150 Reasons to Have Pride in 2010

BECAUSE WE SET THE EXAMPLE
After years of uncertainty and even suicidal thoughts, 23-year-old State University of New York College at Oneonta student, lacrosse team member, and Putnam Valley native Andrew McIntosh decided it was time to stop hiding in the closet. He came out on Outsports.com, a website dedicated to athletes.

The Advocate:
What has your experience been since you came out to your teammates and coaches? McIntosh: After the story broke, I decided to come out to my team. I didn’t want them to find out from a second source, so I decided to tell them. I was pretty nervous, but they greeted me with open arms. And I received a bunch of feedback from athletes in high school and college and even people in the professional world. I get e-mails that say, “I was thinking about suicide until I read your article.” It’s pretty powerful. Those were the e-mails I was sending out ­before I came out.

How is your season going?
We’re 3-0 in our conference [the SUNY Athletic Conference] and 7-4 total. We’ve been pretty successful, but we’re focusing on it one game at a time. And luckily, there’s been no name-calling from opposing teams or anything like that at all. I feel like I’m playing some of the best lacrosse in my life. Even rival coaches that I’ve played against have expressed their support.

What’s going on in the future for you?
I’ll be student-teaching in social studies next semester and graduating in December. Maybe work in higher education for a while or work at another college. I’m just really excited for the future, because now I’m out and I’m OK with that.