SHU Marks National Coming Out Day

Counseling Cartwheeling Unicorn tells students to support others through their uniqueness

Brian Coleman, a school counselor in Chicago who is known as the Counseling Cartwheeling Unicorn, joined Sacred Heart University recently as it marked the 34th anniversary of National Coming Out Day.

Coleman won the 2019 National School Counselor of the Year award and received the Human Rights Campaign Upstander Award for his advocacy on behalf of LGBTQ+ youth. He is a contributor to CNBC, Forbes, Teen Vogue and NPR and has been a counselor at Jones College Prep high school in Chicago for eight years.

Jonah Savage ‘23, PRIDE club president and communication disorders major, opened the event with a reminder of the power of coming out. “When people know someone who is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, they are far more likely to support equity under the law and an inclusive environment. Beyond that, each story can be more powerful than the next.”

John J. Petillo, president of Sacred Heart, spoke of the University community’s embrace of those who identify as LGBTQ+. “We are reminded, as we sing in the chapel, ‘all are welcome in God’s house.’ This community is neither fearful nor self-righteous in its embrace of our brothers and sisters. For as it is written in John, chapter four, ‘in love there is no fear.’ For those in our community within the LGBTQ+ community, know that you are welcome, you are valued and we stand with you.”

Liv Delgado ’23, the Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) club president and a health science major, introduced Coleman. “Today’s speaker is known for his diligent work in the queer community and has been recognized numerous times for his outstanding commitment to youth advocacy,” she said.

Colman discussed the uniqueness and value every person offers. “I’m coming out to you today as a unicorn,” said Coleman. “You may say ‘Is he serious?’ I am quite serious.”

His unicorn philosophy is “We are all special. We all have unique qualities, traits, strengths and experiences that only we bring to the table. It’s incredibly important that we first identify for ourselves what makes us special, leverage that to accomplish our goals and model that effectively for others so they can see what makes them special and help them achieve their goals.”