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' PRIDEAwards
EseraTuaolo
o
II byAmberSchadewald]
verybody loves a
man in a uniform,
but you're not al-
lowed to talk about
it if vou wear one.
Esera Tuaolo knows that. A pro-
fessional football player for nine
years, and in the closet for 35,
coming out to a bunch of macho
men wasn't really an option for
him. But when he retired from
the sport, and became a father, it
felt like the only option.In 2003, Ttaolo becameone of few pro-
fessional athletes ever to announce his ho-
mosexuality.The firestorm of interviews andtelevision appearancesthat followed kept hisprivate life public for years afterward.
"The ideaof coming ou t was never in
my vocabulary" Tiraolo says about tellinghis secretwhile still playing football. "Butraising children in the closet is difficu lt. Igot tired of calling my parrner [the chil-dren's]uncle. I wastaking awayrights from
the personI love-taking awayhis rights at
being a father."Tiraolo'sannouncement brought more
lettersof supportthan hate.Families,kids,sports fans, and people from around theworld sent their love, thanking him for hiscourage. He read e-mails from childrenstruggling with their sexuality,as well asletters from familieswhose loved ones hadended their lives, and farnil ies who were
looking for direction and hope.
"It was then that I realizedmy life hada purpose,"Tiraolo shares,with tearsin his
eyesat thosememories.Today,Tuaolo travelsthe country speak-
ing out againsthomophobiaat schools,col-leges,organizations,and companies.
Tuaolo states,"My job right now is sav-ing lives."
Sitting in his kitchen recently, Tiraololooks to be at peace,full ofgood energy:"Iwakeup h.ppy," he remarks.
Tuaolo's children are 8; his motier isvisiting from Hawaii; and, most notably,his music career has just hit the groundrunning. A singer since age 5, he always
dreamed of making his own solo album,and this spring, his first CD, Esera,wasreleased-part pop- rock, hip-hop, Polyne-sian,and evenJamaican.
fu Tuaolo observes,"It's alwaysbeen apassionof mine to perform, and now thatI'm finished with football and coming out,it wasfinallv time."
Tuaoloevenstanedhis ownoroduction com-pany,Tlvai Inc.,to zupponnewlocalta.lent
As Tiraolo explains, "I keep gettingaskedif my musi c or the label is for 'gay'
music.The answeris no.Just becauseI'm agay persondoesn'tmeanit definesme.Peo-ple don't call themselvesa straight singer.
Those labelsare holding us all back."As for the fucure, Tlaolo wants to be
able to get married in Minnesota.As Tuaolo puts it, "But really,I justdo
what I do, somy kids will grow up in a bet-ter world. Helping peopleis my purposeinlife. As much asI appreciateit, I don't needawardsfor things you're expectedto do."I
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TangletownGardens
JI bv ArnberSchadewaldl
angletown ^G"t-dens owners Scott
Endres and Dean
Englemann 1*"al l about seeng
gro.Ih-in thegarden,tld f*:!"*-""i.Y aroirnd them' Their
;;;;."n,.. is a luxuriouscollec-
?i"" of""*ral
beauty,but it's.their
i,t,ot.ro*" businessaPProachthat
keeps customers blooming wttn
,.tiif".tiott. Whether theY are
;.;;;g a Plant to a school tund-
raiser oi supporting a local chari-
w, nrrar"t attdEngl"mann believe
t ;.-l good businessmeansbe -
inq a"eoodneighbor'"'ugla?.1"r.u','Yw"supportthoseuho
ttoPi:tn":;."v,u shedp,sirive energy'it
*"' ;;'-E;;i.*;nn adtls-without realizing'$.
;,;""t'h;o.':':"
:^:;fl"'l;:'li:f,ff:;Th. g.,vt at Thngletcfit" -"lilrg the comtnuniry look beauti-
Ci^\44-';.fi..
they'rew'xi'ing *i.th.'tl'-
P"rk Bo"t.l or the RussianMuseum ln tnelr
" . i * f r i , " t t " t " r 'thc i r par tnersh ipsaren ' t
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th ' hu*in"'=' 'wclivcin this
:".:tll; nYi'L';Jl'ril'lili:.:lI[l;ll
i;';:'.1:;;:l:l,lii; :ffi*'fi;:'; "j,
-n[:ffn+$::*i:i*;+;',,,i"1,r'""i"t*'".o'.'1lX'l'i"lii::f,.11;:-catesof beauwwith sirr
rf"t-'t t tf;;;lrg in the dirt' thev put their
fungtatorunGalciensowncrsDeanEnEilelmann(left)andScottEndresPhotobYHuben Bonnel
6oo
@_
Sevetrsclsons later ' Tangletown( irrdcns
hls [routt a rrr i le high' Th e lrcauttrut gar-
: i ; : ; ; ; ; ; i , f i l l .d""h'
renceswith unique
l*lt"U:iJ:'[T::i"{.i:":]ffi-i;;iil;p,IJi:!ii:r;ii:i,-i,iii,i:*,n'r ' 'n^n i End' : ' : .9 : t l t ln" , \4 idwest .
Ther t t ract attcnt ion acr()sst l
:-iI"gr",'"̂-ri:f''',
Tll,;]i:lllil::irt,X-ropean insPiratlon-traol'
:;ii":**TII'H':i,f;l;!:JJi""J:;;i;",,,.*,*:,;nm:|;:jjffS:f-an (o l l l cs evc rv spr ing w i th a horsc t r r l l c r
ii,,,o i.*"-rtil' it t'1'to thetop"' the rwo
clwners relate.
The Thngletown serupcurrentlr consi-rtso[
,rr... 'o.[' ,i . tt""t thc landscrpingltusincssi
;"irli. i;;'" in Plato, Minnesota' Englernann
end lindres oversec the wnole pr<rcess'tending
,.if-t"i. pf""a, flonr start to finish' They lrrow
*rtl -,j.t int. their products' meaning they
I,. , ,*"exacdv
uhar ui l l , " t l i l l ' ' ' ' , , r .tovc that
Englcr't. 'xnnshares' "' I
g,,., i;,n [the plants]' the more lttve some-
one ui l l gct out tt t tncm'" 'f
nl . , i * . , i t 's a wh.le lot o I l t 've'
"q,rrrr" p"oplt even nalne their plants'
*rt',"-ii"L, try *htn thel' go,'',Endres
an,i Englcnrann remark,uith straight lrces'
I ' i 'n .y ' i . l ikc pcrs thrt dorr ' t r t tn arottnt l" ' I
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