I don’t remember what she said; I could barely pay attention. But I remember thinking it was perfect, that it was very Nina and very Neil all at once.
And then it was my turn.
"My brother," I began, and then realized my voice was too soft. "My brother was like a father to me. He was kind, and patient, and he was the first person I told that I’m gay."
I waited through a slight stirring in the audience. I knew that would be a surprise to most of them.
"What he said, when I told him, was, ‘You need to be who you are.’" I’d been tempted to mention that Jeremy was gay, but I knew better than to do that. I didn’t even know whether his mother had known.
"That was the best thing he could have said to me. And it was how he lived, too. Neil was always himself. He always seemed very clear about
