UNH celebrates “Coming Out Week”

Nationwide, this past week was celebrated as “Coming Out Week,” an annual event that celebrates coming out as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or as an ally to the LGBTQ community. UNH hosted many events throughout the week in accordance to the weeklong program.


On Monday, Oct. 8, in the MUB Strafford Room Randy Roberts Potts shared his coming out story and the struggles that came with it. Potts is the grandson of Oral Roberts, the first evangelist to broadcast on television.


Potts appeared very comfortable throughout his speech, even though it was clearly on an emotional and touchy subject. Potts encouraged the audience members to follow their feelings and to not act like someone they’re not just because others may not agree.


Potts said that throughout his childhood, he always tried to develop crushes on girls, but noticed he started to like boys instead. When he was seven years old, his uncle, who was also homosexual, committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest.


When Potts was in his mid-20s, he came out to himself. In this point of his life, he was married and had children. At first, he said he felt flawed and he didn’t express his feeling because he thought they were wrong.  

To cope with this hardship, he wrote letters to his uncle asking why he had to leave him with no shoulder to cry on.


After his time of suicidal thoughts and crying had passed, Potts said he accepted the fact that he couldn’t and wasn’t going to change who he was: “Gay, but not defined by my sexuality,” Potts said.


 At this current point in his life, Potts said he is doing well, has had a few boyfriends, has fallen in love and is now helping others cope with the same problems he struggled with.


 “Love is about fighting for things worth fighting for,” Potts said.


After the speech, the audience sat in silence until applause broke out. The audience’s response was positive overall.


“I thought the speech was much more intimate and very personal. I was impressed with the way he integrated poems into his speech to show how he was feeling,” Alicia de los Reyes, a graduate student,