Just out., March 02, 2001, Page 39, Image 39

march 2.200
A
heering fans, cameras flashing left and
right trying to get a shot of his every
move, girls wearing homemade shirts pro­
fessing, “We Love U.”
No, I’m not talking about some Backstreet
Boys or ’N Sync concert. I’m talking about a
speech given by Jason “Danny” Roberts of
MTV’s The Real World recently at Western
Oregon University.
I found it to be encouraging, optimistic and
honest—much like the way he is living his life.
When he first stepped out on stage, most of the
500 audience members (about 90 percent
female) cheered.
Others literally gasped; Danny is even hot­
ter in person than on television. But the most
surprising thing that stood out when listening
to him talk wasn’t his good looks but his
refreshing outlook on life.
He seemed grounded, down to earth and to­
gether, taking his new celebrity with a grain of
salt. He humbly mentioned how he tried the
acting thing for a bit but found Hollywood to
be all about image, incredibly fake and a
“bunch of bullshit.”
Danny would like to turn his celebrity into
credibility and even is toying with the idea of
touring high schools and teaching diversity
with fellow New Orleans castmate Kelly. “I
have a good message, and young people are lis­
tening,” he said.
Yes, he does have a message, but he wants
to make it clear he doesn’t have an agenda.
“What I really want to say to people is just to
open your mind in general to all people, things
and experiences.”
The message Danny wants to spread is rela­
tively simple: courage. “I think we are a nation
of fearful people, and hate comes from fear. We
C
Even better than the real thing
Tired of Hollywood “bullshit,”
Danny spreads a message of courage
by
M ichael W ayne K eck
are all afraid of so many things...and it’s
human nature. I just want to remind people—
all people—to have the courage every day to
believe in themselves and live their lives to the
fullest potential.”
Someone in the audience asked about his
tattoo and what it means. We learned, fittingly,
it is a Chinese symbol standing for courage.
Danny said he got it to remind himself
to live his life to make him happy, not to
fit the mold of what society or anybody
else wants him to be. He added, “It takes
courage to be who you are, and you have
to be strong about it.”
As for coming out, he said the process,
as many others have experienced, was diffi­
cult. “My life seemed too normal, and being
gay seemed so out there."
But with time Danny began to under­
stand gays are more “normal" than he
thought. “I finally became confident in
myself. I don’t care what others think. I
know who 1 am, and I know what 1 believe
in and want out of life.”
He said it’s interesting to have been on both
sides of the social spectrum—from being raised
as a privileged white in the South to now being
a minority. “It takes understanding from both
sides. If you’re patient with people, they’ll open
up and accept you.”
Danny also hinted he might want to get
Danny works
the fame thing
involved in politics. “I un­
derstand now that it takes
strong leaders to change
people’s minds and how
Rtf' 6i**K8®* J*
•M* IMMi
<x»
relatively easy it is to do so
with the right attitude.”
One of the main reasons he wanted to do The
Real World was to break some of the stereotypes of
gays. “We’re not all the same with the same issues
and not all a basket of issues. Just like any other
group we are all different within that group."
Breaking stereotypes wasn’t all Danny did.
He also brought President Clinton’s controver­
sial “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy right into U.S.
living rixims. His on-camera relationship with
his military boyfriend, Paul, helped humanize an
issue many people only had read about before.
It also landed him on the cover of The
Advocate, which called him “The Accidental
Activist” for bringing so much attention to
gays in the military. The couple are still togeth­
er (I know you all were dying to know) and
just celebrated their one-year anniversary.
Feeling like a total groupie, I went back-
stage after the speech to meet Danny and ask
him a few more questions. When 1 got back
there, 1 found myself surrounded by a bunch of
Britney Spears wannabes with big hair and
tight shirts throwing themselves all over
him. I was thinking, “Don’t they get
it...he’sG-A-Y?!”
As 1 waited for the cloud of glitter and
perfume to clear from all the chicks mob­
bing him, I couldn’t help but notice how
patient and friendly he was with everyone. I
remember thinking during his speech: “He’s
just too good to be true—confident, intelli­
gent, handsome and nice? No way.”
But having watched him interact with
everyone, smile for picture after picture and thank
people for coming and after finally getting a
moment to chat with him, I realized his charm
clearly is as natural and genuine as his good looks.
If 1 had any doubts before that, 1 don’t anymore.
Danny really is a sweet, down-to-earth guy.
I guess you could say he’s the Real deal. JM
M ichael W ayne K eck , a recent University
of Idaho graduate, currently can be found in the
Portland area desperately seeking fame, fortune, a
nice apartment, a good man and a vodka cranberry
(not necessarily in that order). E-mail him at
michaelwaynekeck@hotmail. com.
39