AS A YOUNG BOY FROM OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, I WAS HEAVILY SATURATED IN THE IDEALISMS OF CHURCH/RELIGION AND WHAT A “REAL MAN” IS SUPPOSED TO BE. AS A QUEER BLACK BOY, MY SENSE OF SELF WAS CONSTANTLY PITTED AGAINST THE PRINCIPLES OF THE CHURCH WHICH LEFT ME LIVING AND ACTING IN A HAZE OF CONSTANT DOUBT.
MY LOVE OF MUSIC AND DANCE WAS THE ONE CONSTANT WHICH MADE SENSE AND ALLOWED ME TO ESCAPE FROM MY FEARS OF REALITY. I ALWAYS PARTICIPATED IN THE ARTS IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY. WHETHER IT WAS PERFORMING AT SCHOOL TALENT SHOWS, SINGING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM FOR HOMECOMINGS, PERFORMING AT GRADUATIONS, OR SINGING LEAD AT CHURCH, I ALWAYS MADE SURE MY VOICE WAS HEARD BUT I WAS STILL ALONE AND UNSURE.
MY COMMUNITY WELCOMED ME WITH OPEN ARMS THROUGH PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMS. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE, ADULTS WERE ENCOURAGING ME TO BE MY MOST AUTHENTIC SELF. THEY TAUGHT ME HOW TO BE VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT EXPRESSING WHO I TRULY AM, NOT ONLY AS A PERFORMER, BUT AS A HUMAN BEING.
MY FELLOW PERFORMERS RAPIDLY BECAME MY BEST AND LASTING FRIENDS. PEOPLE WHO SAW, ACCEPTED AND CELEBRATED ME FOR WHO I AM.
YEAR AFTER YEAR ENGULFED WITHIN PERFORMING ARTS COMPANIES, HAS BEEN MORE AND MORE GRATIFYING AS A PERFORMER. THEY TAUGHT ME SO MUCH PATIENCE AND INSTILLED SO MUCH DISCIPLINE. MOST IMPORTANTLY, THEY TAUGHT ME COMMUNITY.
BEING THE ENTERTAINER THAT I AM TODAY HAS HUMBLED ME SO MUCH BECAUSE I STILL EXPERIENCE DISCRIMINATION AS A PERFORMER. AS AN OPENLY QUEER MAN IN MUSIC, I HAVE NEVER BACKED DOWN TO CHALLENGE MYSELF AND TO PUSH MYSELF, NO MATTER IF IT MAKES PEOPLE UNCOMFORTABLE. I HAVE TO THANK MY COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY ARE MY FOUNDATION.
MY COMMUNITIES SET ME ON MY PATH WHICH HAS LED ME TO PERFORM ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES, MEETING AND PERFORMING WITH LEGENDARY ARTISTS, CREATING INCREDIBLE BODIES OF WORK LIKE “BEAUTIFUL COWARD” AND STARTING MY OWN ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY. THEIR SUPPORT, GUIDANCE AND LOVE HELPED ME OVERCOME MY FEARS AND ALLOWED ME TO EMBRACE MY TRUE SELF WHOLE HEARTEDLY.
