Tag Archives: president obama

Leonard, Visual Merchandiser/Designer/Creative, San Francisco

photo by Kevin Truong

Leonard, in his own words: For me, to be gay might mean something a little different than most. I was born and raised in the Bahamas, which is uber conservative, and being gay is not generally acceptable…though I always knew I was. This of course was very difficult, but in many ways I am grateful for my upbringing and became a much stronger individual because of it. I learned that I do not have to do what everyone else is doing, nor am I supposed to.

After growing up in Nassau, moving to San Francisco fascinated me because I always thought how amazing it would be to see the rainbow of gays whom I imagined to be here. Of course, some actual “individual” gays do exist, but it seems like most gays have assimilated to a stereotypical “gay mold” in an effort to be accepted as some type of normal. That may be fine for those who want to be accepted by everyone, but I would rather be accepted on my own terms than anyone else’s. Lucky for me, all my dearest friends (I think) feel the same way!

Brandon, Singer/Songwriter, Portland, Ore.

photo by Kevin Truong

Brandon, in his own words:“In terms of what it’s like for me to be gay, I’ll put it as simple as this: “I like Fruity Pebbles cereal because I like the taste, not because I’m a fruit”

I’ve always known I was gay since I was a young boy watching Kevin Bacon in Footloose. Yum. I can’t honestly say I was ever confused about my identity or who I was as a person. The problem for me was that I always knew exactly who I was and was aware that it wasn’t safe during my high school years in a small Midwest town (Quincy, Illinois) to be open and honest about it. The only gay people that were out in high school were the stereotypical gay guys who did the musicals and were the acting teachers pet. As much as I respected those boys bravery for being out and proud when the rest of us weren’t, I never identified with those stereotypes and have done my best throughout my life to avoid the comparisons.

Sure, I like a good pop song, I even dig glitter on the right night, but to sum up all gay people into one category that revolves around musicals, Bette Midler and makeup is unfair, inaccurate and a stereotype I will never be comfortable submitting to. I drink Whiskey, I wear the same thing twice in a row some days and have a deep love and appreciation for Pink Floyd thanks to my Grandpa Butch. Being a gay male is many things, mostly it just means you are attracted to men and that’s that. The End.

Michael, Grade School Teacher, Portland, Ore.

photo by Kevin Truong

Michael, in his own words:“I’m a small town boy from Eastern Oregon. I grew up in a town surrounded by farm land, deer, barns and rivers in a peaceful valley hours away from any city. I never left my small town until I went to college at the University of Oregon. I ended up getting into Theatre and moved to New York City for a few years after college. It’s hard to define myself because I’ve been know to throw myself into new situations and been able to adapt well. In New York I served celebrities and mafia heads in a high end restaurant in mid town Manhattan. I booked modeling and acting jobs on the side while fulfilling my fantasy of making things happen in NYC. Eventually I missed the trees and returned to Oregon. I define myself as someone who is able to maintain a sense of self in any situation and loves to push my own boundaries.

I’ve evolved quite a bit in the past ten years. I now work with children and have my masters in elementary education. What’s important to me has changed a lot. What’s important to me now is being a part of a community and feeling like what I do gives back to a community that supports and fulfills me. I no longer worry about feeding my own ego like I did in my early 20’s.

Being a gay man to me is much more than helping people accept the fact that I love other men. I feel that that is something that shouldn’t even be questioned. I like that I can present myself as a person who is happy with who he is, no matter what that is. I am comfortable in my own skin. I treat people right and it makes me happy to connect with people on a personal level. I have a hard time finding someone who doesn’t enjoy being around me. I’m happy being who I am and what I’ve done with my life. I think that’s hard to find a fault in. I own my decisions and actions and don’t regret much. If someone doesn’t like me than it’s only because I represent some fault in themselves that they’re insecure about.

My coming out was not nearly as dramatic as most gay men. I came out to my two siblings on my 21st birthday which resulted in a group hug and cheers. My mother’s reaction was simply, “well now we can FINALLY talk about it!” I didn’t come out to my Dad until I brought home a boyfriend when I was 26. He was happy to meet him and they bonded over talking about photography. I’ve always felt that my sexuality is as big of a deal as I make it out to be. I’m incredibly proud to be gay and I would never want any alternative reality. Being gay has brought so many opportunities that I would have never had as a straight man. I’ve met incredible and colorful people from around the world and been able to do things that the average person from La Grande Oregon will never be able to do. Being gay has pushed me to know myself well and to give myself permission to have faults and embrace what makes me an individual.”

THE GAY MEN PROJECT

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

Tag Archives: president obama

Leonard, Visual Merchandiser/Designer/Creative, San Francisco

Brandon, Singer/Songwriter, Portland, Ore.

Michael, Grade School Teacher, Portland, Ore.