From Threatened to Celebrated: Gay Cop Leaves Law Enforcement, Comes Out, Becomes Educator & Thrives

When Greg Miraglia joined a police cadet program as a freshman in high school in 1978, already knowing that he was gay, he was confronted with a boldly homophobic workplace culture. This amplified in 1981 when the AIDS epidemic broke out and anti-gay rhetoric reached a fever pitch, impressing on Greg that he could never be out in the workplace. Later, Greg was told by his supervisor and even the Chief of Police that he might be investigated to see if he’s gay, which would end his career. Knowing California had legal protections, he mustered enough courage to threaten to sue the police department if it pursued the investigation, successfully ending the witch hunt.

Only when he left law enforcement and pivoted to education did things start to change. Though still not out at work, Greg became acquainted with Judy Shepard after inviting her to speak in front of his students. Heeding her words - that we change hearts and minds by sharing our stories - Greg decided once and for all that it was time for his story to be shared. Little by little, Greg began to come out at work and then to family and friends, each time to warm support and open arms. Not only did his personal life improve - so did his professional life, where Greg thrived as both an educator and a published author focusing on issues relating to the LGBTQIA+ community and law enforcement.
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