>> Stephen: LET ME TELL THE
PEOPLE ABOUT THE RESPONSIBILITY
OF THE PART YOU'VE GOT HERE.
THE MOVIE IS CALLED "FREEHELD"
BASED ON A TRUE STORY ABOUT A
POLICE DETECTIVE PLAYED BY
JULIANNE PLOOR WHO IS DYING OF
CANCER AND HAS TO FIGHT WITH
COUNTY OFFICIALS TO ABE ALLOWED
TO LEAVE HER POLICE PENSION TO
HER DOMESTIC PARTNER, WHICH IS
YOU.
IS THIS A TRUE STORY?
>> YES.
>> Stephen: WHEN DID THIS
HAPPEN?
>> 10 YEARS AGO.
>> Stephen: JUST 10 YEARS AGO.
YOU ONLY CAME OUT AS OPENLY GAY
ABOUT-- WHAT WAS IT, ABOUT A
YEAR AND A HALF AGO, SOMETHING
LIKE THAT?
>>
>> UH-HUH
( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: IS IT-- IS IT
STRIKING TO YOU THAT IN 2006,
HAD THIS MOVIE TAKES PLACE, IT
WAS NOT LEGAL TO BE GAY MARRIED
IN 41 STATES.
THERE WERE SPECIFIC LAWS IN 41
STATES AGAINST GAY MARRIAGE, AND
ONLY ONE STATE WHERE IT WAS
LEGAL, AND NOW LESS THAN 10
YEARS LATER, IT'S LEGAL ALL
ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ACCELERATED
THIS ACCEPT APSE?
>> WELL, I THINK FOR THE MOST
PART, YOU KNOW, L.G.B.T. PEOPLE
STARTED TO BECOME MORE VISIBLE.
AND I THINK WHAT HAPPENS
INTOLERANCE IS WITH LESS PEOPLE
BEING OUT OF THE CLOSEET.
AND THE MORE WE'VE HAD FILMS ON
IT IN TELEVISION, ET CETERA, ET
CETERA, INCREDIBLE ACTIVISTS
LIKE LAUREL AND STACY IT REALLY
CHANGES MINDS.
IT TOUCHES PEOPLE'S HEARTS AND
IT MAKES IT SHIFT FROM SEEING
SOMETHING AS OTHER OR DIFFERENT
AND, OF COURSE, REALIZES WE'RE
ALL SAME, AND ALL WE'RE ASKING
FOR IS EQUALITY AND TO GROW UP
IN A SOCIETY THAT DOESN'T MAKE
US FEEL LESS THAN, THAT DOESN'T
MAKE US FEEL SHAME, AND DOESN'T
MAKE US HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE
REPERCUSSIONS OF THAT, WHICH ARE
REALLY DESTRUCTIVE.
>> Stephen: WELL, WE HAVE-- WE
HAVE A CLIP HERE FROM THE MOVIE
ABOUT THE THE BEGINNING OF THEIR
RELATIONSHIP.
>> HI.
I SCREWED UP.
I HAD NO RIGHT TO TALK TO YOU
THE WAY I DID.
I'VE RUINED OUR DATE AND I
REALLY ENJOY BEING WITH YOU, AND
I'M NERVOUS.
MAYBE I AM TOO OLD FOR YOU.
>> WILL YOU STOP SAYING THAT.
IF ANYTHING, YOU'RE TOO SMART
FOR ME.
>> NO WAY.
YOU'RE SMART, FUNNY, AND YOU'RE
HONEST.
AND BASICALLY, I THINK YOU'RE
AMAZING.
>> SO YOU CALLED TO SAY I'M
AMAZING?
>> YES.
CAN I SEE YOU AGAIN?
>> YEAH...
YEAH, YOU CAN.
( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: THAT'S VERY SWEET.
THAT'S VERY SWEET.
IT'S-- IT'S ALMOST AS IF LES
COUPLES ARE LIKE ALL OTHER
COUPLES.
>> IT'S CRAZY.
>> Stephen: ISN'T IT CRAZY
THAT WAY?
>> Stephen: SOME OF THE PEOPLE
PORTRAYED IN THE MOVIE, ONE OF
THE TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS SAID
THEY CAN'T VOTE TO TRANSFER
LAUREL'S PENSION TO YOUR
CHARACTER BECAUSE OF THEIR
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE NOW TALK
ABOUT HOW THEIR RELIGIOUS
BELIEFS ARE BEING INFRINGED UPON
BY HAVING TO PROVIDE SERVICES OR
HAVING TO PROVIDE BENEFITS THAT
ARE AGAINST THE CONGRESS OF THE
PEOPLE HAVING TO DO THE WORK OR
CAST A VOTE.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE WHO
FEEL THEIR RELIGIOUS RIGHT GO
AHEAD OF, PERHAPS, YOUR MARRIAGE
RIGHTS?
>> WELL, WHAT I WOULD SAY TO
THAT IS, LIKE, RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IS SO, SO
IMPORTANT, IT'S SO, SO CRUCIAL.
THROUGHOUT HISTORY RELIGIOUS
LIBERTY HAS BEEN USED TO JUSTIFY
DISCRIMINATION BASED ON GENDER
AND BASED ON RACE AND NOW IT'S
THE L.G.B.T. COMMUNITY.
>> Stephen: DO YOU HAVE ANY
SYMPATHY FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE
BEEN TAUGHT ONE THING THAT THEY
BELIEVE AND IT'S A CORE BELIEF
OF THEIRS, AND NOW THEY HAVE TO
CHANGE IN THE FACE OF A CHANGING
SOCIETY OR CHANGING SOCIAL
NORMS?
BECAUSE THERE ARE THINGS I
BELIEVE-- YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE IN
GOD, AND THERE ARE THINGS THEY
BELIEVE THAT I KNOW ARE CRAZY.
I KNOW THEY'RE NOT TRUE.
( LAUGHTER )
YOU KNOW?
GUARDIAN ANGELS-- NOT REAL,
OKAY.
I TOTALLY BELIEVE IN GUARDIAN
ANGELS.
THERE'S ONE OVER MY SHOULDER
RIGHT NOW.
( LAUGHTER )
OKAY?
HE'S THE ONE WHO WIPED MY
GLASSES RIGHT OFF MY FACE WHEN I
WAS MAKING JOKES ABOUT THE POPE.
>> YEAH, YEAH.
>> Stephen: DO YOU HAVE ANY
SYMPATHY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE SORT
OF SHOCKED BY THE CHANGE OF THE
CULTURE?
>> I THINK OFTEN PEOPLE JUST
AREN'T-- THEY'RE JUST NOT
EXPOSED, RIGHT?
THEY JUST HAVEN'T BEEN EXPOSED.
THEY HAVEN'T HAD AN INTERACTION
WITH L.G.B.T. PEOPLE AND I
REALLY, REALLY DO BELIEVE IN MY
HEART THAT IT IS TYPICALLY THAT.
>> Stephen: A HUMAN RIGHTS
CAMPAIGN NATIONAL VANGUARD AWARD
ON SATURDAY.
CONGRATULATIONS.
>> THANK YOU.
( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: YOU ONLY BECAME
PUBLIC ABOUT YOUR SEXUALITY
ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
DO YOU EVER FEEL LIKE A BURDEN
NOW?
NOW I HAVE TO CARRY THE WEIGHT
OF A MOVEMENT OR I HAVE TO
REPRESENT SOMETHING?
IS THAT EVER-- IS THAT EVER A
PROBLEM OR BOTHER YOU, YOU WISH
YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO?
>> NO, I FEEL SO GRATEFUL FOR
IT.
I FEEL SO GRATEFUL TO FEEL HOW I
FEEL NOW COMPARED TO HOW I FELT
WHEN I WAS A CLOSETED PERSON.
IT WAS NOT A NICE PLACE TO BE.
I WAS SAD.
IT IS TOXIC, AND I WISH NO ONE
HAD TO LIVE THAT WAY.
AND WHEN, YOU KNOW, AS A PERSON,
I'M A VERY PRIVILEGED PERSON.
I'M A VERY PRIVILEGED GAY
PERSON, AND THOSE WHO ARE
AFFECTED THE MOST IN OUR
COMMUNITY ARE THE MOST
VULNERABLE, AND I FEEL SO
GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO, YOU
KNOW, TALK ABOUT THINGS OR SHARE
STORIES AND MEET INCREDIBLY
INSPIRING PEOPLE OR HAVE
CONNECTIONS WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE
BEEN TOUCHED BY ME COMING OUT,
WHICH IS AN INCREDIBLE MOMENT TO
GET TO HAVE WITH A HUMAN BEING.
SO REALLY WHAT I FEEL IS
GRATITUDE.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE ALSO FROM
CANADA.
>> I AM, YEAH.
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: AND THAT COMES
WITH A CERTAIN BURDEN.
( LAUGHTER )
IS IT EASIER-- IS IT EASIER TO
BE GAY IN CANADA OR THE UNITED
STATES?
BECAUSE GAY MARRIAGE HAS BEEN
LEGAL IN CANADA SINCE 2005.
>> UH-HUH.
>> Stephen: HAS IT DESTROYED
MARRIAGE IN CANADA?
( LAUGHTER ).
>> NOT IN THE SLIGHTEST.
>> Stephen: REALLY?
>> NO.
>> Stephen: THERE'S NOT BLOOD
RUNNING IN THE STREETS OF
MANITOBA?
( LAUGHTER )
IF-- IF THERE WERE STREETS IN
MANITOBA.
>> I LOVE YOUR GEOGRAPHY
KNOWLEDGE.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU VERY
MUCH.
>> IT'S IMPRESSIVE.
>> Stephen: I'LL TALK ABOUT
SASKATOON, IN A LITTLE BIT.
