* 1 Million Views - A Tribute To Dennis *

 Hi everyone,
I really don't know where to begin, or what to say, or how to properly say it.
But I'll give it a shot :)

Today (2/6/11) the "Born This Way" Blog hit ONE MILLION visitors!

I can't really wrap my head around that, but I'm trying! And this is some kinda cool kizmet: This blog launched exactly 4 weeks ago today on 1/9/11, and hit the million-mark almost to the hour of the first posting! Kind of crazy, right?

So first, let's all applaud Kevin - our happy baton-twirling gay boy - for being the first! And this was back when I was literally begging my friends (like Kevin) with 'Hey, check out this new blog I have, and please submit something' ...

But now, let's all STAND UP - yes you, get off your chair and turn off the Superbowl for a minute - and scream, cheer, applaud and give some love, to... DENNIS!

If I had not seen his infamous pic a few years ago, my concept and idea for this project would never have come to pass!

Dennis is the reason this whole project exists!
(Well, and for posing so fabulously in his picture back in 1974!)

Thus, I was waiting for just the right time to post up his actual submission.
And I think hitting the one million mark is about as perfect a time as any.
So go check out Dennis' story out below.

And for ALL of us - myself, the people featured here, you viewers, the people leaving the wonderful comments, the countless other blogs and press pages linking to this site, and all the people emailing me with some of the most heartfelt and amazing feedback and words of encouragement:

Let's all share a toast!!!

Let's raise our glasses to each other, to full equality for gay people, to ending homophobia, to only loving our children for exactly who they are, and for those very children themselves, who need US to be their rock and their role models,
and maybe most important of all -- let's all toast to LOVE!

With heartfelt thanks!
xo Paul V., Blogmaster
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Dennis, age 3
St. Louis, Missouri (1974)

I vaguely remember this picture being taken, but I think the Olan Mills "photographer" was delaying, and I was trying to stand still while doing the
pee-pee dance. Or? I was naturally inclined to be an "Actor, Dancer, Model!"

Either way, it was amazing to me that after having this picture and a few others hanging in "my spot" in the hallway while growing up, that my parents were shocked that I was gay. How could they not figure it out? Denial, anyone?

I actually didn't know anyone else who was gay when I was growing up, and I wasn't really sure I understood what it meant. So it took me till 19-years old to figure it out. And then, the childhood pictures all made sense. Such as this 2nd pic, of me at 8 months old.

My sister had dressed me up in her Brownie Scout uniform (beret and all), and from the looks of it, I thought it was funnier than she did. I can't tell if I was doing that same knee-point under the skirt, but I'm willing to bet I was. 

Today, I live in Long Beach, CA and I've been cutting and styling hair for years.

Hey, imagine that - a gay hairstylist! Weird, huh? :)

Dennis' first, famous-person same sex crush:
Mario Lopez (on "Saved By The Bell")
And he just keeps getting better!
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Click here - "Born This Way: Real Stories of Growing Up Gay" book
Click here - "My First Gay Crush Blog"
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