Wednesday Morning Man: Jim Key!

This is fun for me.

I’m featuring a really good friend of mine as Morning Man today but he doesn’t know about it – yet.

Don’t know if he’ll be happy or mortified but when you’re pals with Greg In Hollywood, you better watch out!

This handsome dude is Jim Key and he’s been the Chief Public Affairs Officer for the LA Gay and Lesbian Center for several years now.

Since we both live in LA and mix in LGBT media circles, who would’ve thought the place where Jim and I would meet would be on a rainy night in Rio de Janeiro during Carnival in 2005?

We’ve been great friends ever since and have had lots of fun at parties, conventions, awards shows, musicals, movies, dinners and a happy hour or two.

Jim served in the Marine Corps and when Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell officially came to an end in September 2011, he shared his story at a news conference held in conjunction with the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.

‘While  I hid my sexual orientation in the Marine Corps, many of the same  people who commended me for my service were ironically the same people  who publicly refused to serve with LGBT people,’ he said on that day.

‘Once more  soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines are able to be truthful and honest about their sexual orientation, many of those who were against the  repeal will be surprised to realize they’ve been serving with lesbians  and gay men all along,’ he added. ‘ Coming out remains our number one weapon against homophobia.’

Jim is also pedaling more than 500 miles – from San Francisco to Los Angeles – beginning June 1 in what will be his third AIDS/LifeCycle to help raise money for the HIV/AIDS-related services of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center.

I’m going to throw the LINK in here in case any of you want to help him reach his $10,000 goal!