Veteran Reveals Challenges of Being Gay to ‘Kicking & Screaming’ Contestants

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On Kicking & Screaming, Austin, Texas, resident and former Marine Jason White tells his fellow competitors about his sexuality and the backlash he received when his marriage became public.

After the Defense of Marriage Act was overturned by the Supreme Court, he became engaged to his partner and told the news to a friend. The friend happened to have a popular blog and posted about White’s upcoming wedding at the capitol. When White and his partner arrived, there were eight news vans waiting for them, and the county clerk told them she had received about 500 phone calls and emails that morning, including death threats. The situation was not helpful for White’s relationship to his partner’s family, due their own shame and homophobia.

When he and his partner later broke up, White suffered from depression. Fortunately, he was able to rely on his fellow Austin veterans for help. White tearily praised the Austin veteran community for their help.

Although difficult for Jason to come out on television, he did so for the sake of other gays and lesbians in the military community, and his fellow competitors were very supportive.

Kicking & Screaming airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on Fox. Watch clips and full episodes of Kicking & Screaming for free on Yahoo View.

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