faces: RICK WELTS
ALSO OUT Rick Welts, ‘75, was photographed June 11, 2011 in Phoenix by Rick Giase.
Former Phoenix Suns CEO Rick Welts, ’75, who in May became the first professional sports team executive to come out as gay, is just the latest in a line of high-profile UW alumni who have had the courage to do so.
Lei Ann Shiramizu
Lei Ann Shiramizu was photographed June 22, 2011 in Seattle by Anil Kapahi.
Others include: Karen Bryant, ’91, B.A., Communication. A former guard for the Husky women’s basketball team, Bryant is CEO of the Seattle Storm women’s basketball team.
TALL ORDER: HOOPS EXECUTIVE COMES OUT Former Phoenix Suns CEO Rick Welts becomes first pro sports leader to declare he is gay By JULIE GARNER When Rick Welts, ’75, was a freshman at the UW in 1971, he would have been astounded if someone had told him that 40 years later, he would be blazing a new trail as the first person in professional sports management to come out as a gay person. And yet, on May 16, 2011, Welts—then president and CEO of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns—did exactly that in an interview with The New York Times. His groundbreaking revelation rocked an industry long committed to an informal, “Don’t ask, don’t tell” modus operandi both on the court and in the highest echelons of management. To date, the only man associated with pro basketball to come out has been John Amaechi, a former NBA player who disclosed his sexual orientation after his career was over. Welts—who left the Suns in September to move to California to be with his partner—called The New York Times because he wanted to “start the conversation” about homosexuality in team sports, and his courage struck a nerve. To date, he has received thousands of emails and not one has been negative. “It’s been overwhelmingly positive and humbling,” he says. 12
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Rick Welts’ personal journey began in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood, where he grew up as the son and grandson of a long line of Huskies. His grandfather, Richard (Robin) D. Welts, graduated in 1924 with a degree in history and in 1932 with a law degree; his parents and sister are also alums. “I was going to Husky football games for as far back as I can remember,” he says. As a UW student in the early 1970s, Welts experienced personal crises over his sexual orientation.“My impressions of gay people came through the media. They were portrayed stereotypically as flamboyant. I didn’t feel anything like that and that was part of the isolation and discomfort,” he recalls. But that ended when Welts met a fellow student who lived in a fraternity. The young fellow liked sports and was gay. “There was a sense of exhilaration that there were other people out there like I was,” Welts says. After graduating with his bachelor’s degree in communication, Welts joined the staff of the Seattle Supersonics, where he served as public relations director. (As a teenager, he had been a Sonics ball boy.) He left the Sonics to join the NBA office (where he helped develop All-Star Week-
A COMMUNITY’S
REBIRTH
Col. Grethe Cammermeyer, ’76, M.A., Nursing, ’91, Ph.D., Nursing. She lost her job as an Army nurse after declaring during a 1989 interview for a top-secret clearance to apply for the War College that she was a lesbian. Fired from the Army, she was reinstated after a judge ruled that her discharge was unconstitutional. Jenny Durkan, ’85, J.D., Law. In 2009, Durkan became the first openly gay U.S. Attorney since the position was created in 1789. David Kopay, ’66, B.A., History. The former Husky and NFL running back in 1975 became the first professional athlete from a major team sport to announce publicly that he was gay. —Julie Garner
end) and eventually became the president and CEO of the Suns. Never during his career in professional sports did he reveal his orientation to colleagues. One sad result was that he experienced the death of his longtime partner, Arnie Chinn, ’78, without the support of his many friends and colleagues. Today, Welts can feel “authentic” and be who he really is. It’s a good feeling when he comes home to Seattle and the UW, a place and school he loves. For a longer profile of Rick Welts, go to UWalum.com/Columns and click on September 2011.
Japantown is coming back to life, thanks in part to the work of Lei Ann Shiramizu BY INA ZAJAC
Lei Ann Shiramizu, ’82, enjoys wearing many hats. She’s a goodwill ambassador, a fashion maven, a freelance writer and a community developer. As owner of Momo, an eclectic retail store in Seattle’s Chinatown International District, she also sells many hats—as well as stylish scarves, sweaters, and skirts. Momo is a happy destination for shoppers seeking comfortably sophisticated clothing, distinct jewelry, and quirky collectibles. Fashion is fabulous, but Shiramizu wants Momo—which means peach in Japanese—to serve a much higher purpose. Momo represents the new face of Seattle’s Japantown, historically known as Nihonmachi. Nihonmachi had long been a thriving JapaneseAmerican cultural and commercial center until the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. In the days and months that followed, nearly 10,000 King County residents of Japanese descent were abruptly sent off to internment camps with little more than a suitcase. They were forced to leave behind their belongings, their businesses, and their way of life. Shiramizu gets choked up when she thinks about those affected families, and says their plight
motivates her to diligently promote neighborhood businesses and activities. “Families had nothing to come home to,” she says. “Most relocated to the suburbs so they could get a new start. Today there is new growth, but we are retaining history.” Shiramizu moved to Seattle in 1979 to attend the University of Washington and was initially
“ Today there is new growth, but we are retaining history.” attracted to what is now known as the Chinatown International District because the area’s compelling sense of community reminded her of her home state of Hawaii. “The UW gave me a firm foundation which helped me to succeed,” she says. “I am so proud
to be a UW graduate.” She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication. After three decades of living and working in the Northwest, Shiramizu still exudes an easy-going island attitude. Hawaiian influences can also be seen throughout Momo, which Shiramizu and husband Tom Kleifgen opened in 2007. Shiramizu knows her neighbors well and has an affinity for making connections. “I love helping shoppers find something special, but I am also a concierge and an ambassador,” she says. “People often come to the ID seeking cheap good food, but once here I help them discover the area’s other offerings.” Shiramizu often encourages her shoppers to visit the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience, stop by the century-old Panama Hotel for a cup of tea or check out a nearby gallery. She also knows the best place to get a heavenly foot massage. “Some things would surprise you,” she says. “I love to tell people about the pinball museum.” Ina Zajac is a Viewpoints staff writer
Julie Garner,’10, is a Viewpoints staff writer 13
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