I tell people, look, if you’re going to speak to a group or you’re going to talk to a person, you cannot be angry with them, because as soon as they sense your anger a wall goes up, and they cannot learn anything from you. They’ll sit there for the hour they have to be there but they’ve already decided that they don’t want to hear from you because you’re not being loving and kind. The Holy Spirit guided my whole life. I don’t take bows for anything I’ve done. People come up to me and say ‘Brian, you have not idea, you saved my life.’ I don’t say ‘The Holy Spirit saved your life,’ but I do say, ‘Thank you very much, but it wasn’t me.’” - Brian McNaught
When Brian McNaught was in eighth grade, Sister Claire Marie, IHM, a nun at his school in Birmingham, Michigan, pulled his mother aside and proclaimed, “Your son is a prince of a boy.”
“Did Sister Claire Marie say that because I was well behaved? Nice? Funny? Or did she see in me a vibration as the empathetic soul I aspired and imagined myself to be.” writes McNaught in his new memoir, A Prince of a Boy.
It was that vibration that led Brian towards a life of service, a renowned speaker, educator and leader in the field of gender advocacy, Brian spent 50 years as an educator on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer issues in colleges, government agencies, and corporations.
Born in Detroit in 1948, Brian was one of seven Irish Catholic children. He was a civil rights and anti-war activist and filed as a conscientious objector to the American war in Vietnam. Called by the New York Times “the godfather of Gay diversity training,” he’s the author of 15 books, and is featured in seven DVDs. He lives with Ray, his husband of 49 years. in Wilton Manors, FL.
As you listen to this episode, consider:
How well do you know the people in your life? Many of our our friends and colleagues hold back, afraid that we may not accept them for who they are. How can you create space for others to share who they truly are with you?
Brian talks about ‘loving oneself’ as the key to loving others. Ask yourself, what is it that I love about myself?
When met with anger and hostility, people will put up walls to protect themselves. Can you make the decision to approach people with kindness, love and compassion, particularly when you are trying to share something challenging with them?
You can learn more about Brian’s work here.
You can listen to Pt 1 of the episode here.
You can listen to Pt. 2 of the episode here.
