Jeremy

Jeremy, age 8

Charlottesville, VA (1989)

Five states before my move to SF, CA, I was busy practicing gay stereotypes as a jazz dance student.  This photo shows me getting amped for my dance class's annual performance. My mom says she assumed I was gay from age 6 onward. Shocker, right? Seeing this photo today cracks me up.

"Work It Out"

Even though I cared about having friends then, I was always doing my own thing. That said, I'm glad to have left my relationship with spandex back in the 80's.

Aside from all the standard stuff (friends with as many girls as boys, didn't like traditional sports, displayed tons of dramatic behavior, etc.), notable examples of my burgeoning gayness include:

• Obsessing over Jessica Rabbit in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit."  It got to the point where I would watch the movie on repeat, while drawing little scenes of myself and Jessica hanging out together.  I would cry each time the film ended, because I didn't want Jessica to go away.
   
• Obsessing over Madonna. I would choreograph dance routines to her songs and perform them for my mom's friends. My poor mother...  When Madonna's "Vogue" lost the Video Of The Year award in 1990 to Sinead O'Conner, I sobbed hysterically (see a pattern here?) and ranted at the television.

I always knew I was different, and so did other kids. I bit the bullet by coming out at age 13, and ever looked back.

Jeremy's first, famous-person same sex crush:

Dolph Lundgren ("Masters Of The Universe")
Which is weird 'cuz I don't normally go for blondes