Mar 21, 2008   | COMMENTS     

How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?

I started to come out to friends in 1992 and was outed that same year in college by the Daily Nebraskan — the newspaper on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s campus.  A photo appeared on the front cover of me tearing up fliers Rev. Fred Phelps was passing out to students. The caption read, “Gay Sophomore Scott Roewer....” I think the hardest people to come out to were my family.  I flew home the summer of 1993 to tell them and my dad had to leave town for business. So I ended up telling my mom first. I was a crying mess and so was she, yet commented she told her mother that she thought I was gay at age 12.

Who’s your gay hero?

Kevin Jennings, founder of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) a national organization comprised of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and allied individuals who wish to put an end to discrimination, harassment, and bullying based on sexual orientation and gender identity in K-12 schools in the United States. As a former public school teacher, I saw the pain students faced daily from discrimination. I also feared ridicule as a teacher. The mission Kevin Jennings had in 1990 was admirable and continues to open the doors for GLBT students and teachers each day.  

What is Washington’s best nightspot, past or present?

Well, since Monica already claimed the Oval Office, I’ll have to say I enjoy a night of two-stepping at Remingtons, or anywhere I can spend time with my close friends. We manage to have fun no matter where we end up.

If gay marriage were legal, would you tie the knot?

Having earned the Eagle Scout Badge in 1990’s I learned how to tie every knot except that one. While I think that everyone should have all the rights available through marriage available equally, I do not personally limit my relationships to the heterosexual marriage model. I would get married if I found the right guy and it felt right to both of us, but there are many other types of relationships which I see as equally valuable and affirming.

What non-gay issue are you most passionate about?

Easy, affordable health care. As a self-employed person running a small business, it has been incredibly difficult to get health insurance. I think our country needs to follow the example of other industrialized nations in providing health care to all of our citizens. Or, I need a husband who has domestic partner benefits. I’d be happy to accept both.

What historical outcome would you change?

There are so many things that need to be reversed. Here’s a few things I’d change - hanging chads, the invention of spandex, the election of Sally Kern, Rami not winning Project Runway, global warming, the Holocaust, five years in Iraq, and January 20, 2001 — Bush’s inaugural ceremony.

What has been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime?

I can’t just pinpoint one - but some of my favorites are from the ’80s. Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video on MTV, going to see “ET” in the movie theater, my Rubik’s Cube, “Star Wars” and “Where’s the Beef.”

On what reality TV show would you fare best?

It’s a toss up between, “So You Think You Can Dance” or “Dancing With the Stars.” I think I need a trip to rehab or a washed up TV career before I’ll be invited on that program.

What item of clothing has been in your closet since high school?

Being an organizer I try to purge my closet on a regular basis. After all, I should practice what I preach, right? Besides, I’ve had a total of 13 addresses since my high school days in Bellevue, Nebraska. Moving that many times you learn to lighten your load. I do have my letter from my high school jacket. I played tennis, but got a letter for band and choir.  

If your life were a book, what would the title be?

My Closet is Open and It’s So ORGANIZED!

If science discovered a way to change sexual orientation, what would you do?

Oh, please, there are enough gay scientists to prevent this from ever happening! The world needs us fabulous people.  

What do you believe in beyond the physical world?

I’m hoping not to know anything about it for a long time, but I’ll let you know when I get there.

What would you order for your last meal?

There was this quaint BBQ ...