Shay O'Reilly

Staff Writer

Shay O'Reilly covers LGBT issues for Campus Progress. He's originally from Washington, D.C., but graduated from the University of Iowa in May with Honors in Religious Studies—although he spent the first two and a half years of undergrad studying Biology/Organic Chemistry at Bennington College. In fall 2012, he's heading to seminary or divinity school; meanwhile, Shay's taking a year off to give back to his community. He works food service to pay the bills, lives and volunteers in a housing collective, serves as a youth adviser and worship associate at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Iowa City, and continues writing occasional pieces for The Daily Iowan, where he worked as the Opinions Editor for two semesters. He geeks out about many things, including science fiction, food, politics, social change, and esoteric religious sects, but he most importantly navigates that uncomfortable tension between being queer and being very religious. Follow him on Twitter @shaygabriel.