Posts Tagged ‘new york city’

Becca

Published by beckatz on January 31st, 2010 - in Video Stories

Becca’s Coming Out Story from I Want the World to Know on Vimeo.

Becca grew up in Canton, MA, and now lives in New York City working at a non-profit film production company as an Executive Assistant/Associate Producer. She is the founder of the I Want the World to Know Initiative and is proud to finally share her coming out story with the world at the 10 month anniversary of the website. Becca was lucky in that she faced very few obstacles coming out to her family and friends. However, she recognized that most people are not as fortunate, often being tormented by peers, shunned by their families, or worse. For that reason, she decided to create a space–this website–where people of all sexualities can share their stories and find support. This video project is by far one of the most important and rewarding endeavors Becca has ever taken on. Its goal is not only to provide guidance and support, but also to educate and bring the LGBTQ community together. Becca will continue to share these stories and build this initiative until everyone feels safe to come out.

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Jess

Published by beckatz on January 3rd, 2010 - in Video Stories

Jess’s Coming Out Story from I Want the World to Know on Vimeo.

Jess is a fabulous gay lady from New York. She grew up on Long Island and now works in the city as a web designer. She also writes for a fantastic website, Autostraddle, “an intelligent, hilarious & provocative voice and a progressive international online community for a new generation of kickass lesbian, bisexual & otherwise inclined ladies.” Jess first realized she was gay at the end of high school, and she came out to her friends and family in college. Jess loves being part of a smaller and more intimate community and believes her gayness has provided her with a more profound connection with those around her. Please watch Jess’s wonderful story! Feel free to follow Jess @jessxnyc on Twitter!

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Pam and Ann, Part 1

Published by beckatz on September 20th, 2009 - in Couple Stories, Video Stories

Pam and Ann’s Coming Out Stories Part 1 from I Want the World to Know on Vimeo.

Pam and Ann live in Los Angeles and have been together for 23 years. They met on a film set in New York city in the 80s and haven’t looked back! They came to discover their sexualities in very different ways and also had very different experiences coming out to their families. Through it all they have stuck together and have built a beautiful relationship and family; they have two amazing kids, Lily and Mason. Pam and Ann founded Harry Dog Productions, a film production company and have been working in the film industry as producers for over 2 decades. Their love is inspirational, and their stories are honest and moving. Watch Part 1 and stay tuned for Part 2!

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Stanley

Published by beckatz on September 2nd, 2009 - in Video Stories

Stanley’s Coming Out Story from I Want the World to Know on Vimeo.

Stanley grew up in Mount Vernon, New York, in Westchester County on the border of the Bronx. He came out in the 1970′s and says that the Stonewall riots in 1969 played an important role in how he came to discover his own. sexuality. Stanley, a precocious child, became sexually active at an early age yet didn’t reconcile the physical aspect of being gay with the emotional side until many years later. Stanley also discusses the relationship between the black and gay communities based on his experience growing up gay in an atmosphere heavily inspired by the church. He believes that young people today should look to their elders for support and guidance and that the history of the LGBTQ movement is important to pass on to younger generations.

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Oliver

Published by beckatz on July 18th, 2009 - in Video Stories

Oliver’s Coming Out Story from I Want the World to Know on Vimeo.

Oliver grew up in the small college town of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. When he was coming out in the 1960s, he faced several hardships including constant bullying by his classmates in school and the hush-hush gay underground community where meetings were secret and often sexually motivated. Because the concept of being gay was so taboo, Oliver contemplated suicide as a way to end the nightmarish situation of being “the class queer” without a gay support network. However, when Oliver moved to New York City at age 23 in 1976 (7 years after the Stonewall riots), he found a thriving and vibrant gay community that was both political and outspoken and one where he fit in perfectly. Oliver currently lives with his partner, Stanley, in Queens and has participated in gay mentoring groups, which he believes, when organized correctly, can be an incredible resource for LGBTQ youth.

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Ellen, 35

Published by beckatz on July 6th, 2009 - in Video Stories

Ellen’s Coming Out Story from I Want the World to Know on Vimeo.

Ellen, a Connecticut native, came out to her mom when she was 17 after she learned that her girlfriend was being kicked out of her home by her suspicious mother. Though Ellen’s mom “could be a PFLAG mom” today, it took years for her to realize that Ellen’s attraction to women was more than just a phase. Ellen’s father is also extremely supportive and relays gay-related stories to his daughter when he catches them on TV or in the newspaper. Ellen currently lives in Brooklyn with her 2 cats and plans on getting married in the future.

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Alex, 25

Published by beckatz on June 15th, 2009 - in Video Stories

Alex’s Coming Out Story from I Want the World to Know on Vimeo.

Alex grew up in a suburb of Philadelphia, PA, and first came out to his brother when he was 15. His family is supportive, but Alex’s parents initially did not want him to come out in high school for fear he would be known as the “gay kid.” Alex finally came out to his peers in college at Tufts University. Alex became involved in many LGBTQ organizations in college and discovered he felt most comfortable defining himself as queer. Today he lives in Brooklyn, NY, and is very active in social advocacy groups including JFREJ (www.jfrej.org).

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Jeff, 23

Published by beckatz on May 28th, 2009 - in Video Stories

Jeff’s Coming Out Story from I Want the World to Know on Vimeo.

Jeff is originally from Miami, Florida, and is the youngest of 7 children. Five of his older siblings were born in Haiti, which Jeff describes as a very religious and conservative country. Being gay, he says, is unspeakable in Haiti and people are expected to adhere to their specific gender roles. However, Jeff’s mother and siblings have been incredibly supportive, loving, and accepting from the moment he came out. Jeff graduated from Boston College in 2008 and though he believes that some aspects of the school are closed-minded, he found his niche in the theater and English programs.

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Betsy, 26

Published by beckatz on May 19th, 2009 - in Video Stories

Betsy’s Coming Out Story from I Want the World to Know on Vimeo.

Betsy, a Boston native, currently lives in New York City and is about to finish her Masters degree in Educational Theatre at NYU. She first realized she might be gay when she was 14 and wrote it down on a piece of paper in the school nurse’s office, which she still has to this day. However, Betsy didn’t act on those feelings until her freshman year of college. Betsy is now more confident than ever and believes that her sexuality is just a small piece of what makes her who she is.

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Casey

Published by beckatz on May 8th, 2009 - in Video Stories

Casey’s Coming Out Story from I Want the World to Know on Vimeo.

Casey, a Harvard graduate, now lives in New York City. She came out when she was 14 to her sister at a Grateful Dead concert and then to her parents at age 16. Her first girlfriend was her sister’s best friend. Casey has always been supported by her family, though she urges young people to be patient with their parents as they come to terms with having a gay son or daughter.

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