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14 years ago
General
So, as the image I just posted indicates--my friend (and collaborator) Zan and I were included in the OUT100 issue of Out Magazine as two of the 100 people they decided had made a positive contribution to the GLBT community during the past year. This was for the anti-bullying comic book that we created called "The Power Within"--inspired by the rash of suicides of gay teens (and even older persons) who were being treated like crap by the ever-present jerks and bullies of the world.
it was a subject which I was very disturbed by and we wanted to address it with our 24 Hour Comic Day creation we started last year. We didn't finish it on the day, but later expended it and finished it and got funding through Kickstarter.com to make it a reality! It came out really great and somehow it got the attention of the people at OUT.
The part of the story that has really affected me more than anything is that being in the magazine has inspired me to finally do something I have been putting off for over a decade. I came out to my parents.
I know, I know--why did I take so long? After all, as it turned out, both my mom and my adopted dad took the news well. They remain a bit confused as to why I am still married--which I have been now for 25 years--but all in all, it went better than I could have hoped! I mean, they were thrilled about the idea or anything. I don't think my mom is going to run out and join PFLAG. But they were OK with it. They both said that they love me and that I'm still their son and more importantly--they didn't try and talk me out of it, like it was just a choice I made to annoy people! They just accepted it. I guess I've been protecting them--and myself--from nothing.
So now, I'm not only OUT to the world, but I'm out to the people that really matter most.
it was a subject which I was very disturbed by and we wanted to address it with our 24 Hour Comic Day creation we started last year. We didn't finish it on the day, but later expended it and finished it and got funding through Kickstarter.com to make it a reality! It came out really great and somehow it got the attention of the people at OUT.
The part of the story that has really affected me more than anything is that being in the magazine has inspired me to finally do something I have been putting off for over a decade. I came out to my parents.
I know, I know--why did I take so long? After all, as it turned out, both my mom and my adopted dad took the news well. They remain a bit confused as to why I am still married--which I have been now for 25 years--but all in all, it went better than I could have hoped! I mean, they were thrilled about the idea or anything. I don't think my mom is going to run out and join PFLAG. But they were OK with it. They both said that they love me and that I'm still their son and more importantly--they didn't try and talk me out of it, like it was just a choice I made to annoy people! They just accepted it. I guess I've been protecting them--and myself--from nothing.
So now, I'm not only OUT to the world, but I'm out to the people that really matter most.
Great work :)
I'll have to check out the anti+ullying comic sometime. I donated to the Trevor Project last year, this whole bullying thing is an important issue to me.
Let me know about the one you're doing too!
http://www.towleroad.com/2011/07/pr.....-bullying.html
Check it out. ^0^ It isn't furry I'm afraid. If I had written it, it might have been, but Zan wanted to use humans. Also, if I had written it, it would probably have been more heavy-handed and less positive... Let me know what you think.