[2][3] On March 1, 1985, Gallagher attempted to die by suicide due to depression as he struggled to come to terms with his homosexuality.
[4] The incident occurred twelve days after his first sexual encounter with another man.
[5] Gallagher later stated that before his attempt, "he had become unable to reconcile his image of himself as an athlete with gay urges."
"[5] He went on to become an author and speak out publicly about disabilities and homosexuality, including in an interview with CBC Radio's The Inside Track for "The Last Closet", a special episode about homophobia in sports which aired in 1993.
This biographical article relating to an American football offensive lineman born in the 1950s is a stub.