Christopher

Christopher, age 8

Sulligent, Alabama (1979)

Clearly as displayed in my photo, I already knew how to descend a staircase with flair while holding a cocktail. Even though that’s probably just a Pepsi...

But as one might imagine, growing up in rural Alabama was challenging for me. 

I certainly wasn’t like all the other kids, and because of that I was an easy target for name-calling and bullying - of which there was plenty. And, of course, I had to remain “closeted” until I left home. Even though everyone knew that I was as gay as a Christmas goose, it simply wasn’t discussed.  

One particular Sunday evening when I was only about 3-years old, Miss Christine was visiting during our family's weekly "visit" gatherings, which meant lots of gossip. She was one of our town’s hairdressers who sported a bouffant so high it was in danger of being caught in our ceiling fan. She was always very smartly dressed, with impeccably polished nails and perfect hair. 

I was fascinated with Miss Christine. She was like a real-life Dolly Parton - minus the huge tits and rhinestones - right there in my living room. However, even the snappiest dressers can drop the ball, and one Sunday evening I went over to Miss Christine, crawled into her lap, looked her straight in the eye and said - keep in mind, I wasn’t yet four years old:

'Miss Christine, you look real pretty...

But your purse and your shoes don’t match.'

Let's just say it was the first time I made a room fall apart!

Once I got to college in the larger city of Birmingham, I began to realize there was a great big world outside of my small hometown. And I finally was able to start becoming the person I was meant to be, in all my glitter-encrusted glory.

I launched a successful career as a professional dancer and choreographer, traveling all over the U.S. with musicals and working with some of the greatest pros in show business. I have had the good fortune to live in New York, San Francisco, and now currently Los Angeles. And I’m blessed to share a gorgeous home with my amazing husband and our two cats. 

Currently, I “co-exist” with the “showgirl, chanteuse, and Southern belle” Poppy Fields and perform as one-half of the cabaret act “Mack & Poppy.”

It does indeed “get better” - but here’s the catch: You have to make it get better, and realize that there are always hardships, always tests, and always people who will hurl insults your way - even when you’re an adult.  

You learn, though, to remember that the ones who take issue with you and/or your sexuality are insignificant, and those who are truly meant to be part of your life, or are important in your life, don’t give a damn who you love.

All-in-all, it’s been an amazing ride and great life, and it’s still going strong. 

And I sure learned a lot from those “steel magnolias” that surrounded me as a child; and I know that wherever she is now, Miss Christine would be pleased that my purse and my shoes always match!

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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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Henry

Henry, age 6

Birmingham, Alabama (1986)

This picture of me and my (also gay) twin brother Andy was taken at our grandmother's house. We would always fight over who got to wear the silky shirt. I'm on the right in the shirt, and Andy is on the left in the heels.

This picture and time of my life brings back great memories, because my grandparents didn't care about our differences. They just wanted us to be happy and to be ourselves.

We were both big fans of Care Bears and My Little Pony. 

My sister had an ET doll and Godzilla figure that would shoot its hand off. But Andy and I pretty much stuck to our stuffed animals and Rainbow Brite dolls.

Speaking of stuffed animals, I came out to my teddybear at 5.

But our older sister actually came out before we did, so she helped break our parents in. 

I like to say we all helped drag our parents kicking and screaming into the 21st century! LOL!

For younger gay kids reading this, I would like to tell them that I thank God every day I was born a homosexual. It has helped me to grow as an individual and learn so much more about myself at an early age.

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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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Pat

Pat, age 3

Mobile, AL (1960)

When I was 3, I had only just begun to know the value of a good look. In this case it was a petticoat from my sister's closet. I not only used the simpler version (shown here) as a skirt, but used her frillier one as fake hair. This was only after trial and error, and learning that using Spanish moss as fake hair left me with itchy chiggers. Chiggers are red bugs with painful bites. We'd paint them with fingernail polish to suffocate them. Thus, it was necessary to raid my mother's make-up. This may or may not be suitable chigger treatment, but hey...

"Pat comes out of the closet at age 3"

It was also about this time that I developed my soprano singing voice. "Away In A Manger" was my most requested song, no matter the time of year.

My ability to do 'The Twist' for hours on end made me the entertainment go-to for most of my parents' parties.

I never dressed in ladies' clothes again until I was 14 and was "required" to do so at my large southern Baptist church during a youth retreat.

I tied with a guy named Charlie as the winner in a "backwards" Beauty Pageant. This time, I was a knockout in my Mom’s alligator pumps and handbag, and a long black fall (a half wig) that belonged to my 5th grade teacher.

My childhood crush was Sandy on "Flipper" and I even wanted to change my name to Sandy. In retrospect, it was probably just an effort to get close to his dad, Ranger Ricks (Brian Kelly). I wonder if they ever used petticoats so creatively?

I can honestly say that the Baptist church, the Alabama public education system, and a superstar dolphin sitcom definitely fine-tuned my sense of style. And it all made me the blissful gay Renaissance man I am today.

Somebody say AMEN!

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

Luke Halpin (Sandy on "Flipper")

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Jeffrey

Jeffrey, age 7

Wetumpka, Alabama (1968)

I was a smart, eccentric kid, who was quite often prone for creating dramatic moments. I was fairly extroverted and asked lots and lots of questions, which I later discovered annoyed many adult friends & family members. The best thing my parents did for me then was get me involved in a local children's community theater program, to channel my creative energy. Also, I was quite conscious of my wardrobe, even at an early age. A childhood friend recently reminded of my youthful passion for Hush Puppy shoes, which started in about the 3rd grade.

"It’s never too cold to show off a nice pair of legs."

This was the Christmas photo call on the front porch of my grandparents’ house. Why was I wearing shorts outdoors at Christmas? Lord only knows. My beloved grandmother told me shortly thereafter that I was getting to be too old for shorts and knee socks.

Growing up in Texas, I always felt like I was different from other kids. For my entire childhood, I couldn’t understand why I didn’t like football, dating, or other things Texan. It was not until I went off to college that my first girlfriend suspected what was going, labeled it, and got me onto the path of self-discovery (yeah, a real-life Will & Grace).

At some level, I just cringe looking at the pic now. However, it really does capture who I was at that time. Although I’ve never been a clotheshorse by any stretch of the imagination, smart-dressing has always been hugely important.

For younger gay kids now, I say: Dare to be different, and always be true to yourself. High school may suck, but college will be great!

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

Adam West ("Batman")
Along with Danny Powell, the lifeguard at our local swimming pool
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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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Tony

Tony, age 7

Haleyville, Alabama (1977)

This is me in Gatliburg on vacation with my Godfather. I am wearing my Farrah Fawcett-Majors "Logan's Run" t-shirt which I wore out by years end. I was obsessed with Charlie's Angels and begged my grandmother, who raised me after the death of my mother, to buy me the Farrah bust with real hair to style. I finally won out when I used my chalkboard to draw a portrait of Mrs. Fawcett-Majors to show my devotion was true.

I grew up to become a hairstylist. A sidenote to the pic is that my Godfather never married, and when his parents (who he lived with) passed away he "came out" - and shut out the rest of the family before they had a chance to ridicule him. I never got a chance to tell him I was gay too.

I realized I was different from other kids when a magic show came to the school and the magician asked for a volunteer from the audience. I was so happy when he selected me, but then I was horrified when he said I was such a 'pretty little girl'. I informed him I was a boy, and he made a big deal out of it and embarrassed me in front of the whole school. I was probably in 2nd grade at the time.

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

Jon Moss (of "Culture Club")

Little did I know he was buggering Boy George at the time...
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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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Joe

Joe, age 4 months
Montgomery, AL (1955)

I am the baby in this picture, 2nd from the left. We are sitting on a Victorian settee that I still have half a century later. In this picture I am just a few months old, but look how happy I am surrounded by my three handsome older brothers.

"Boys, boys boys...."

Three weeks after I was born, my Mother wrote a letter to my Aunt.
I still have the letter, and it is precious to me, because one sentence reads:

'The boys are just crazy about him.'  Mothers always know.

I knew I was different at a very young age, but didn't know what to call it.
I took that common (at the time) venture into marriage, like many in my generation did. I guess I should have listened to Mama.

I was in the 4th grade when The Beatles became popular. I was hooked. I had a Beatles wig and some John Lennon sunglasses. I wanted to be John Lennon - so I could be next to George Harrison.

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

George Harrison