When most people come out, becoming a pillar of the queer community isn’t usually top of mind. Instead, they often reflect on gaining confidence in their environment, finding love and relationships, and embracing their true selves.
But when one Maryland lawyer came out, he unexpectedly found himself becoming a hero to many. Fifty years ago Lawrence (Larry) Jacobs was living a life that looked picture-perfect: A successful law career, a wife, and a son.
But when he came out as gay, everything changed. “When I started practicing law 50 years ago, there was basically no such thing by and large as openly gay people, much less openly gay lawyers,” Jacobs told the Blade about his days prior to coming out. “I was married to a woman and had a kid.
I was pretty closeted until the first 10 years of my career.” Despite the beginnings of a successful career, Jacobs felt he wasn’t being truly himself and decided to change that.