• Georgia lawmakers look to legalize LGBTQ discrimination
• The United Methodist Church doubles down on anti-LGBTQ animus
• Formerly homeless valedictorian kicked out of his home for being gay is thriving in college, and just landed a Congressional internship. He also set up his own scholarship foundation. Click here for more info.
• Pose star Billy Porter brings political discourse to the Oscars’ red carpet
• Out singer/songwriter Kisos shares his ‘five stages of grief’ with “Happily Ever After”
• Brooklyn Nine Nine’s Terry Crews got called out for saying kids of same-sex parents will grow up emotionally ‘malnourished’
All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.
I want to send a big shout-out to everyone who’s hit up the podcast over the past couple of years.
It’s amazing to see the growth in numbers of folks discovering the podcast in such an organic manner, and I want to thank everyone for taking a listen and spreading the word about the podcast.
I always look at the podcast as the kind of “LGBTQ catch-up” I would want to hear, with a mix of stories that spans the wide spectrum of political and pop culture news.
I was excited to be contacted by an advertising exec who has a list of clients looking to advertise on the podcast.
!!!
Now, you know, ad execs only show interest when they see an audience they value.
Formerly homeless valedictorian Seth Owen is thriving at Georgetown University
Who wants to hear some good news?
Ooh – me! Me!
Last summer, I reported on the story of Seth Owen, a high school student who became homeless after his father did a deep dive into his cell phone and discovered Seth was gay.
The intrusion into Seth’s personal life began a series of events that led to a year of being subjected to so-called ‘conversion therapy,’ forced to attend a church that was virulently anti-gay, and eventually being thrown out of his home.
However, homelessness would not deter Seth.
Incredibly, while couch-surfing throughout his senior year of high school, he maintained a 4.16 GPA and graduated as co-valedictorian of his class.
Even as he celebrated his amazing achievement, Seth learned after he was accepted to prestigious Georgetown University that his parents reneged on any financial support leaving him far short of the funds to attend his first semester this fall.
One of Seth’s teachers who recognized his strength and burgeoning potential launched a GoFundMe campaign to help him cover the shortfall. Seth’s story and the campaign went viral exceeding all expectations by raising over $141,000.
Thanks to the LGBT media covering the story, Georgetown University took another look at Seth’s situation and granted him a full ride to the school.
Seth Owen
Fast forward to today where the good news is Seth is not only thriving at Georgetown, but The Hill is reporting that he has recently landed an internship in the office of Florida Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy (D).
After reading about Seth and his past challenges, the congresswoman reached out to Georgetown to offer her support and an internship in her office.
“I am proud that Seth chose to be a part of our team,” Murphy told The Hill. “He will always be welcomed here, and I’m am happy to see him thrive. Our entire office is rooting for his continued success.”
Seth began interning at the congresswoman’s office in January and will be working with the office for the remainder of his spring semester.
Additionally, Seth told the Orlando Sentinel this week that he has launched a scholarship focused on helping “students in marginalized communities access post-secondary education.”
The $25,000 donation he received from Ellen DeGeneres last year was used as the seed money to begin the Unbroken Horizons Scholarship Foundation.
Seth gave a big shoutout in the Sentinel interview to thank his supporters for their “incredible generosity to help me achieve my dream of getting to college. Each and every day, I am humbled by the opportunities I find in our nation’s capital.”
This past summer, I reported on the story of Seth Owen, a high school student who became homeless after his father did a deep dive into his cell phone and discovered Seth was gay.
The intrusion into Seth’s personal life began a series of events that led to a year of being subjected to so-called ‘conversion therapy,’ forced to attend a church that was virulently anti-gay, and eventually being thrown out of his home.
However, homelessness would not deter Seth.
Incredibly, while coach-surfing throughout his senior year of high school, he maintained a 4.16 GPA and graduated as co-valedictorian of his class.
Even as he celebrated his amazing achievement, Seth learned after he was accepted to prestigious Georgetown University that his parents reneged on any financial support leaving him far short of the funds to attend his first semester this fall.
One of Seth’s teachers who recognized his strength and burgeoning potential launched a GoFundMe campaign to help him cover the shortfall. Seth’s story and the campaign went viral exceeding all expectations by raising over $141,000.
Thanks to the LGBT media covering the story, Georgetown University took another look at Seth’s situation and granted him a full ride to the school.
This week Ellen DeGeneres welcomed Seth to her show to celebrate him and his amazing fortitude in the face of so many obstacles.
Ellen DeGeneres welcomes Seth Owen to her show
Chatting on the show, Seth gave credit to Ellen for his becoming co-valedictorian saying many late nights he would look up her videos for uplift and inspiration. “There were so many times, so many times that you really pulled me through,” said Seth. “I really do appreciate that.”
He also shared the story of how his dad invaded his privacy searching through his phone which led to ‘ex-gay therapy’ treatment.
“The dangerous part about that is that, as a patient, I believed this healthcare professional was doing what was best for me,” Seth explained. “I didn’t see any progress, so it’s very depressing.”
But after his incredible journey to college, Seth gushes about his first two weeks at Georgetown saying, “I love it – It’s amazing. I would not want to be anywhere else but Georgetown.”
The 18-year-old also mentioned that the school’s staff has been very supportive.
“As a Jesuit university, we have residential ministers on our floors, and she told me that she was here to support me,” said Seth. “As someone who’s been through something like this with religion, it meant the world to me to hear from a spiritual advisor to say they have my back.”
Asked about the amazing GoFundMe campaign, Seth explained that after college he’ll use leftover funds to establish a scholarship program for LGBTQ youth who find themselves in a similar situation heading to university.
Following that news, Ellen stunned Seth announcing that she and Cheerios would be donating $25,000 to help begin Seth’s scholarship program.
Seth Owen, a high school valedictorian from Florida whose parents ostracized him because of his sexuality, has reportedly been offered a full-ride scholarship to attend Georgetown University in the fall. Owen, who graduated from First Coast High School in Jacksonville with a 4.16 GPA, captured headlines late last month after one of his teachers set up a fundraising page to raise money for his first year’s tuition at Georgetown.
“While the campaign has been ongoing, the professionals at the Office of Student Financial Services have continued to work with me to make my dream a reality,” Owen said on Friday in a statement sent to NBC News. “Due to their efforts and attention, they were able to adjust my aid package even further, my expected contribution is now $0. With these new adjustments, I will be able to attend Georgetown University this fall.”
Seth says he’s going to set up a scholarship fund for LGBTQ students “who find themselves in the circumstance I was in earlier this year.”
At this writing, the GoFundMe campaign is over $139,000.
