead
Once I came out in sports, I basically told myself, 'I'm coming out, officially. I wanted to be able to look in the mirror and tell myself that I was being true to me. I wanted to help the younger me, when I was a kid, give them somebody for them to look up to.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of authenticity and representation, particularly in sports.
In this quote, Brittney Griner reflects on her decision to come out publicly as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, highlighting the personal significance of being true to oneself. She expresses a desire not only for self-acceptance but also to serve as a role model for younger individuals navigating similar challenges, indicating the profound impact that visibility and representation can have on others.
In practice
During a Pride event, I can use this quote to inspire others about the importance of being true to themselves.
When I was at Baylor, I wasn't fully happy because I couldn't be all the way out. It feels so good saying it: I am a strong, black lesbian woman.
People called me a dude and said there was no way I could be a woman. Some even wanted me to prove it to them. During high school and college, when we traveled for games, people would shout the same things while also using racial epithets and terrible homophobic slurs.
The best way to develop courage is to set a goal and achieve it, make a promise and keep it.
As long as a man's heart beats, as long as a man's flesh quivers, I do not allow that a being gifted with thought and will can allow himself to despair.
I grew up in a culture in which it was a sin for a woman to speak out.
I'm a pretty open book, so not being out publicly felt inauthentic. Hopefully we can get to a point where your personal life isn't anybody else's business, but until then, it's less about people having to know about your sexuality than standing up for what's right and fighting for equality.
Well, the odds must be against anybody being able to fly around the world in a balloon on the first attempt. All of us who are attempting to go around the world in balloons are effectively flying in experimental craft because these craft cannot be tested.
To be Negro in America is to hope against hope.
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