She's a mom on a mission,
one to make people feel
included in our world.
Heather Spillman has a child
in the LGBTQ plus community,
and she's putting her heart into
this specific community and an
effort to help them know that they
are not alone and to help family
and friends understand them better,
she collected a variety of
personal stories from people
about what it was like for them to
come out to friends and family.
She published those stories in
her book Pride in the Voices
I thought, well, if I get the histories
of a whole bunch of people, and.
Their personal stories that
it would give all of this.
It would give people coming out
at placed to not feel lonely.
It would feel it would be something
that a tool that could be used
for a parent whose kid came out
and who wanted to give it to
somebody who wasn't accepting.
Spillman makes it a big point to note
that these are not her stories to tell,
so she connected 9 news reporter Jordan
Chavez to a few of the people she spoke to
so they could share their own experiences.
I always knew there was
something different about me.
I don't think I knew I was
different until I was older. I
feel like if I look back,
I've known for a long time.
I feel like there's a lot of instances
that I can recall being like,
oh, that explains a lot.
My name is Michael Vrooman.
I'm 51 years old from Denver,
Co and currently I'm the reigning
Mr Gay pride of all Colorado. I'm
Jonathan gonzalas. I'm 45,
I've lived in Colorado for over 30
years and I've been out for 21.
My name is Miss Jessica or Zach.
I'm 28 years old.
I've been in Colorado pretty much.
Since 8th grade, but in Denver
for the last six years maybe,
and I've been out officially for like
4 1/2 years. When did you first know?
I'm different from everybody else.
I believe it was when I was six or seven.
I think I started to notice
it was a pretty young age.
I had girlfriends but it was
always really very awkward.
I didn't do the same things
as most boys did. I prefer to
hang out with girls, probably
senior engineer of high school was
when being around a queer person
or like a gay person was in my face
and I was like wow this is an option
'cause that wasn't growing up. Who
did you first come out to
and how old are you? Oh man
I guess. Only my sister,
because I had had to.
I had my first boyfriend in junior
high school, but I didn't tell my
parents or anyone until I was 17.
I actually came out to a really
good friend of mine at the time
and I remember having the need to
go tell her so I got in my car.
And I just remember driving up
and down Broadway for like.
Felt like hours just getting the
courage to get to her place.
And then finally get in there
and still like I'm going to need
some courage. There's
a lot easier than I thought.
I felt relieved.
A big sense of relief, honestly,
because that was step number one
for me to really move forward with
the life that I knew authentically.
I wanted to live in the
person I wanted to be. I
don't remember feeling anything
other than really stressful and
then a lot of relief in that moment.
Any doubt or fear I had.
I really was internal.
I put that all on myself.
Why is it important for you to
tell people about your story?
I believe history is important.
And those stories are
people's personal histories.
I'm a pretty terrific person.
I have to say so myself and I'm
a joy to be around and I love
sharing that joy with others.
So if you're going to get one piece of me,
you have to take all of me.
If you're a parent
and you have a hunch,
is that you have a queer child.
Be supportive of their decisions and how
they want to express themselves and it.
Eventually they'll come around to you.
What would that younger version
of you? Think of you today.
He'd probably say, oh Lord.
I would, I would hope he'd
be a little bit proud that 7 year old
would like me a lot right now and and thank
me for it because I wish I had someone.
Like myself, sitting here right now
that could embrace that 7 year old.
Don't do it for anybody else but
yourself. It takes awhile.
It takes awhile, you're OK.
Pride in the voices is available
right now on Amazon and Goodreads.
A portion of sales goes to
LGBTQ plus organizations chosen
by the books participants.
Spilman will also join I News
anchors Jordan Chavez and Erica
Lopez live on Saturday morning
for a bigger conversation.