Patrick cares, so Patrick speaks out! He cares about anyone who was sexually abused as a kid. He cares about anyone who was bullied. Patrick cares about anyone who has ever had to hide who he or she really is. Pat’s motto: “NO MORE HIDING. NO MORE FEAR.”
His message is simple: You and Me Can Stop Bullies. Together, we can overcome the hiding cause by abuse and bullying. Patrick speaks from experience. He was your typical abuse statistics. But after years of depression and attempted suicide and hiding he found his voice and tells his story.
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Languages: English
Gig length: 40 - 60 minutes
Insurance: Yes
Child Abuse Survivor – No More Hiding, No More Fear!
Patrick describes how his childhood rape by notorious serial killer John Wayne Gacy, and the subsequent bullying by an older brother resulted in his fear to acknowledge who he was. He talks about the danger and long-term consequences of not telling, of hiding sexual abuse, of hiding bullying, and how that resulted in living his life to please everyone except himself. Patrick talks about the value of finally opening up and telling the truth about how you want to live your life—who you really are. He also talks about the cathartic process of turning his diary into a book that will help fellow victims proclaim “I AM ME.”
Sibling Bullying – Boys Will Be Boys!
Patrick talks about his relationship with his older brother, his bully and maybe, just maybe, what was going on! Patrick talks about his childhood friendship with another boy. When others see the boy is obviously gay and starts bullying him, Patrick sides with those others and bullies the friend he cared for so much.
Coming Out—Coming Home!
Patrick talks about his life journey; about hiding most of his life to please others. This long journey of self- acceptance helped Patrick realize he is lovable just the way he is. Patrick tells the story of a boy’s relationship with his mom and the moment of truth they shared. Patrick talks about a childhood friend he bullied because the other bullies labeled him as gay and what happened when they met in a gay bar many years later. And
Patrick is an advocate and speaker for several organizations devoted to promoting LGBTQ rights and to preventing childhood abuse and bullying. These organizations include Center on Halsted (Chicago’s community center dedicated to advancing the health and well-being of the LGBTQ community); Teach Antibullying, Inc.; Dreamcatchers for Abused Children; The National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse; and RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network). Patrick graduated from Columbia College in Chicago with a BA in Broadcast Communications. His career spans two decades as a marketing professional in Chicago. He is the proud father of a teenage daughter. Patrick and his partner live in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood.
Patrick cares, so Patrick speaks out! He cares about anyone who was sexually abused as a kid. He cares about anyone who was bullied. Patrick cares about anyone who has ever had to hide who he or she really is. Pat’s motto: “NO MORE HIDING. NO MORE FEAR.”
His message is simple: You and Me Can Stop Bullies. Together, we can overcome the hiding cause by abuse and bullying. Patrick speaks from experience. He was your typical abuse statistics. But after years of depression and attempted suicide and hiding he found his voice and tells his story.
Author, Speaker, Anti-bullying and Child Abuse Advocate. The riveting, heart-wrenching chronicle of one man’s journey from victim to survivor.
Dati, who grew up in a Catholic middle-class family, has come to terms with his own abuse—sexual, mental and physical—by penning an unflinching memoir that details three decades of torment he endured at the hands of a stranger, his older brother Marco, and his former wife Wendy. Dati’s “dark secret” happened in 1973, at age 9, when, while playing hide-and-seek with Marco and a friend, he went into a department store’s restroom to relieve himself and was suddenly alone with the kind of man mothers warn their children about. The account is difficult to read and might be triggering to other sexual abuse survivors. Dati’s horror was compounded several years later, when, as he watched the news about the arrest of a man who lived across the street from his friend’s home in the Chicago suburbs, Dati realized that his attacker was John Wayne Gacy. A week later, Dati tried to commit suicide. Suffering from the shame and stigma brought on by the abuse and torment, Dati spent the next 30 years coming to terms with himself as a gay man worthy of love. He also married two women who each bullied him, struggled with OCD and depression, and eventually came out of the closet, though he refused to let two boyfriends love him. One heinous boyfriend pushed him down the stairs. Dati’s ability to investigate and analyze his mistakes is admirable. Readers unfamiliar with the long-term impact of abuse may find his repeated choices hard to fathom. Still, this smartly written, brave tale is ultimately about self-love—a comforting prospect for other victims.
An intense story of abuse that could empower other survivors.
My name is Patrick Dati and I am me. I know that doesn’t surprise you. It does me! I wrote a book titled “I AM ME”. I tell the story of a boy who was raped when he was nine. Then as a teenager one day after school hanging out at his best friend’s house while watching police and reports across the street from his friend’s home he discovers the man that raped him years earlier was serial killer John Wayne Gacy. I tell the story of a boy who was bullied by an older brother for more than 20 years. I tell the story of a boy who discovers he’s gay. But because he’s part of a typical Irish-Italian family living on the north-west side of Chicago, he hides who he is. He lives his life to please his p
Microphone, podium, chair
Motivational Speaker
