Continuing our weekly reminiscences of vintage Bay Area Reporters through its five decades, Pride issue are always a larger issue, often with a third section. Heading up the arts features in our June 23, 2005 edition, Adam Sandel gets good quotes from comic actor Alec Mapa, who was a celebrity Grand Marshal at that year's Pride events.
The Bay Area native, who's been a pioneer for out gay actors, comics and in representing his Filipino heritage in many roles, mentioned a gay man who inspired him at a young age.
"When I was in high school, I worked at a restaurant in Pacific Heights, and the staff who worked in this restaurant was gay — and not just gay, but gay. They gave me the courage to be the person that I am."
The star of M. Butterfly and many films and TV shows also said, "When I came out, it was the first thing I had done that was authentic, and then everything started to happen."
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