Author Archives: thegaymenproject

About thegaymenproject

The Gay Men Project is a photo project by New York based photographer Kevin Truong. Truong received his BFA in from photography from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, and has been the recipient of numerous awards, and his photo credits include the New York Times.

Tim, Engineer, New York City

photo by Kevin Truong

Tim, in his own words: “A ship is safe in the harbor, but that’s not what ships are made for.”

Rudy, Owner of Big Boy Vintage, Los Angeles

photo by Kevin Truong

Rudy, in his own words: “I think the queer scene in LA is very diverse and yet can be segregated at the same time. What I love about it though is that it is something that just keeps evolving and if you don’t see yourself as part of any scene you can create it. I know so many rad queer people in this city who have created spaces for people to gather or be creative. That is not to say that I don’t get nary or frustrated at times with the gay scene in Los Angeles but that’s a whole other story.

I grew up in East LA and am the youngest of eight. Growing up my parents instilled a very strong work ethic. They also made me believe I could do anything I set my mind to. As I grew up here in the states I began to see things a little differently than most of my family. I was drawn to Punk as it seemed to be the outlet I needed to express myself. I knew I was gay at a young age and kinda just accepted it. It was hard for my parents to deal with me and my crazy clothes, music, and way of living that I never really thought about coming out. Eventually I was forced to come out and it did not go over very well. Though as the years have gone by my parents have accepted me for the person I am. They are proud to call me their son. I am still that Mexicano Queer Punk teen at heart and I would not have it any other way. Lastly everything that I have ever done or accomplished in life is a direct result of that work ethic/I can do anything attitude I learned from my parents.”

Big Boy Vintage

Jeremiah, Opera Singer, Vancouver B.C.

photo by Kevin Truong

Jeremiah, in his own words: “I came out quite late to my family. I was 24 and at that point, my family had already been living in Canada for 2 years. Before that, we lived in the Philippines, a predominantly Catholic country where homosexuality, while tolerated to a certain extent, was frowned upon. It was all about timing since at 24, I was already more sure about myself and I was ready for the worst. I wrote a letter to my parents and left home that day before they woke up. I thought that writing down everything was the way to go as it will allow me to put more thought on what I was about to say without the possibility of being interrupted. As well, I thought that it would be good for my parents, as they will give my parents the time to read and process everything. I turned off my phone that day and made accommodation arrangements elsewhere. After a few hours of being out of my house, I got this email from them:

‘We’ve read your letter. Thank you for being honest. Thank you for trusting us.

Papa and I have been praying for you and John every night. You are God’s gift to us and we will love you for what you are. Continue striving and be the best you want to be.

Go home tonight. We will welcome you with our loving and tight embrace.

We love you very much and the whole family will be with you through thick or thin.

Love,

Papa and Mama’

After reading that, I was just a puddle and a mess. I could not think of another event in my life that gave me that much relief and joy. What made it even better was finally going home and getting a hug from my parents. While it was not exactly smooth sailing after that, I have to give my parents a lot of credit for keeping their minds and hearts open as they eventually came to terms with my sexual orientation.

Coming out definitely boosted my confidence in that it made me true to myself – not only in terms of my sexuality but also with my passion and dreams. It made me reassess my life goals and change my mindset from just conforming to other people’s expectations to finding the inner strength to pursue what I really wanted all along. From working in corporate, I decided to go back to school to give my dreams of having a career in music and theatre a chance. I am currently finishing a degree in opera performance at the University of British Columbia and I couldn’t be happier.”