Tag Archives: kevin truong

Yoshi and Bill, Gallery Owners, Vancouver B.C.

photo by Kevin Truong

Bill, in his own words: “(With regards to being gay) Well an easy answer to that would be I feel like a Mac in a PC world. Which is pretty much held true for the last 20 or 30 years. The Macintosh computer (being gay) allowed me to do things that otherwise I would not have thought possible. The world up until recently saw things in a mechanical binary black or white either/or light. Straight/Gay. Very PC. Light has many colors!

As soon as I got comfortable with myself, I was off and running. Traveling all over the world. Escaping AIDS was the incentive to get out and live a truly excellent life. I had magically escaped the bullet. I was spared for this purpose.

The big challenge for me is always to stay in the moment. It is still very easy for me to terrorize myself with the past and the future. Keeping focused on the things that are important in the moment. In the context of love and sharing.

(The gay community in Vancouver is) Spread wide and far, usually you find community where living is cheap and cheerful. Not much of that in Vancouver. We meet in local coffee house or bars and establish small networks of friends . Pretty standard arrangements.

(My coming out story) was pretty much covered in the David Leddick interview that I did about 2003. Here is the link to that interview

my coming out

Probably TMI

(If I could give advice to myself before coming out) Truth is in the doing and being. Look for it now.”

Yoshi, in his own words” “Hula has changed my perspective on life. The teachings of hula are the teachings of life. They are learned using your six senses and your whole being as you get in harmony with nature. I realized what the hula has taught me is crucial to me as a photographer and an artist. It is about loving all things that nature provides, being compassionate and cooperative, respecting each other, and nurturing a sincere and humble heart. It is far more important to reshape one’s state of mind than to learn to do the dance moves. When one frees their mind, they start to dance with spontaneous and innocent smiles like children. I consider the hula to be a lifelong learning, and I want to share this love (“aloha”) with people. During my stay in Hawaii, I learned the hula and performed at numerous events. Although I am not designated as a hula teacher (“kumu”) and am still in the process of learning the hula myself, a friend of mine gathered up her friends and asked me to teach them. The hula family has grown by word of mouth, and I have the privilege of teaching 2 classes a week to 20 members (as of 2009). When I left Hawaii, my hula teacher said to me “Hula needs individuals who strive to raise their consciousness, and I know you will meet those people in Vancouver.” As it turns out, most of my students are involved in things such as Reiki, Qigong, Kabbalah(?) (numerology), and other forms of healing or study to better themselves and help others. I have become who I am today because of my hula family, and I’m so grateful to have met them.

(If I could give myself advice before coming out) My advice to myself would be “you are born free”

Blake, Film Maker, New York City

photo by Kevin Truong

Blake, in his own words: “I’ve lived in New York City for two and a half years and been gay for just a little longer. Living in the city hasn’t changed how I view or deal with my sexuality; if anything, there’s just a greater fear of missing out when I choose to stay home and watch Netflix (a frequent occurrence). What has changed is my perception of other queer men. About a year ago, I directed a short documentary called 20MALEGAYNYCthat featured young gay men living in New York talking about their relationships with other gay men, their own sexuality, and attempting to define the gay community (or lack thereof). The impetus for the project was one simple question: Why have all of my gay male friends said, “I hate gay guys?”

It’s easy to generalize anyone, not just gay men, but this internalized homophobia is a way of thinking that I had noticed in my friends and myself. It felt cool to be accepted by straight guys, to not seem as “gay” or “flamboyant” as someone else, to be able to say, “Well at least I’m not that obvious.” For many, it’s a good feeling when someone is surprised to learn you’re gay (that’s never really happened in my experience, but I can understand the feeling).

Through talking to other queer men my age for this documentary, and my current web series Male Gays , I became more aware of my own homophobic thoughts and behaviors and learned to be more accepting of other gay men. All the criticisms I had internalized about myself were expressed in my jokes or dismissive comments about someone liking Glee or dressing a certain way, when those have absolutely nothing to do with sexuality. It’s easy to attach a lot of baggage to one’s gay identity, but it’s healthier to accept that behavior and interests have nothing to do with who a person sleeps with, and even if they did, the person has every right to express these behaviors and interests. I still may not agree with fans of Glee, but detaching that from a gay stereotype has been important and healthy for me.”

Quentin, Editor-in-Chief, New York City

photo by Kevin Truong

Quentin, in his own words: “Being Gay for me means something special. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s more than physical characteristics like being 5’11 and 175lbs, more than liking chocolate or my dislike for cilantro. It’s similar to- but not quite the same- as being African American. It is something that is very close to me, but still not my defining characteristic. Being gay for me is not just about sexuality even though it’s related. It’s more than being apart of a community. It is something that I am proud of now, but when I was younger it was a struggle. I created Fop Magazine (a Gay-Centric Fashion & Lifestyle Magazine, fopmag.com) in part to establish a venue for gay people to share in lifestyle and fashion but to use gayness as a launch point not a limitation.

I think the biggest challenge- and triumph! – that I’ve have had with being gay are my own feelings. People can think or say whatever they want, but what is most important is how I feel. Of course I feel that I have been liked or disliked because of it, but who hasn’t felt that way. My biggest triumph is over coming self-doubt and loving myself.

I was fortunate enough to grow up in a community where I felt loved so coming out wasn’t that hard. But that didn’t make it easy. I never really felt like I had to hide it, but sometimes felt like it may have been ignored. I remember feeling awkward when family members would ask me if I had a girlfriend. I would always say no and change the topic. One time my stepmother asked me if I had a girlfriend and I said no, then she asked me if I had a boyfriend and I said no. I guess that was her way of asking me if I were gay. My dad that same summer asked why I went to Dupont Circle so often, and I just said it was apart of my commute to work at Abercrombie, which was in Georgetown.

Growing up in North Carolina when I was in High School I would go to these meetings called G.L.A.S.S. (Gay and Lesbian Adolescent Support System). I would tell my mother that I was going to student council meetings. I remember having such a fear of going at first, but once I started I felt more and more like I had found my place. I remember thinking, “These people are normal and I am one of them”. I guess I was looking for a place to belong. Later in high school I met my first boyfriend at Governor’s School. I was totally in love with him. He was a year older, Filipino, and was going to be a doctor. We had big plans to go to prom together and later to attend the same college. I thought, “This is the man I am going to marry in our backyard,” like Pedro Zamora of The Real World. I was wrong. Later that year he dumped me for a girl. I was devastated. So I wore my powder blue tux with the ruffles down the front of the shirt and my Adidas with the same color stripes to the prom with my best girlfriend at the time.

I finally came out to my mother when I was a freshman in college. I drove home and told her I was gay. She said, “I know”. We both started crying. She told me she worried about my future because of it- like getting a job, HIV, and hemorrhoids. Looking back it was a pretty hilarious conversation. I never really told my dad, but never felt I had to. He knows and he sometimes asks if I have a partner, and I tell him I’m still single. He gives me advice like having separate bank accounts and to always use condoms. Dad stuff. “

Check out Quentin’s Magazine, FOP