Tag Archives: photos

Jon Fe, Painter, Panama City

photo by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

Jon Fe, in his own words:
“Que significa ser gay para ti?

Que te gusten personas de tu mismo sexo, no es un “look” o una actitud. Una forma de vida que No tiene alternativa forzada.

Cuales han sido los retos que haz enfrentado como un hombre gay?

No muchos, he sido afortunado. En secundaria si me molestaron mucho hasta cuando ni sabia que o era. Me maquillaron a la fuerza y me tomaron fotos. Ahora no tengo “retos” mas que encontrar una pareja que me complemente y viceversa.

Como es la comunidad gay en Panama?

Emm, pequena. No es una graan comunidad, pero es algo. Mejor que la de Central Point, OR hahaha. Tengo mas amigos gays, y menos amigas lesbianas. Diria que la comunidad gay se divide en dos principalmente. Los que van a discotecas gay, y los que aun quieren pretender ser straight hahah (closet boys)

Cual es tu historia al salir del closet?

Le conte a mi mama primero, fui MUY directo y honesto. Le hice entender que ya era un hecho y que estaba pasando. She was talking trash of an old high school friend, telling me she was a slut. She reached my boiling point so I told her I was dating a 24 year old guy (17 at the moment, a month away of my bday) and just because I wasn’t going around telling everyone I had sex it didn’t make me more or less of a slut. She didn’t say aything but she’s always been fairly accepting within her own education and cultural beliefs she grew up with. I really can’t complain, she’s met my friends and boyfriend and she’s been fairly accepting.

My dad asked me weeks later and I totally dismissed him and gave him a silly excuse I didn’t think he’d believe. Maybe a year later I told him I was applying to scholarships and grants and there a few for gay guys. He asked me why would you apply for a gay schoolarship. I told him with a obvious tone to my voice, “because I’m queer”. He said he wanted to take me for a drink and talk about it and he invited me to a appletini and he had a beer and it was nice. He was really funny about it. One of my brothers always knew and the other one saw a picture of me kissing my ex. It was hilarious hahah.”

Ferxo, DJ, Panama 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

Ferxo, in his own words: “Being gay is not easy, don’t give it up, stay strong, be you, do what you love and be happy.

Better times are coming… We need to work together, because we are making “El Cambio” for a Better World.”

Dennis and Dan, Floral Arranger and Retired Cop, 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

Dan, in his own words: “(Being gay) Doesn’t rule my life as I consider myself and Dennis to be just like other guys with the difference being sexual desire. I have not as of yet faced blatant discrimination as a gay man, however, I am aware of comments made by people who do not know that I am a gay man. When I ask for benefits or apply for anything involving administration changes for my spouse, I am always asked “what is your wife’s name?” Seems that America is still not used to same sex marriage.

I never had an official coming out event but just started being more honest with people who wanted to know. Certainly surviving Sept 11th, 2001 made my decision to be more open a fact.

New York is not truly representative of what gay men are really like. There seems to be a lot of the bad traits here in New York City with alcohol, drug, substance abuse and lack of self esteem taking a front seat. So many young men gravitate to NYC to escape their inability to be who they want in their original locales. Being gay is not all about vanity, clubs, living in gay neighborhoods, only hanging out with gay men and only frequenting gay establishments. It seems that our desire to be only amongst our own kind leads to a line between us and the heterosexual community.”