Story by Ross Forman, courtesy of Windy City Times:
Anthony Alfano was the team captain for his final two seasons of the four he played for the co-op Huntley Raiders varsity hockey team that also featured players from Marian Central Catholic High School.
A left-handed shooting forward, Alfano was popular on the team and quite the playmaker. He also excelled in the classroom at Huntley before graduating in 2008, earning a spot on the Dean's List and the National Honors Society.
However, the real Alfano was hidden in the closet, afraid to reveal to anyone that he was gay. In fact, he admits he dated girls at the time to hide his identity. No one had any idea what Alfano was going through emotionally. He was, quite simply, a wreck, ready to end his life.
"In high school, I was very suicidal because of my sexual orientation," Alfano told Windy City Times. "I grew up in a very Italian, very catholic household, and being gay was never a point of discussion. I believed, because the Catholic Church was preaching against being gay, that something was wrong with me and that I was inevitably going to hell."
Alfano, 21, will graduate from DePaul next June with a double major (international studies and political science with a focus in social, economic and environmental justice). His resume also boasts another amazing accomplishment: he is the first openly gay student body president in DePaul's 113-year history, and DePaul is the largest Catholic university in the United States.
Read the whole story here.