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.

Joseph, Creative Director, San Francisco

photo by Kevin Truong

Joseph, in his own words: “Being gay is my sexual identity. It’s one part of my life. I proudly identify with it but it’s not the only part of my identity. I like to think that in the 21st century that gay men are much more than their sexual identity. We are an integral part of our society. We are a part of the fabric which elevates all our experiences.

My challenges as a gay man has been with our politics. We do not yet have equal rights and this is disconcerting since we live in a “democracy”.

The gay community in San Francisco has been a beacon for acceptance. I moved to San Francisco 3 days after Harvey Milk was killed. Since then there has been an enormous change in the city politics which has made it feel as though we are equal on all levels. I’m proud of how the city has embraced the gay population and the diversity of it.

I came out soon after moving to California. When I returned to my home in Michigan they did not understand what that meant, because of the times, but they let me know that I would always be part of the family. This was a revelation of their true love for me. I love them so much for this because they did not have the social support to make this leap. It was unconditional love.”

Brazil!!!!

The Gay Men Project is going to Rio De Janeiro and São Paulo in October!!!

David, Americorps VISTA/Founder of Pedalfresh, Portland, Ore.

photo by Kevin Truong

David, in his own words: “Being gay to me is being awesome. That awesomeness that comes from the freedom from hetero-normative expectations of marriage, children, and a job that can stabilize all of that. It gives me the space to live an examined and selectively curated life in a chaotic world. An examined life in a time when more than ever our lives need to be reexamined. It’s awesome, and I’m not even talking about the sex.

Well my challenges really, came early on. I’ve been out for almost a decade now, but back in the day I was at the epicenter of this really juicy mean girls style drama at my highschool. It was bigger than me, a crazy story, and I didn’t take it personally… I transferred schools, my first boyfriend was sent to a conversion therapy camp, and I overcame a lot of adversity as an adolescent gay kid in Colorado. Telling that story is still something I have to figure out. However since then I have this impenetrable shamelessness, that is a triumph, and has allowed me to give my dreams a real chance, and the courage to materialize them.

Oh… Well I feel like Portland is a post gay city in a lot of ways. There isn’t much of a gay scene, or community, but there are enclaves, and sub-demographics, and everyone seems to get along without a great deal of talking about it. Portland is great, but to be honest, I’m about to move to a small mountain town in Washington state. This homo will a go-go to a mountain town. So I’m officially putting out the call for other eligible bachelors to come queer the space–even more than it already is–with me.

(With regards to my coming out story) Mom, Dad, I like dick. At least thats how we joke about it now. I wrote them letters to explain what was going on with my life, and at school. I didn’t intend to come out that early, but I was kind of forced out after two friends of mine were talking about it at lunch, and some fellow students overheard. It’s rarely easy for anyone to come out, but we do it, and I’m so thankful I did it at a young age. It allowed me to normalize a lot of what would otherwise typically be considered “deviant” sexual behavior. I look at is as though I saved myself years of psycho-babel and internalized homophobia that would just postpone the inevitable, and help no one.”

Pedalfresh