Louganis’ AIDS May Be Springboard for Gay Acceptance

The Orange County Blade came in the mail yesterday. It’s a magazine targeted to gay, lesbian and bisexual readers, and I cite the coincidence of its arrival with tonight’s scheduled airing of Greg Louganis’ TV interview with Barbara Walters. In it, he reveals he has AIDS. Louganis disclosed his homosexuality some time back, but many Americans no doubt are learning that for the first time too.

By broadcast time tonight, his remarks will be somewhat anticlimactic, because excerpts from the interview already have been aired and front-page stories written. When all is said and done, Louganis still will be an Olympic hero. Next week, his book hits the stores, and a tour will ensue.

Contrast that with the cover photo of the Blade, which features a smiling young man in a suit and tie. The caption alongside the photo reads, “I’m 18 And I’m Dead! Call My Mom, And She’ll Tell You All About It.” Inside, the magazine tells the story of Bobby Dennis, who revealed his homosexuality at 16 and, according to his mother, was so tormented by his and other people’s feelings about it that he committed suicide by jumping off a freeway overpass at 18.

Louganis’ announcement may lead some viewers to revisit their thoughts on homosexuality, just as Rock Hudson’s did several years ago. Some may ask themselves anew whether they can reconcile admiring someone for their personality and life’s achievements, only to revile them upon discovering they’re homosexual.

But that’s a false challenge if directed only at how we view celebrities. Accepting an Olympic gold medal winner into mainstream society is one thing; it’s the Bobby Dennises out there who most need acceptance.

Pam Woody is president of the Orange County chapter of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, known as PFLAG. She knows the torment that thousands of teens and young adults go through, all because they’re afraid to tell people they’re homosexual.

“It offends people when you equate sexual orientation to minority status, but they don’t quite get it,” Woody said. “In an African American or Latino family, where maybe a child has experienced prejudice or hatred or bigotry, they’re able to go home to their families and take solace. With gay children, they can’t. They don’t have anyone to seek out, they’re afraid of rejection from their families, and they’re afraid that disclosure will hurt the family, and in most cases it does. So they have to hold those feelings of bigotry, intolerance and hatred and the rude remarks people make, they have to hold them inside.”

As sad as she was to hear of Louganis’ AIDS, Woody knows his disclosure will help some troubled teens.

“The reason they go through their private hell is that they don’t have anyone they can identify with. So when someone like Greg is courageous enough to come out as a gay man, and then to disclose he has AIDS, what that does is enables a youth to have some sort of role model, to take a look at somebody who has been able to accomplish something, like in the Olympics,” Woody said. “It doesn’t bother me that he’s getting attention. In the long run, that only helps. The more people who come out, the easier it gets for the youth.”

You get some idea of the torment gay teens must experience when you consider that Louganis says he’s made three suicide attempts. If someone acclaimed since his teens as potentially the best diver ever had so little hope, imagine how an anonymous teen might feel.

“It seems that the most traumatic thing that can happen in a family is that one of the children discloses that they’re gay,” Woody said. “This is just going on three years for me, finding out my son is gay. Even myself, at the time thinking I was a fairly tolerant, liberal-thinking person, I was devastated. That was because I had not received any education with regard to what homosexuality is all about. It was just not discussed or talked about, so consequently I formed my own opinions and bought into all the stereotypes and myths that society had handed down to us.”

Louganis no doubt explains in his book how he grappled as a teen-ager with his homosexuality. All we know for sure is that he didn’t reveal it until his competitive diving career ended.

Now, his place in the Olympic history books is secure. He did, in fact, justify the promise everyone saw in him as a teen-ager.

What about the promise in other gay teen-agers, those who aren’t exceptional athletes but who may be artists, doctors, machinists, teachers?

Greg Louganis jumped off the springboard and heard cheers.

Bobby Dennis jumped off an overpass and heard nothing again.

Dana Parsons’ column appears Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Readers may reach Parsons by writing to him at The Times Orange County Edition, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626, or calling (714) 966-7821.