NFL Player | Poet | Public Speaker | Artist
A warm kiss caresses My lips The city appearsColossal, bright, & intimidating fromthis rooftop downtown It is from This view the moonSeems like a haloIt is The crown around your head that causesThis warm kiss to brew a fire within my insecurityA wildfire(from an angel to a sinner) It is the strength of this warmth…
Continue reading ➞ Christmas In Los Angeles
I am the rose that grew from concrete Wilting after being stepped on by lovers Who promised to be gentle Believing they came to breathe in my fragrance To pluck me from misery And carry me home Watered in the most breathtaking vase And admired for ages Assumption was the thorn I used to hurt…
The grace of his dance swelled my chest with pride, and I fought back tears as his passion filled the room. A few weeks ago, my boyfriend, Corey O'Brien, and I had an idea of pure genius. Something that seemed trendy yet new, relatable yet severely personal, and a project that brought together our life…
After publicly coming out and becoming the only active NFL player to identify as LGBTQ, I've gained the attention of the masses. Most of the attention has centered around support, queer visibility in sports, inclusion, equality, and freedom. In the ocean of positive feedback and attention is a few drops of what I would call,…
This year, I had the honor of being one of the special guests of HRC's National Dinner. I got a chance to meet with the great leaders behind the largest LGBTQ organization in the world. Other special guests included Jake Choi, Dominique Jackson, and Ricky Martin. Below is a snippet of my speech, and a…
1 We aren't hiding anymore when we're twenty seven. —One glorious evening, to heaven with cheesecake and wine, Noisy restaurants with their faint WiFi! We walk through the gardens of the Getty and watch the sunset. The blossoms smell good in the good September evenings! At times the aroma fills the sky and we open…
And if Joy comes How will we welcome him? Will we not fear him, Will we not cower After knowing only Depression for so long? Though we have prayed for him, Though we have drank All through our night (lifetime) What if we hope again to Hear the click Of his mighty boots On the…
My therapist asked me a simple question. It was our first time meeting, and I’m sure it’s a question most therapists ask clients paying them too much to do too little. The question was: “What brought you here?” Now me-having just dropped surmountable money for this session, being an excessive overthinker, emotional as all hell,…
Continue reading ➞ How One Question from my Therapist helped me Realize how much a Soul can Handle.
I need to write more when I’m in love. I need to stop holding your hand on these long Malibu walks And write more. I need to stop staring deeply into your eyes across the dinner table And write more. I need to stop watching you dance through the night And write more. I…
The way you say tomorrow Terrifies me As if I’ve trapped you in today And you’re searching for all the exits.