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AE: There's one point in the book where you talk about how you encountered prejudice at a wedding that you attended with your then-boyfriend. Although gays and lesbians have gained a broader public acceptance in general, do you still find that in dealing with people one on one, the fact that you are gay changes their attitudes toward you?
MT: Absolutely. It still can and does. We live in sort of protected little bubbles or zones in some places. For example, I live in Montreal. I never, ever think about being gay here. It's just completely open. At the same time, I drive 45 minutes in any direction, and I'm in smaller, Catholic-based towns [where] it's a very different environment.

AE: Speaking of weddings, do you expect that you might avail yourself of Canada's legalization of same-sex marriage?
MT: I'm glad to have the choice--let's put it that way. I just don't know if I believe in "the institution of marriage," if that's going to make a big difference in the commitment that I feel for my partner. Gifts would sure be nice. [Laughter.] That's terrible to say!

AE: Given that your journey out of the closet was so long, and so difficult, and started with a very ugly incident at school, do you have a sense -- spiritual or practical -- that it was all for a purpose?
MT: There was so much suffering early [in my life] that I just feel like, "Whew! I got that all behind me." I don't know. There have always been interesting things that happened to me in my life. I was six one hundredths of a second behind my main competitor for the world championships a year and a half before the Olympics; he went through an incredible breakthrough, smashed the world record, and demolished my chances. And then a year and a half later, I beat him--by six one-hundredths of a second in the same race.

I remember feeling like, after I won the Olympics, you know, I was so miserable, and I was this much-loved Canadian athlete. I remember sitting with my coach Debbie , being in tears, and saying, "This must have happened for a reason…. somehow, it has to do with me being gay." But at that time it didn't make any sense, and I guess I'm grateful that certain things [in my life] have given me a platform that makes me able to share this story, and people are responding really well to it.

It's given some insight, not only to the gay community, but a lot of straight people, especially in the sports community. They had no idea that it would have been so hard for [a gay athlete]. Which is good--somebody who reads this book might think twice before [calling a gay teammate] "fag."

AE: Do you reckon you have a third book in you?
MT: It's already coming.

AE: Is it?!
MT: It is! It's bizarre! [Laughter.] You know, I'm not questioning, I've go this great creative energy flowing at the moment. I'm working on an outline to pitch at the booksellers' fair in Toronto.

AE: How exciting.
MT: It is!

Visit Mark Tewksbury's official website at MarkTewksbury.com;
get Inside Out: Straight Talk from a Gay Jock at Amazon.com

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