Chad Lazzari - I Am Bruin Pride Winter 2015

Описание: UCLA's LGBT Campus Resource Center proudly presents the I Am Bruin Pride Project, a documentary and archival project honoring the words, stories, and contributions of LGBT students, faculty, staff and alumni of UCLA.

Chad Allen Lazzari, class of 2015, is a non-traditional student who’s advocacy for HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention has helped prove him to be a powerful advocate on campus. I Am Bruin Pride is proud to feature Chad Allen Lazzari as our 12th interviewee.

Chad Allen began his professional acting career at the age of five-years-old starring as the autistic Tommy Westfall in the hit television series, “St. Elsewhere;” while also reoccurring on the sitcom, “Webster.” He then went on to three seasons of the NBC Drama, “Our House,” followed by two years on the successful show, “My Two Dads,” starring Paul Reiser. He then landed arguably his most popular television role-playing Mathew Cooper on the long time hit CBS series, “Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman.” After six years on the show Allen made the move into producing and formed first, The Creative Outlet Theater Company, with actress Heather Tom, and then the acclaimed independent film company, Mythgarden, with partners Christopher Racster and Robert Gant. Allen produced and starred in the feature film SAVE ME with Judith Light, a passion project about the destruction wrought of gay “reparative” therapy that is currently available on Netflix.

In 1996 Chad was publicly outed when a national tabloid magazine printed a cover story featuring him kissing another man. Chad responded by coming out publicly and was among the first working actors to do so in an era of oppressive homophobia in Hollywood. Chad became an advocate for gay rights across the country appearing on national talk shows such as Larry King Live, where he became a recurring guest advocating for the inherent goodness of the gay community and standing up to religious and secular bigotry. He was also a tireless AIDS activist and athlete, riding his bike across California six times, and running countless marathons to raise millions of dollars to fight AIDS and help those living with HIV. He helped to educate thousands about the disease and efforts to fight it, and in 2009 the Gay and Lesbian Alliance against Defamation (GLAD) honored Chad, for his work as an activist and community leader when they presented him with the Davidson/Valentini Lifetime Achievement Award for distinguished service by an openly gay person.

Two years ago Chad Allen Lazzari left entertainment to fulfill his dream of going back to school as a student of clinical psychology. Chad became an openly gay UCLA Bruin and helped to launch the Rainbow Connection Peer Mentorship program to create a safe online chat space where queer and questioning students could connect with trained mentors to seek help, understanding or advice. Chad is currently serving on the UCLA LGBT Resource Center’s 20thanniversary committee. He will graduate in June with a BA in Psychology and a minor in LGBT Studies.

"I Am Bruin Pride" team, Jack Kaden, Produced Winter quarter, 2015.
Title Music by Nick Esposito VIII.