<p>An all-star high school athlete, Wayne Besen couldn't imagine entering adulthood keeping something so significant as his sexual orientation a secret from his mom and dad.</p>
<p>He had successfully navigated the obstacle course many of us confronted as gay teens -- feeling confused and afraid about being gay; getting stuck on a merry-go-round of denial, shame, secrecy and damaging attempts to change; and then slowly embracing your sexual orientation as a treasured part of your identity, as unchangeable as eye color or height.</p>