![]() “At first, I worked in Congressional relations, and I later became an assistant to the administrator of the Agricultural Marketing Service,” he says. In 1993, Vela entered the political field as an appointee to the first Clinton administration’s US Department of Agriculture. My father was a Cameron County judge my uncle, Filemon Vela Sr., served as a judge on the US District Court for the southern district of Texas and my cousin, Filemon Vela Jr., is the current Congressman from the 34th Congressional District in Texas.” “It’s practically the family business,” Vela says, laughing. Undaunted, he returned to Texas to get his JD from St. I never made it to Broadway, but I have the satisfaction of knowing that I tried, rather than regretting what might have been.” “I took singing and acting lessons and went on dozens of auditions. “New York offered my first glimmer of liberation,” he recalls. That’s been a profound theme throughout my life and career.” Moe Vela, Costar, Unicorn HuntersĪfter earning a bachelor’s degree in political science and government from the University of Texas at Austin, Vela packed four suitcases and set out to pursue his dream: becoming a Broadway star. “What kept me together was trying to figure out my purpose in life. “I discovered my inner survivor, even though I had contemplated suicide a few times,” he reveals. Vela channeled those experiences in a positive way. I sometimes say I should have won an Oscar for my performance back then: I excelled at things I was ‘supposed’ to be interested in-hunting, fishing, and sports, for example-while still keeping my secret at bay and dealing with my own anxiety.” “But I knew I was different, since the age of six or seven. It was filled with unconditional love and incredible values, and we had a long tradition of public and community service,” he says. Instead, he used those stresses to build a foundation for his future. Mix in years of bullying and constant internal anxiety, and Vela’s life could easily have taken a dark turn. Growing up in the closet in 1960s Harlingen, Texas, wasn’t easy, and being part of a prominent family only increased the pressure that Moe Vela faced. ![]()
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