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Lance Bass accepting Visibility Award at the 2006 Human Rights Campaign national dinner.
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Transcript Provided by YouTube:
00:00
Wow well first I want to thank RIKEN so
00:04
much
00:05
he has been my angel on my shoulder I
00:08
mean it’s been amazing I mean everyone
00:10
should have someone like that when they
00:12
come out it’s I look at him yeah a lot
00:20
of people look at him as you know the
00:21
Amazing Race winner but I look at him as
00:23
that that captain in the Air Force that
00:25
that’s strong leader and I love what
00:28
he’s doing for our community but thank
00:30
you so much HRC
00:32
I am so honored to stand in front of you
00:34
all the faces and the strength of the
00:37
Human Rights Campaign if I had known
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that there were such a great support
00:40
structure embracing our community I
00:42
would have found the courage to come out
00:44
a long time ago
00:51
I got a cheat sheet here too and just
00:52
make sure I get it all down when I first
00:56
learned that the HRC wanted to honor me
00:58
I like many said why I’ve only been out
01:02
for a few months what have I done
01:03
haven’t done anything yet to you know to
01:06
deserve this and then I thought and I
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started reading all the letters of
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support that came in from fans all over
01:16
the world and one in particular one to
01:19
share with you was a guy from Cincinnati
01:21
he was like 29 years old and he wrote a
01:24
letter to me saying that uh you know had
01:26
a girlfriend he had the perfect life but
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he was living a lie he was gay and the
01:30
day that he went out and bought a gun to
01:32
go kill himself he saw the cover of
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magazine people with my picture saying
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I’m gay he read the article saw that so
01:42
himself and myself and he changed his
01:45
mind came out to his family and friends
01:47
broke up with that girlfriend and he’s
01:49
living a happy happy life and that’s
01:57
just that’s just one of thousands of
02:00
letters that I’ve gotten from you know
02:02
kids around the world 12 year olds that
02:05
have come out to their families 12 year
02:07
olds now saying you know yes I’m Gabe
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and I’m going to start my life from now
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instead of waiting you know when
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everyone else thinks it’s time and as
02:16
someone who is newly visible to this
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community and the HRF see family and my
02:21
pledge tonight to all of you gathered
02:23
here and to the young people who will
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follow in each of our footsteps is that
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I will work every day to be worthy of
02:29
this award I view this
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I view this as a responsibility and a
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promise that I intend to keep so thank
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you very much
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This post was previously published on YouTube.
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Photo credit: Screenshot from video.