Tuaolo spent nine seasons as a player in the National Football League (NFL) and feared that coming out as gay would ruin his life. But it’s done just the opposite. Coming out has given Tuaolo his life back. Now, he and Mitchell, his partner of eight years, feel comfortable appearing in public as a family. They are the proud parents of two-and-a-half-year-old twins, a boy and a girl.

“[Being out and attending Pride events] is a whole new world that I never thought I could be a part of. I was playing in the NFL and it’s such a macho environment. [Mitchell and I] were just living in a lie. We were jumping through hoops that society threw at us. We wanted our children to know that their fathers are proud of [themselves]. It’s so different when you have children. We found our voice in the eyes of our children,” Tuaolo explained.

He hopes his coming out will help the lives of GLBT kids everywhere. Tuaolo remembers the first time he heard the word “faggot” at age seven and how frightened that word made him feel.

“At seven years old is when I took the child within myself and I threw that child in the closet and I shut the door. And from then on I was living this whole lie,” Tuaolo recalled.

Tuaolo made a bold move by coming out on the HBO program “Real Sports” in October 2002. He was 35 years old and very tired of living his life in the closet. With his newly found freedom and a fresh perspective on life as an out gay man, Tuaolo spends his time helping others who struggle with coming out issues by using his celebrity to promote tolerance and understanding.

At one time Tuaolo considered committing suicide because the burden of his sexual orientation felt too difficult to bear. Now, he realizes that being true to himself and being comfortable in his own skin is the key to living a healthy life. And he does everything he can to spread that message, especially to those who are closeted and struggle with their own self-acceptance.

“It’s so wonderful to learn about organizations like Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), Human Rights Campaign (HRC), and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) that are making a difference in our community, and to work with them,” Tuaolo said.

Since outing himself on national television, Tuaolo has received very positive feedback from both the straight and gay communities, including his fellow football players. His story has been featured in GLBT publications, as well as mainstream newspapers, magazines and websites. He has also been invited to speak at several events, including the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Media Awards, the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches’ General Conference and Coming Out Week at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

“When I was growing up I had these visions of making a difference in this world, and to actually be able to make a difference in this world is a beautiful thing,” Tuaolo said.

In addition to being a newly minted gay activist, Tuaolo is a talented singer and has sung the national anthem at several athletic events. He has also performed in theatrical productions in his hometown of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota. In 1995, Tuaolo recorded a CD, One Man’s Island, and excerpts can be heard on his website, eseratuaolo.com.

Being chosen as a Grand Marshal of a Pride parade is something Tuaolo never expected to experience in his lifetime. He is honored and excited to be part of San Diego’s LGBT Pride events and is thrilled to be able to share this event with Mitchell and their children.

“A year ago we would just look [at Pride events] from a distance and now we are part of it, and we are so happy,” he said. “We just want to thank San Diego for choosing us.”