Cal Times

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INSIDE

CALIFORNIA UNIVERSIT Y California borough

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Homecoming Bonfire

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Volleyball Defeats IUP

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Get To Know Your Vulcans

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CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

OCTOBER 21, 2011

VOL. 31, NO. 9

Homecoming Court Announced

Photo by: Joshua Laska

BACK ROW - FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Rob Zazac, Endy Reindl, Josh Giffin, Cory Strennen and Chad McCauley. FRONT ROW - FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Regina George, Evelyn Schwer, Ashley Gill, Danielle Donivan, Erica Shultz.

First openly gay football captain speaks at Cal By Morgan Cushey For the Cal Times

Regional All American champion, winner of a national football championship, Pennsylvania’s bench press record holder, and former captain of Bloomsburg University’s football team, are just a brief description of Brian Sims’ accomplishments. The thing that makes his football career unique to the rest is that Sims is the first openly gay football captain in NCAA history. During the past spring, Sims was contacted by LaMont Coleman, the associate dean in student affairs, to speak for diversity awareness at Cal. “The program last year focused on race, so when putting together a program [for this year], I decided to find something different,” said Coleman While speaking at California University on Oct. 11, Sims shared his experience of coming out with roughly 40 Cal students and faculty, while also lecturing about the importance of discussing gay rights as well as the history of the gay rights movement.

Sims’ talked about how he came from a military family. Both his mother and his father are retired colonels from the U.S. Army. He said that most people would think that a military family would not be as accepting of his sexual orientation, but his parents decided that it just added to the “weirdness” of the family and were very supportive. In 2000, Sims played defensive tackle for Bloomsburg, standing at a height of 6’2”and weighing 260lbs. His very masculine appearance and choice of sport challenged the preconceived notions about what a gay man looks and acts like. Sims kept his dating and romance habits secret from his teammates, who over those four years had become his tightly knit family. “I knew they would figure out that I was gay,” Sims said. His prediction was confirmed one evening after a few drinks with his teammates. In a way, his team came out to him. After Sims’ red jello wrestling match against a couple of cheerleaders and a few too many beers, he was walking back to

his car when he was approached by a member of his team who flat out asked him if he was gay. “All these guys were worried this intense relationship we had was not mutual,” Sims said. He feels this moment of coming out at age 22 was a defining experience in his life. He explained that his teammates believed each time they used a gay slur or told a gay joke, that Sims was judging them or keeping inventory of each instance, which was not the case with Sims. “I did not have to forgive my team, but in a way, I had to give them permission to forgive themselves,” Sims said. Sims also talked about his experience as an L.G.B.T [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender] advocacy lawyer. In April of 2009, Sims served in the House Council for the Philadelphia Bar Association where he worked on the staff council of policy and planning. He is also on the Board of Directors for the Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia. Sims said that some people question his motives for being a gay rights advocate, asking him why he goes through all

Photo by: Joy Helsel Brian Sims spoke to Cal U students about coming out and being the first openly gay football captain.

the trouble when his “coming out” experience was not a negative one. “I know what the future looked like. I got to live it, “said Sims. He said that he does this work because it is important to give people the civil rights that they are being denied. To further his involvement in

gay rights, Sims said that he is currently campaigning for the House of Representatives. Sims spoke with a positive attitude toward the challenges ahead.

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