For Miller, being gay never influenced his drive as an athlete -- that is, not until he started to come out to his family and friends.
“It was about having to prove myself and show that I’m just as good, if not better, than a lot of the athletes on the team,” he says, “and that my sexual orientation didn’t really have an effect on my ability to swim or play tennis. I think people would doubt that, just because of the society we live in.“
Breaking such stereotypes was also the theme Miller chose for the essay portion of his Team DC scholarship application, a scholarship begun in 2008 when the local, volunteer-based organization that encourages members of the GLBT community to get involved with sports, awarded three scholarships.
The purpose of the scholarships, according to Team DC, is to recognize gay and lesbian student athletes who have "enhanced the perception of the LGBT community" by contributing to their particular sports. Both this year and last, the scholarships were funded by money raised at Team DC’s spring fundraiser, the Fashion Show & Model Search.
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