the gay men project

photo by Kevin Truong

Daniel, in his own words: “For me, being gay was never as much about “coming out” as it was “coming to.” To say that I was “in the closet” would imply that I was hiding something about myself. I never lived a double life or purposely lied about who I was. I just finally started having the courage to answer my questions about feelings that I was previously confused by or didn’t fully understand. In college, my exposure to the gay community expanded and I realized that it was just like any other community in the sense that there was a place in it for everyone. I began to see that I didn’t have to live by a certain set of rules to be a part of it.

In my opinion, sexuality is a very personal thing and everyone has their own story to narrate. I think the biggest mistake that people make is trying to inflict their rules onto someone else’s sexuality. I am fortunate enough to have a strong support system of family and friends who do not try to dictate how I live my life. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule and I’ve had to cut ties with a few naysayers along the way, but every person, gay or straight, will encounter someone at some point who doesn’t approve of who they are or what they’re doing. I keep my head up by distancing myself from those negative people and surrounding myself with positive people in my life.”