LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
CAMP Profile: An Interview Kelli Steele |
by Mark Aguirre |
I met Kelli Steele last year when a number of gay and lesbian citizens from across the state were brought together to speak about gay and lesbian issues with representatives of Governor Ruth Ann Minner's office. Kelli is a striking woman with strength of presence that makes her difficult to miss even in a room full of strong personalities. She has been Press and Policy Assistant to Governor Ruth Ann Minner since the Governor took office in 2001. I recently had a conversation with Kelli about being a lesbian, coming out, and working with the first female Governor of Delaware.
Mark: Can you remember when you began to understand that you were a lesbian? Kelli: Probably when I was two or three years old. Looking back now I was always interested in women. Not that I don't find men attractive. I see men every day that I find attractive. Do I want to be with them? No. Sometimes I can relate to men better than I can with women, but physically I'd rather be with a woman. Mark: When did you begin the process of coming out of the closet? Kelli: I don't look it as a process. I jumped in with both feet and came out to my parents when I was in high school. I've been out ever since. I'm not the type of person to advertise that I am gay. I don't care who knows and who doesn't know. It's a part of who I am. If someone asks me, of course, I'm not going to lie. I am who I am. Mark: Was there anything that made the process easier for you? Kelli: No, I don't think so. Many things made the process harder. When I came out to my parents they didn't accept it. That made me wonder if I should be who I was, gay, because my parents frowned upon that. But, the older I got the more I thought about things. This is my "normal." I can't imagine being someone else. Mark: Who would be your dream celebrity date, why, and what would you do? Kelli: Michelle Pfeiffer. She's gorgeous. I love most of her movies. She seems very talented and confident. I like that in a person when they are confident in who they are and what they do. My dream date with Michelle or with anybody would be a good dinner at any number of Rehoboth restaurants. We would have great conversation followed by a moonlight walk on the beach. Mark: You lived in California once, how do the beaches there compare to Delaware beaches? Kelli: It's hard to compare. I loved San Diego, because it's warm year round. If I had to compare the beach itself, Rehoboth beach is cleaner. Not that San Diego is dirty. But, Rehoboth is cleaner. San Diego is a very nice place. You can swim and sunbathe year round. That's why I liked it, because I'm not a cold weather person. Mark: How long have you worked with communications and policy issues? Kelli: Since January 22nd of 2001. That's when I started working with the Governor. I've always been involved in Communications. I majored in communications in college. Prior to coming to work for the Governor I did eighteen years of radio news broadcasting. The policy stuff is new, but the communications stuff is old. I consider the communications part of it old hat, since I worked in radio for so long. Mark: What circumstances brought you to work for the Governor's office? Kelli: I worked in radio news broadcasting from 1986 to 1999. From 1986 to 1995 I lived in Rehoboth Beach. I moved from Rehoboth to Phoenix in 1995 where I lived and worked for two years. Then in 1997 I moved to San Diego and worked in radio there as well. In November of 1999 I moved back to Rehoboth. I've known the Governor from working with her prior to moving to the West Coast. She approached me while running for Governor and said if indeed she won the election she wanted me to work for her. She won and I won, too. Mark: What's it like working for the first female Governor of Delaware? Kelli: Fabulous. Governor Minner is not your typical politician. She's a wonderful, wonderful lady. She is down to earth. Most politicians put on a faade. She doesn't do that. She tells it like it is. She's up front and honest. Ruth Ann Minner doesn't just say things because people want to hear them. She says things because she believes in them. Mark: Do you think that women in Delaware and elsewhere are inspired by what Governor Minner has been able to do? Kelli: I would hope so. I would hope not just women, but women and men take notice that Delaware is being run by this very powerful woman. I would also hope that young girls take notice that they can basically accomplish anything they want if they work hard, are honest, and put their minds to it. I never dreamed that I would be working for a Governor and now I am.Mark Aguirre is a regular contributor to Letters from CAMP Rehoboth. He may be reached at markaguirre@aol.com |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 12, No. 07, June 14, 2002. |