Chely Wright Becomes a Leading Voice for LGBT Rights

by Brandon Miller · 2011-01-01 12:58:00 UTC
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I will be the first to admit that I hate when celebrities come out as part of a media blitz. And, yeah, Chely Wright definitely did that with the way she coincided the public declaration of her lesbianism with a memoir and  a record. But I like to give gay celebrities the benefit of the doubt. I'm thankful that people are brave enough to come out at all, even in 2010. And many of those gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender entertainers go on to do wonderful things with the platforms they are afforded.

Thankfully, Chely Wright is forging ahead to make herself a real voice for LGBT people in the world, and especially in more rural and red parts of America, where her country ties lay. Wright is a spokesperson for and the founder of Like Me, an organization that provides assistance and education to LGBT people, as well as their friends and family. And now that organization, named after the singer's memoir, has announced a scholarship for the people it hopes to reach.

Wright announced the award recipient on "The Nate Berkus Show" on Wednesday. The first scholarship prize will be given to Shawn Walsh, the brother of  Seth Walsh, who committed suicide in September after facing rampant anti-gay bullying in his California school district. As you may have seen on our site, Walsh's mother has been active in voicing her opinions on the seriousness of bullying.

The scholarship will be given to up to five people each year. But Chely Wright also unveiled another plan on Wednesday. Like Me announced the Lighthouse Project, which will build an LGBT education and community center in Kansas City next year. Wright chose her home state of Missouri for the first center due to the lack of resources for gay people in the Midwest.

So, yeah, I can get over Chely Wright coming out on a book tour. Or Ricky Martin doing the same. Because, really, any celebrity who wants to be a positive role model for LGBT teenagers (and adults) is somebody that I'm going to support. The responsibility doesn't end once the media junket is done.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Brandon Miller is a freelance writer and editor from Toronto, Ontario.
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