It’s been more than three years since Shane lost the love of his life, Tom Bridegroom, in a tragic accident.

Their story was told in the acclaimed and deeply moved documentary, Bridegroom, which Shane has been showing across the US this fall on college campuses.

The documentary, directed by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, was aired on OWN and won the GLAAD Media Award earlier this year. Shane was also recently named one of the OUT 100 by Out Magazine.

Before we sat down to dinner, I chatted with Shane about his life now and how the documentary continues to change lives.He says: ‘I just finished my fall college tour where I went to 30 schools over the past two months so that’s been amazing – just to go to these small towns and these schools and meet a lot of young people.

‘And it’s also eye-opening because it seems like at every single school there’s at least one student who doesn’t have the support of their families.

‘I thought going to colleges now, they probably have the support of their families – the younger generation and it seems like people get it. But it’s been eye-opening that that’s not the case and a lot of people don’t have the support of their families.’

A few days ago, Shane posted this message on Thanksgiving Day that I also want to share with you:

‘Thanksgiving is a day to count our blessings and to be grateful for the challenges that have helped us learn and grow. The past few years of my life have been challenging at times but they’ve also brought me many positive experiences, for which I am beyond grateful.’

‘The past few years have been a whirlwind and each day I wake up feeling truly privileged and humbled by this life.’

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