January 29, 2011

JC

JC, age 5
Manila, Philippines (1986)

"Put a ring on THIS, Beyonce!"
Here I am, fierce at age 5!

It was a big family gathering here in the Philippines. The kids were prodded by the grown ups to perform something, and guess who stepped up?

I always knew I was different from other boys, even at an early age. And this photo definitely proves it.

Looking at it now as a 31 year old, it only reaffirms what I’ve always believed - that my being gay was not a choice.

I didn’t wake up one day and say, 'Hey I think I’m going to be gay starting today.'

Because the truth of the matter is, I was born this way.

So to all the young ones who are still coming to terms with their homosexuality,
I dare say: don’t hate your selves.

There’s nothing wrong with you, my sweet child.

Embrace your truth and celebrate it.
The sooner you do, the sooner you'll enjoy life. And there's so much to enjoy.

JC's first, famous-person same sex crush:
David Mendenhall (actor, "Over The Top")
_______________________________________________


Click here - "Born This Way: Real Stories of Growing Up Gay" book
Click here - "My First Gay Crush Blog"
Click to follow my blog with Bloglovin'

21 comments:

Nacho said...

http://nacigay.blogspot.com/

Amigos les dejo el link para escribir vuestras historias en espaƱol.
Muchas gracias

Alfie said...

Brilliant photo JC - fierce and gorgeous baby :-) x

Phantom said...

Woo Hoo!! Strike a pose, JC!! Way to go!!

KRH said...

u go boy!

Anonymous said...

(Personal Opinion) I still do not believe that people can be born gay.

Everyone as a child has moments like that, I can't tell you how many times I wore a dress, or acted in ways that were very feminine. I even went through all of high school, and some of college, with everyone and some of my closest friends thinking I was gay. Yet I'm still straight and have a lovely fiance.

Anonymous said...

Well, it is true that most homophobia is simply self denial, so it fits that you don't believe reality.

Betsy Lewis Gully said...

I "found" this blog through NPR. LOVE it and just need to tell you so!! Shared the NPR article with all my Facebook friends. I hope they all subscribe!!

Anonymous said...

i don't judge it, and it is natural, as absolutely everything you see in this world..(the number of people on this world tells us it is normal that there are going to be some people different than the others)... but they are not born that way, it's the circumstances that made their habits and preferences that way.. it has something to do only with psychology not the genes or anything physical... and i don't see what do we have to argue here...
and i am sure that's a really good article, although i'm not really in the mood to read it...

DJ Paul V. said...

Re: Anonymous' statement -
"But they are not born that way, it's the circumstances that made their habits and preferences that way. It has something to do only with psychology, not the genes or anything physical"

Are you heterosexual? If so, please come back and explain what "circumstances and psychology" as a child made you that way, and attracted to women.

We'll be waiting to hear it....

Anonymous said...

Wonderful response to Anonymous, Paul. At 4 years old, I used to stare at Charles Atlas comic book photos, long before I had a concept of sex or love. Let me tell you, in a family of 5 brothers and 5 sisters, we would have all been gay or all been straight if social conditioning had anything to do with it. Instead, it's 1-10!

Anonymous said...

Thank you, NPR! I'm so glad they wrote about this blog. These are such great photos, capturing the spirit of each child. It's exciting to see these brave little individuals, flying in the face of conformity! Now, I'm a gal and I like guys, and am a mom and grown woman, and I can walk into a hardware store and know the place like I own it. At 10 yrs old, I ran faster, climbed higher, and swore more than any boy I knew. Gender's a spectrum, folks! Leave black/white thinking where it belongs (which is nowhere!!!)

Anonymous said...

YEY! JC!-FLEM

Ranger John said...

"but they are not born that way, it's the circumstances that made their habits and preferences that way.. it has something to do only with psychology not the genes or anything physical... and i don't see what do we have to argue here..."

It's narcissistic to think that just because you were not born gay, that no one else could be born gay either.

Peter said...

Physically they were born the way they were, But I think they didn't choose to be gay. They were also not born gay either. My final thought is they were not born gay, but their surrounding environment along with what they had been through, whom they felt comfortable to hang out with, and whom they looked up to....(numerous other reasons) make them the way they are. It's just my thoughts, So feel free to discuss this topic and put your comments

DJ Paul V. said...

Peter,
Let me ask you this: Is there someone you knew as a young boy, or how your parents treated you, or knew someone you looked up to, that could have changed or affected your sexual orientation? Which, I assume, is heterosexual?

If so, then by your logic, it means that you were first gay - but then a bunch of those things I just mentioned suddenly made you decide or choose to be straight. Sounds kind of crazy, right? Simply apply that logic to gay people, and it's exactly the same.

bev34all2 said...

In 1993 I was in college, taking the course "The study of human sexuality." The text book and study stated that when the egg in the womb at the zygote stage, both testosterone (sp?) and estrogen are injected at the same time. However, testosterone is injected seconds longer in the egg for a boy chromosomed egg, by the same token, in those same seconds, estrogen is injected seconds longer in the egg for a girl chromosomed egg. They determined by post death studies, that sometimes through (all creation of life is a miracle)an anomoly the eggs get the opposite injection for their gender chromosome. So at birth? Yes, definitely I say.

Joanne Johnson said...

I believe people are born gay. There is no doubt in my mind. However, I'm not convinced that childhood photos of boys acting feminine is proof that they are gay.

Sarah said...

JC, You have a wonderful way with words. What an amazing message you shared with "the young ones." Thank you for being you!

Raven said...

well said.

Adrian said...

To anonymous poster (the ignorant one): was being straight a choice? no. just because you dressed up as a young kid doesn't mean you could have been gay. it's a common phase in young boys, gay or straight. (same thing with tomboys). you do not choose who you are attracted to or who you fall in love with, it just happens

And JC, you are a cutie pie!

Unknown said...

our son is 4 and loves dressing up in dresses and wearing jewellery, has mainly girl friends and this has pretty much always been his thing. don't know whether he'll grow up to be gay and don't really care. just hope he happily ends up with a lovely person who is right for him. some other family members have a few issues with how he is but we always tell them that it's his thing, it's him and it's up to us to get with his program, not the other way around.