Tag Archives: lgbqt

Phillip, Writer, Cleveland, Ohio

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong


Phillip, in his own words: “What I like about being gay is having met thousands of men from all over whom otherwise I never would have met. Gay gives you carte blanche to meet men of different backgrounds. And from this huge variety of men I have built up a great tolerance for individuality, quirks and all. It’s not always easy being gay, no life style is. I’ve found that a sense of humor has saved me, got through terrible times. And since I’m a writer, I’ve David Sedaris-like humor essays to spread the word that funny is saintly.

Also my garden. I’ve had two clinical depressions and a return to my garden every spring has brought me out of those dark times. The darkest time was in the early 80s when AIDS rose its ugly head, and I heard of my friends in the coastal cities dying left and right. So I pulled up my zipper and didn’t have sex for over l0 years—actually I lost count. I was terrified of that disease. Sex was not worth dying for.

Cleveland is great town to raise a family. It’s not so good for gays. The smart, creative ones leave. It seems all I get are married men. So for the dark cold winter months I go to Fort Lauderdale, a paradise for gay men. Men from all over the world descend on Fort Lauderdale for the winter months, and I’ve made life-long friends who come to visit me in Cleveland in the summer in my gorgeous garden. Visit the video of my garden onYouTube.To read more about me go to my Profile on the Silver Daddies site and enter my profile number #398760.”

Alessio and Matto, Social Media Manager/Personal Assistant and Showroom Back Office/Seller, Milan, Italy

photo by Kevin Truong, Alessio (left) and Matto (right)

photo by Kevin Truong, Alessio (left) and Matto (right)

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong, Alessio (left) and Matto (right)

Alessio, in his own words: ” Being gay means to be my self, as a free person who can have sentimental decisions without any pressure by anyone.

Sometimes it made me feel very proud of myself… A little bit lucky as a guy man I could be brave and love who I want. But sometimes I said to myself: “it is normal and easy” and at the same time I say, there are and there were many people who cannot be themselves and cannot be free to love who they want.

One day I said to my parents: “Mamma, Papà, io sono innamorato di Francesco”. And the rest was not so easy and joyful to tell you…

Sometimes it is really nice the opportunity that a huge city like Milan can offer to you but sometimes it can be really ugly and cruel in general.

For me since I came from a very little country this LGBT community is often strange.

(Advice to my younger self) Be brave.”

Matto, in his own words: ” Bein’ gay for me, it’s to be free feeling always myself, with everybody and in every situation of my life.

I don’t know exactly, but my idea of success is to basically and consciously choose to have positive feelings.

When I realized that I fell in love with my first boy-friend I needed to talk to my mom but she told me “I know”, then she cried for my secret: I was 22 years-old.

Milan’s a crossroads of many kind of gay people, so the community is numerous and well integrated to the rest of the citizens. Being the city of the fashion, it answers to the rules of the fashion-system. I am not a very worldly person, I prefer to be with the people that I love.

(Advice to my younger self) be always honest with yourself, first, and don’t be afraid to be free.”