Shout OUT: Bart Loeser

Name: Bart Loeser
Status: Houston, TX homegrown
ID: Gay
Queerly Quotable: "I just want to teach people how to be happy and successful, to give a leg up on how to get the tools you need to challenge yourself and make the changes you want in your life."

Like any smart Houstonian, Bart Loeser fled to Austin. Working as an HIV educator for the AIDS Foundation Houston for over a decade, Loeser came to work for the HIV Wellness Center, now the Wright House Wellness Center. After two years of helping lead public events Loeser decided to move beyond HIV awareness work.

Having discovered a knack for makin' that money, Loeser and a friend launched an event-planning company raising funds locally, notably, the Chocolate Fantasy Fundraisers for Waterloo Counseling Center. A few years later, Loeser discovered his niche teaching seminars on team building, leadership, and communication.

Today Loeser is a governor for Toastmasters, "a worldwide organization that you can join to practice leadership and communication skills," he says. He is also the founder of the only gay and lesbian Toastmasters club in Central/South Texas.

The goal of AGLCC Toastmasters is "expanding what we do in the club," says Loeser, "to practice skills like vocal and body language techniques, and improving communication," a page this sassy 'mo might find right up his alley.

"Trying to convince people to make changes to their lives is worth the effort,” says Loeser, Unfortunately, “many people want easy routes, and there aren’t any." In order to achieve desired changes, he says, "You’ve got to challenge yourself. You’ve got to be able to hear feedback you don’t always like to hear. But if it’s honest and constructive, it will help you grow.”

Inside Scoop: When he's not advocating for an emotionally and spiritually healthy lifestyle, Loeser enjoys traveling. Having seen much of Europe already, he says that his next destination will be France. Moreover, Loeser confides that if he could be any animal, he'd be a schnoodle, "because it’s just the friendliest, helpful, and loving dog, and that’s what I’d like to emulate.”

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