Shane Bitney Crone
Shane Bitney Crone is an American filmmaker, writer, speaker, and advocate for LGBT rights.
Early life
Crone was born in Kalispell, Montana. He moved to Los Angeles after high school graduation.Career
"It Could Happen to You"
Crone made headlines in May 2012 when he released a video on YouTube titled "It Could Happen to You," in which he spoke of the devastation he faced after the unexpected death of his longtime partner, Tom Bridegroom a year earlier. Bridegroom was an actor and songwriter who hosted the TV series The X Effect. While Crone's family was loving and accepting of his sexual orientation, Bridegroom's family was not, and had gone so far as to threaten Bridegroom with physical violence and to blame Crone for "making" their son gay. After Bridegroom accidentally fell to his death while photographing his friend on the roof of her four-story apartment building, Crone was threatened with physical violence if he attended Bridegroom's funeral and was not mentioned in Bridegroom's obituary or memorial service. Crone had also been denied hospital visitations and other rights accorded married couples because he was not recognized as Bridegroom's partner or as family.Crone's plea for rights for same-sex couples became one of the most widely viewed clips on YouTube shortly after its release. Crone told RadarOnline.com that he made the video as a form of therapy to help him deal with his loss and to further positive change for same-sex couples in the United States.