David Fagan (educator)
David Fagan (born March 7, 1946, in Dallas, TX) is an educator and historian/author in the Houston area. He is a former athlete who participated in and helped organize the Gay Games in the early 2000s.
Personal life and education
Fagan is the second of four children, and his father was a Methodist minister. He grew up in East Texas and Houston, and attended six different public schools before graduating from Charles H. Milby High School in 1964. He has one older brother and two younger sisters. David obtained a B.S. from Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX, a Master's from Stephen F. Austin State University, and a Ph.D. from Florida State University in American Literature.[1][2]
Fagan first revealed his homosexuality to his family when his first lover, Howard Cowell, was diagnosed with AIDS. He discovered he was gay during his graduate studies at Florida State University when he was twenty-seven years old. In 1987, Fagan suffered a great emotional loss when his lover, Joseph Holton, died from AIDS. He used his partner's death as a motivating factor in his athletic career.[1][2]
Involvement in the Gay Games and athletics
Fagan began bodybuilding to find both mental and physical focus. He saw the Gay Games as a way to project a positive image of himself and rebuild his life after losing his partner to AIDS.[1] As an avid traveler, he found the Gay Games a perfect fit for his life.[2]
Fagan participated in bodybuilding events at the Gay Games. He competed in Amsterdam in 1998, placing fourth in the night show competition.[3][2] He helped organize the Sydney games in 2002, and competed in billiards, losing in the first round to the previous Games' champion.[2]
Fagan was instrumental in forming the Team Houston organization for the Gay Games after the split between the Gay Games and the World Outgames in 2006. [4][not in citation given][2] He led the Team Houston board during this period, working to support and provide access for Houston athletes to international events, including sending delegations to Chicago and Montreal. Fagan chose to compete in Montreal. The team aspect of the Gay Games gave him a sense of camaraderie he extended to his work in the GLBT community.[2]
Career
Fagan was associated with the Accelerated Center for Education in Houston, which specializes in educating children with exceptional intellectual abilities or those needing special assistance.[1][citation needed] Many of the students he taught were the first high school graduates in their families. He was a faculty member at the University of Houston–Downtown College during its first year of operation in 1974. He later worked at Houston Community College and Galena Park ISD at North Shore High School. His career focused on assisting students who might not otherwise have succeeded. After retiring from education, he currently works as a security guard at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.[2]
Involvement in the GLBT community
Fagan is actively involved in the GLBT community. He was an athlete in the Gay Games, which promotes unity within and beyond the gay community. He co-authored a 30-year history of the Pride Parade and related political activities in Houston, TX.[5][2]
He is affiliated with the Democratic Party and is a strong voter. He has participated in various political rallies. He was involved in all marches except the first march on Washington, D.C. for Lesbian and Gay rights. In 1987, he participated in the Second National March for Lesbian and Gay rights, which included the first display of the AIDS quilt. In 1993, he participated in the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual rights and Liberation. Fagan also participated in the Millenium March in 2000 and the Equality March in 2009. He participated in rallies against Anita Bryant and Dr. Laura Schlessinger.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "The Gay Games:David Fagan". The Advocate. 18 August 1998. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 Riedel, Brian. "David Fagan". Houston ARCH. Retrieved 28 May 2017.[unreliable source?]
- ↑ "Fagan, David". Muscle Memory. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
- ↑ www.gaygames.org
- ↑ Outsmart.com (http://outsmartmagazine.com/cms-this_issue/200806--Thirty+Years+of+Pride.html)[dead link]
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