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ANDREW OLDERSHAW inspires everyone in his orbit to commit to making a positive difference in the LGBT community
“The smallest deed is worth more than the grandest intention.”
Andrew Oldershaw still remembers this quote from his childhood, written in Magic Marker by his mother, who lovingly posted it on the refrigerator as a reminder to her family. Oldershaw has made these 10 thoughtful words his personal creed, and he credits his tireless commitment to serving the GLBT community to this familiar citation.
On an exceptionally clear Saturday afternoon—and after an early-morning training session for GLIDE, a community outreach program in L.A. that campaigns against homophobia—Oldershaw is taking a well-deserved break from public-service work. Standing on the peak of the mountain above Runyon Canyon on one of Los Angeles’ most picturesque hiking trails, he casts a serene gaze at a panoramic view of the city that the Fairfield, Connecticut, native now calls home. Despite the abundance of the usual eye candy on this popular trail—actor/model/waiter types working on their weekend cardio—heads not only turn when they pass Oldershaw, they often stop in their tracks and stare for a few seconds past the comfort level. Yet the handsome 30-year-old seems oblivious to the effect he has on his fellow hikers. A man of lesser character than Oldershaw might be tempted to trade on his charisma and classic good looks and have the city at his feet, but obsequious behavior is of little interest to him. Oldershaw is more interested in serving the GLBT community. “Like most people, I want to make a mark in the world. I find a big sense of responsibility and a huge sense of accomplishment working with the nonprofits,” he states firmly, assuredly.
Oldershaw belies the notion that young gay men are primarily interested in partying. His friends often rib him about his busy schedule, which leaves little time for dating and socializing. “I tend to juggle a lot of things at once, but I honestly find happiness in it,” he says. “I want to leave some footprints in this life.”
One way Oldershaw plans to achieve this goal is through his position as associate producer of digital content at Logo. “What Logo has the capacity to do, besides entertain the gay audience, is be socially responsible and open the eyes of people even within our community,” he suggests. A recent project that he feels has accomplished this is “LGBtotheT AtoZ,” an online alphabet he helped create for the reality series Transamerican Love Story. Each letter represents a biography or term of significance to the trans community. “I took great pride in it, as we had to be very responsible with the tone in which we presented it and still package it in bite-size, entertaining morsels for the audience.”
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Even away from his demanding day job, Oldershaw can justifiably feel a sense of accomplishment. Besides having long stints on GLAAD’s Leadership Council, GLASS’s mentoring program and the Screenwriting Lab Selection Committee for L.A.’s Outfest under his belt, Oldershaw currently devotes considerable time to serving on the boards of several other nonprofits, including HOMOtracker and the Young Professionals Council, which he co-founded, both of which host fundraising benefits for the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center. “As vice chair of the YPC, [Andrew] works so hard and gives so much of his time to raise money and support for the Center that he’s not only an inspiration for other young people, he’s an inspiration to the staff. He gives us all hope for the future of the [GLBT] movement,” says Jim Key, chief public affairs officer for the Center.
{mosimage}The younger of two sons was raised in a postcard-perfect neighborhood by parents he calls “the two finest people I know in the world,” Oldershaw remembers that he was pressed to conform to what was expected of him at an early age. “It was a very cookie-cutter-type community. I learned very quickly that coloring outside the lines was frowned upon,” he confesses. “I went to boarding school because that’s just what you do where I’m from.” Boarding school provided the setting for Oldershaw’s first stirrings of teenage rebellion. After being caught drinking and smoking pot with his girlfriend, who happened to be the daughter of his faculty adviser—who was also the school chaplain—Oldershaw was put on probation. But he harbors no regret. “It was actually an amazing thing for me, as I was able to reinvest all the time and energy I was putting into partying and being popular,” he explains. “I couldn’t leave campus, so I was really invested in school and extracurricular activities.”
Upon graduating and being accepted to Penn, Oldershaw, unsurprisingly, became what he now deems “one of the cool kids” of his freshman class. “We all became fast friends when we all pledged the same Phi Delta fraternity, and because it had the reputation it did, suddenly all of us were much more in the social spotlight at Penn.” As this was happening, he was also grappling with his homosexuality and realized how difficult his path was going to be.
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To read the rest of Andrew's interview, pick up a copy of Instinct at your local newsstand—or order online here!
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