Billings

Man with no legs says staring OK

Posted: Oct 18, 2012 6:58 AM by David Jay
Updated: Oct 18, 2012 6:58 AM

BILLINGS - A Bozeman man says he wants to change how people view disabilities and Wednesday night he spoke in Billings.

To make that change, Kevin Connolly uses photography. writing, sports and television.

Connolly was born without legs.

He came to talk at MSU-Billings

"I've gotten to speak at the Smithsonian, Kennedy Center, in Beijing, Mexico City, like lots of places," Connolly said. "And still colleges are the most fun."
Connolly graduated from Montana State University in 2008.

He has taken thousands of photographs for his "Rolling Exhibition" which shows people staring at him.

"Staring, i.e., these photos is a very human reaction," Connolly said. "And in a lot of ways doesn't have as much tether to disabilities as you would think. People stare at people for any number of reasons but generally what fits out of their idIosyncratic idea of the status quo, is why people will stare, right."
But it's all in fun for Kevin, who says he's learned something about people all over the world.

"People always ask me, what's the nicest country, what's been the rudest," Connolly said. " I don't. Know, especially being stared at the world over, I can honestly say that jerks and good people come in about the same ratio world wide."
And he says is lack of legs have given him opportunity.

"In the 21st century it's a much more rare of a commodity and more valuable a commodity to be unique than it is to be able to reach stuff on a tall shelf," Connolly said. "Treasure your uniqueness, whether being tall, short, or having a disability or not, value that."

Connolly published his memoir, "Double Take" in 2009.

In January, he starts a new, yet to be named, show on the Travel Channel.

Topics: Kevin Connolly, Billings, Montana, Montana State University, Bozeman