Wilkins was a 23-year-old broadcast journalist in 1978 when he left as News Director of WLEC in Sandusky, Ohio, to pursue a career in the airline industry as a flight attendant, one of the first males to be hired in the 1970s. While working at WLEC, he was closeted to his co-workers, listeners, friends, and family until after he started flying, when he came out as a gay man. You just weren’t out i
n a small, conservative community, unlike many gay kids today who come out at an early age. Looking back, it was the best decision I could have made. Finally, admitting the truth to my family and friends allowed me to be my true self. It was very freeing. After traveling to many different countries and meeting people from all walks of life, people of color, with different faiths and beliefs, I realized the world was not the same place as I had believed. Instead, I changed my view of the world and my perspective of others. It’s something that has stuck with me ever since.
