Category Archives: New York City

ABC, Investment Banker and Yogi, New York City

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

ABC, in his own words: “To me, being gay means embracing individuality and accepting that life will always be more of a challenge, but rather than view the challenge as a burden, we should view it more as a blessing. A blessing because it affords us the opportunity to be more sympathetic and emphathetic to the “human condition”. We are also blessed because we have every opportunity to not only educate those who are unfamiliar with our community but also to live in a society where we are constantly reminded that we have to accept ourselves. Additionally, being gay also means acknowledging that the only choice (because so many people think that being gay is a choice) is to not lead a life of deceit – to be honest with who we are and to be proud of the the choice we have made to lead honest and fullfilling lives.

The biggest challenge I have faced (outside of coming out to my family 10 years ago) is dealing with a community that is extremely “passionate” about physical appearance. I am healthy by nature, but sometimes I find myself wondering if my healthy lifestyle is a choice that I have made for the betterment of myself, or if I’m purely a victim of a community that puts a lot of weight on outer beauty.

The gay community in New York is diverse and that speaks to the city in itself, which is why I believe so many people (regardless of sexual or gender orientation) flock to the city. Anyone, with discipline and passion, can not only thrive here, but also find a community that embraces those particular “doctrines”. This concept is most evident in the gay community. Because it is so diverse, I view the gay community as pockets of smaller communities that make up a whole. We even have gay venues that cater entirely to varying interests and I am in constant awe by how proud the community is.

I articulated “I am gay” around Thanksgiving about 10 years ago. I first came out to my best friend, Jeannine, and then came out to close friends and family after. For my family, I essentially told my sister and told her to tell everyone else because at that point in my coming out process, I was constantly feeling emotionally drained so I thought it would be less taxing if she just “spread the word”. “

Sam, Filmmaker, New York City

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

Sam, in his own words: “When I hear myself refer to myself as “a gay man,” I often feel alienated. My interest in one man compared to another feels so different, that I often forget that society sees me as a type. I feel anger toward people that demand me to define myself in a digestible manner, when really my goal is to open up and expand my identity. It seems counterproductive.”

Sam, Founder, New York City

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

Sam, in his own words: “Outside of the literal definition of what being gay means, I’m sure every gay man or woman operationally defines it according to their own unique experiences. For me, being gay means liberation & honesty. Like many others, prior to coming out I had decided that life would be easier if I pretended to be straight. However, it was a completely miserable and lonely existence. Once I mustered the courage to ‘come out’ life was one hundred times better. It was an emancipation. I was free to be authentic and honest with the people that I love and care deeply about. Every meaningful friendship or acquaintance I’ve acquired since coming out has been so much stronger than the ones I made before, because now I am honest with myself and the people around me.

The biggest challenge I face is when my idealism is confronted with the current reality in the world. I dream of world where I can go anywhere and hold my partners hand, and if while doing so we entered the scope of vision of strangers, it would be as mundane and commonplace as the dog poop on the sidewalks on the Upper West Side. Many times, I go about life thinking that people no longer find gay people peculiar, until I walk the streets in Brooklyn, The Bronx, and in some areas of uptown Manhattan, and quickly become reminded by the glares that I could still get my ass whooped….still…in 2013. I want to live in a world where I can hold my partners hand without being afraid.

The gay community in New York is pretty vibrant and diverse. There’s lots to do and with a ton of great people. Although, at times, I think the community could do more to appreciate the strength of the diversity it possesses.

I came out to my family via e-mail at 3 o’clock in the morning. The subject line read: I’M GAY!!!. I have 13 siblings and being born & raised in the way of the Lord in Detroit, Michigan, you can probably imagine how much fun it was for me once my family started checking their emails later that morning 🙂

I have an amazing family that loves and supports everything I do. Although my worldview is different from theirs, and they are clear about what they believe God says about homosexuality, they’ve become LGBT allies and will be at my gay wedding. They’ll undoubtedly be the ones dancing barefoot on the dance floor. I love them. I am lucky. We’ve all grown a lot as a result of my coming out. I know that many other gay men and women often face rejection from their families, I’ve had an opposite experience.”