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> Michael Shackelford
 Standing Against Hate
Coming out of the closet in the rural town of Sandy Springs, Oklahoma, was more than difficult for Michael Shackelford. Not only was he sent to a camp in order to "make him straight," his home and school were picketed by followers of homophobic Baptist pastor Fred Phelps. Leaflets were distributed across his town denouncing Shackelford by name. After a year of bullying and harassment that left him too afraid to even use the restroom at his high school, he dropped out. It was then that he met the Washington Post reporter whose interest in Shackelford's life story inspired a series articles that eventually became a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Michael went on to get his GED and has resolved to stay in his home town, stay religious, and stay out-of-the-closet. He says he feels it is God's calling that he work for LGBT rights in his hometown. He is currently active with the Openarms Youth Project and strives to ensure that national LGBT organizations do not forget how difficult it is to be an LGBT youth in the rural bible belt of the United States.
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