Tag Archives: brazil

Felipe, Graphic Designer/LGBT Activist, Rio De Janeiro

photo by Kevin Truong

Felipe, in his own words: “Being gay for me today is more than just having sex and being in love with another man. Its a political choice that I make everyday.

Everyday is challenge for me. I truly believe that being openly gay in Brazil is still a challenge and thats why after living abroad I choose to be here. I feel like there’s a lot to be done for the Brazilian gay community.

(The gay community in Rio De Janeiro) is the same as anywhere else in Brazil, lol.

(Coming out of the closet) was easy and disturbing at the same time. Easy because after you do it you keep thinking: why was I there in the first place? Disturbing because you realize how scared people can get from it. To find myself in such a hateful world was really confusing.

(If I could give myself advice before coming out, I’d say) If you want to go far, go slow”

João Victor, Engineer, Rio De Janeiro

photo by Kevin Truong

João, in his own words: “I had my sexuality stamped on me by other people when I didn’t even had traces of some kind of sexual drive. When I first noticed that I was different from the other boys, when I finally understood the looks, the giggles, the bullying I had nothing to do but to deny to myself who I was and do my best to fit in that world that I had been told that I didn’t belong to. I had to be straight. That goal made me put so much effort and energy trying to be something different that I ended up stuck in an unhappy middle.

My coming out was a long and calculated process. It started with me proving to myself that I was no worse than anyone else based solely on being gay and ended after some tequila shots in the arms of a polish guy in a club in Barcelona. That moment, when I finally allowed myself to touch a man in a sexual way, that was my coming out. I was 22 and I finally felt free.

Telling my friends and family that I was gay wasn’t hard. Again, it took me a little while and some planning to absorb everything that was I going through before spreading the word. I was happy and I wanted to share that. I have the most amazing supporting family and, as I predicted, they could not have had a better reaction.

During my so called coming out process, I surrounded myself with friends that I knew that wouldn’t make a big deal out of my sexuality. Most of them weren’t surprised and some couldn’t wait any longer for that moment.

For people to deal with my sexual orientation naturally I also try to deal with it as naturally as possible. In Rio, especially in Ipanema where I live, I feel safe and always walk hand in hand with my boyfriend. I never hesitate to hug or kiss him in public places. In these moments, the “I don’t belong here” feeling that I mentioned vanishes completely.

When you asked me if I could give any advice to myself before coming out, I’d say:

Man, surround yourself with kind people and be kind!”

Vito and Fernando, Photographer and Civil Servant, Rio De Janeiro

photo by Kevin Truong

Fernando, in his own words: “I never thought what means to me to be a gay man. But I know or I feel it´s not just only be sexually attracted to other men, it´s being comfortable with it.

Challenge or success of being gay? I think we only have challenge being gay! All of the people around us think about our sexuallity or our homosexuality, and rarely we hear good things from them. All the time we have to prove we are not pathetic or promiscuous.

“Coming out” was not very easy. Even hard! I think it was a process I took some time to complete. It was not very easy to accept myself but keep secrets is very exhausting. The first step of my “coming out” was accept that I am gay, then was easier to tell my sons and my family.

(If I could give myself advice before coming out I’d say) Don´t waste time!! Be happy!!”

Vitor, in his own words “It’s really simple, to be gay is to be happy with myself and faithful with other people.

I keep having a challenge, cause my family “don’t know” about my sexuality, or they pretend to… but it’s ok, because we live too far. I’m being successful about my friends, I’ve never had any problem with then about this. They are my family in Rio.

The gay community in Rio is really bad… we have always the same things happening, same parties, same places, same people…. same blah blah blah. I love the gay community at São Paulo, there’s a lot of differences from here!

(With regards to coming out) I’m still in the closet…to my family! hahahhaha But in Rio, everybody knows, and it happened in the most normal way:
– Hi Carol, I’m gay.
– Ok. lets go drink!

(Advice I’d give myself) Face your family, they love you.”

THE GAY MEN PROJECT

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

Tag Archives: brazil

Felipe, Graphic Designer/LGBT Activist, Rio De Janeiro

João Victor, Engineer, Rio De Janeiro

Vito and Fernando, Photographer and Civil Servant, Rio De Janeiro