Walker is open and honest about his sexuality in the sports world, and that's a rare thing. Walker is the only known openly gay man coaching Division I athletics. (File photo)
CORVALLIS, Ore. - Kirk Walker jogged into Clodfelters, a popular restaurant across from Oregon State's campus, on a rainy day recently.
As soon as he sat in a booth, a waiter stopped by to say hello and brought his usual soda. It's a place where everyone knows his name.
Walker ordered the customary cheeseburger and fries and wore his normal black-and-orange attire. He couldn't be more proud of his status as Oregon State's softball coach. He has infused energy and fun in a place where gloomy and overcast dominate most days. He brought success to Oregon State as its coach the past 17 years, leading the Beavers to their first appearance in the College World Series in 2006.
And to the gay and lesbian community, he has brought hope.
The 46-year-old Walker, a Woodland Hills native and UCLA graduate, returns to Westwood this weekend, where he was an undergraduate assistant and assistant coach. His Oregon State team (16-8) will play No. 7 UCLA (23-5), a team he helped win six national titles during his tenure. And it was during his college years that Walker said he consciously learned he was gay.
Walker is open and honest about his sexuality in the sports world, and that's a rare thing. Walker is the only known openly gay man coaching NCAA Division I athletics.
"You can
only do what you're comfortable doing," Walker said."From my experience, I knew I was ready to stop denying it. I was at the point I wasn't going to lie about it. I was willing to accept some of the negative things that will happen. At the end of the day, there's been nothing but positive things, in terms of my relationship with my family and friends. It's opened so many opportunities, not to make money, but to meet people."
Walker won't flaunt it, but if you ask him about it, he'll tell you.
Walker and his partner, Randy Baltimore, live in Portland, and in 2007 started the process to adopt a child. The adoption agency has a public Web site, and before his name would be on the list, Walker knew he needed to do something. He needed to tell his team.
Junior catcher Audrey Roderfeld wasn't there that day, but she heard about it from a player on the team while she was still in high school.
Roderfeld said she comes from a big Polynesian family, and she wanted to attend a university that felt like home. She got that vibe with Walker and the rest didn't matter.
"You'd never know he's gay," Roderfeld said. "He's not flamboyant and that's a stereotype people have. It was a great step for him to do that. He's comfortable enough in his own skin. He's not seen any differently by us. He's still Coach Walker, and that's a cool thing."
Walker and Baltimore soon adopted Ava, who's now 5years old. Walker was shocked that players didn't think it was such a big deal. What they loved to talk about was the adoption. Now Ava, who likes the movie "Tangled" and loves to wear dresses, is a popular fixture at softball games and knows all the players.
After telling his team and officials at Oregon State, he came out in an article in www.outsports.com. Soon after, other publications chronicled his story, but there were no Oprah or Today Show appearances.
That was a bit of a surprise, especially since professional athletes and others in the sports world don't usually announce their sexuality and of the few that do, it's only once their careers are done, like former major leaguer Billy Bean, former NFL player Dave Kopay, who went to Notre Dame High in Sherman Oaks, and former NBA player John Amaechi.
"It's very easy to say, `Oh, he's a softball coach and he's gay, so that's not surprising, but he's the only openly gay (male) Division I coach. Period," Cyd Zeigler, co-founder of www.outsports.com said of Walker. "The fact he's the only one means it's still really hard to do in our culture, to be openly gay in any sport... He's been embraced by the team and his entire family and OSU."
Walker graduated from San Fernando Valley Academy in 1983 and then went to UCLA. He loved softball because his sister, Karen Degan, played competitively and he helped with her teams.
He threw himself into his work, and Walker didn't date a lot. He met Baltimore and lists him on his Oregon State bio as his partner of 12 years. He was hesitant to make the declaration, but once he did he received hundreds of emails, including from a coach in the Midwest who's struggling with the decision to come out, he knew he did the right thing.
"I wasn't doing this for publicity to make a statement. I didn't want people to find out another way," Walker said. "This is who I am. I didn't want to be known as someone who's gay, and `Oh, I do coach.' I want to be known for who I am as a coach and what I do as a coach."
And Walker has learned even more about himself and how powerful his voice can be.
Foxy Brown Erica Leerhsen Kerry Suseck Jennifer Scholle Tricia Vessey
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