Christopher, age 2
Palmyra, PA (1979)
Growing up in a small town in Pennsylvania, I knew from a very early age that I need to get to the Big Apple ASAP. My Mom and I (and later my little brother) would listen to records of all the great musicals: Sound of Music, The King And I, South Pacific. I knew them all by heart at a very early age. I remember visiting my Aunt Susan who had a great studio apartment with her boyfriend in the city, and I wanted to be there.
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"A picture is worth a thousand words" - and I believe this one says plenty!" |
After 14 years of living in New York City, I still can't believe sometimes that I'm actually here. At a young age I loved NYC for all the energy and fabulousness of it. I wouldn't realize till later in life that another huge part of coming to New York would be to find people that were like me.
Coming out at 17 is hard no matter how supportive your family is - and mine was incredibly supportive. I still, however, needed to be with my "people". Meeting and becoming friends with not only gay men - but also straight people who were just as supportive of my being gay - was incredible. That wouldn't have happened in rural Pennsylvania where I grew up.
I do think that one of the things that we all need to remember, especially those of us living in urban "bubbles" is that while people are becoming more accepting everyday, there are still kids stuck in places where they can not get support. So many of us have left the homophobia of our youth and forgotten that some people are still there.
Groups such as The Trevor Project are doing an incredible job
at being there for these very kids.
I am now engaged to be married to my wonderful boyfriend of 7 years, and we are living an incredible life together. And although I did actually pursue the Broadway dream, it wasn't meant to be.
However, that did bring me to a city and gay community that has accepted me and helped me to have an incredibly happy career and life.
Coming out at 17 is hard no matter how supportive your family is - and mine was incredibly supportive. I still, however, needed to be with my "people". Meeting and becoming friends with not only gay men - but also straight people who were just as supportive of my being gay - was incredible. That wouldn't have happened in rural Pennsylvania where I grew up.
I do think that one of the things that we all need to remember, especially those of us living in urban "bubbles" is that while people are becoming more accepting everyday, there are still kids stuck in places where they can not get support. So many of us have left the homophobia of our youth and forgotten that some people are still there.
Groups such as The Trevor Project are doing an incredible job
at being there for these very kids.
I am now engaged to be married to my wonderful boyfriend of 7 years, and we are living an incredible life together. And although I did actually pursue the Broadway dream, it wasn't meant to be.
However, that did bring me to a city and gay community that has accepted me and helped me to have an incredibly happy career and life.
Christopher's first, famous-person same sex crush:
Christopher Reeve ("Superman - The Movie")
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