Photo by Kevin Truong

Ian, in his own words: “Having grown up in rural Midwest, the challenges I’ve faced (as a gay man) have been on a more personal level due to my community. Though it is close to my heart, the social and geographical aspects of my community growing up affected me in somewhat negative ways, and the individual experiences, both then and now, have shown me how powerful shame can be, and moreover how much I want to help those with similar (and different) struggles.”