ATLANTA — This Pride Month, 11Alive celebrates the LGBTQ community while shining a light on issues impacting the community amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic.
11Alive’s Andy Pierrotti shares an account of a conversation he had after 11Alive aired his story on being denied the ability to donate potentially life-saving plasma following his recovery from COVID-19.
Months after the story aired, his dentist stopped Pierrotti and let him know the story left an impression. Pierrotti's dentist, who is a part of the LGBTQ community, said in his more than 20 years of living in Atlanta, he never heard a TV reporter recognize themselves as gay on TV.
He said the more role models like Pierrotti, the better, because he never felt comfortable with his sexuality when he was growing up.