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.

Torrey, Artist, New York City

photo by Kevin Truong

Torrey, in his own words:” I definitely see being gay within the context of a broader identity as a Queer person. I see it as a history, both forgotten and hidden, triumphantly emerging from the shadows, drumming and dancing a present and future sown with compassion and conscious of our existence as a collective bound to the lonely orb upon which we sit. Iconoclasts, enigmas, renegades, eccentrics, artists, healers, spiritual leaders, and so much more, across the body of this Earth, throughout humankind’s presence here. Essentially, in my opinion, it means we’re a marvelous and absolutely essential gift to our societies and communities, as powerful archetypes and as individuals embodying those roles as ancient as life itself.

At risk of sounding like Miss New Age America, one matter I encounter daily and expect to until the last, is how to love myself better so I am capable of greater love, in intention and action, towards all of humankind, our fellow occupants on the Mothership and the big blue and green lady herself. I feel as a Queer Person of Color who occupies space and has been conditioned within a racist, hetero-cis-sexist, patriarchal culture, my never ending journey in self-love and liberation, unlearning fear, stigma, shame and self-hatred, is both my greatest enduring challenge and endless opportunity for success, wisdom, and joy. “

Piotr, Warsaw, Poland

photo by Kevin Truong

Piotr, in his own words:“(Being gay) means a lot because I consider myself a human being, a gay and a European. I’m so proud in this respect that would never change. It’s inseparable, blissful, it’s me!

I’m critical of myself and think there are loads of those much better than me. However, I’m working on that at the moment. Because it’s not so easy to organize the biggest gay party in this part of Europe and be the owner of a gay bar – this is certainly a success. A personal success!

The gay community in (Warsaw) is more & more aware of its rights and value. It’s clearly visible when one goes for a trip outside the capital. The gay guys there are greyish or even invisible, thus do not stand out from the crowd. That’s why Warsaw has become a gay capital with a large community of those who cannot resist the temptation and are super cool and super colourful.

(Advice I’d give my younger self) To be more determined when it comes to dreams that were in fact reachable at some point. Now I know that a person can step back from any decision and any plan, or simply get back to the previous position. My younger self was far too scared and unaware of that.”

Walter and Kit, Portland, Oregon

Kit and Walter, photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

Kit and Walter, photo by Kevin Truong

Walter and Kit, in their own words: “We have been together for nearly 20 years and we will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary next month. We were living and working in Boston when marriage equality was passed in 2004. We took advantage of it, even though we were unsure if it would remain legal, as there were many attempts to undo it.

Kit was born and raised in Singapore. He came here to go to college in Texas. We met soon after he took his first job out of college, in Philadelphia. He was just coming to grips with his sexuality. He approached me to be his pen pal on the web and I agreed. We did not meet in person for over six months but once we did, it was clear that we enjoyed one another a lot. Once he got his green card, Kit came to live with me in Boston.

I was raised in a conservative family and married early. By the time I met Kit I had served 23 years in the active Army and was working a second career. I was also out to everyone by then, which provided Kit great support in his coming out journey.

We have both prospered professionally and, as we are both in the same field now, we are able to give significant understanding and support to one another.

Being gay is an aspect of our life, an important one and one that we are proud of, but it does not rule our existence. We lead a pretty normal, home based, lifestyle. We have a nice circle of friends and remain close to our families. We try to be supportive of the local and national gay community in a variety of ways.

If we had any advice to give our younger selves it would be to be proud of who you are and how you live and worry less about what others think. As Oscar Wilde said: “The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.”

THE GAY MEN PROJECT

The visual catalog of gay and queer men around the world.

Author Archives: thegaymenproject

About thegaymenproject

Torrey, Artist, New York City

Piotr, Warsaw, Poland

Walter and Kit, Portland, Oregon