"My feelings for Ellen overrode all of my fear about being out as a lesbian. I had to be with her, and I just figured I'd deal with the other stuff later"

This quote speaks to the power of love and the courage it can provide us to overcome our fears. It suggests that when we are in love, we can be willing to take threats and face tight spots in order to be with the person we love. It also talks to the concept that often we have to take a leap of faith and trust that we will be able to handle the repercussions of our decisions. In this case, the speaker wants to risk being out as a lesbian in order to be with Ellen, and is confident that she will have the ability to handle the other things later. This quote is a suggestion that love can be an effective incentive and can provide us the strength to take threats and face our worries.