Dominic Sheahan-Stahl's Live Through Love Foundation is announcing its first scholarship to an openly LGBT high school student.
It was just a year ago when Sheahan-Stahl, a successful actor and performer, was invited by his high school—Sacred Heart Academy in Mount Pleasant, Michigan—to be the keynote speaker at the 2012 graduation. His youngest brother was among the graduating class, making the invitation all the more meaningful. However, after announcing his engagement to his boyfriend on Facebook, the administration of Sacred Heart, under pressure from Bishop Joseph R. Cistone of the Diocese of Saginaw, revoked Sheahan-Stahl's invitation.
In response, Sheahan-Stahl announced that he would still speak at a student-organized ceremony called 'Graduation for All: Live Through Love'. A change.org petition garnered over 6,000 signatures, and Sheahan-Stahl's speech sparked a national conversation about the importance of LGBT people of faith speaking out about their convictions, even—and especially—when it comes at a cost.
Subsequently, Sheahan-Stahl founded the Live Through Love Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises money in order to provide scholarships for courageous LGBT high school students from across the United States headed to college. Sheahan-Stahl intimately knows that bold truth-telling does not always come with support, and he has dedicated his time to recognizing and elevating those necessary voices.
Recently, Sheahan-Stahl was with Nicholas Coppola—the gay man removed from his parish ministerial duties after marrying his boyfriend—when he delivered the more than 18,000 petitions to the Diocese of Rockville Centre.
Now a year after being ousted as the Sacred Heart graduation speaker, at an event tonight at The Duplex—a mere two storefronts away from the historical Stonewall Inn—Sheahan-Stahl will perform and announce the first Live Through Love scholarship recipient. Information for the event can be found here, and GLAAD urges you to go and show your support for the important work that Sheahan-Stahl is doing.