Everybody loves queer people

Ty Francis, Louisville, Kentucky

I am a man of color and gay. I’m open with it. I like to wear nice clothes and be fashionable. I like to change up my appearance based on where I’m going and how I’m feeling and I love it. Fuck, everybody loves queer people right now. I feel like it’s a trend, but I hope it’s here to stay. Queer is liberating, but growing up it was something you didn’t want to be labeled. Now it’s an eye opening term. Now it’s interchangeable with progressive, weird, different, not clean straight lines all the time.

Being queer in Kentucky…It depends on where you are. I can go out in the Highlands (Louisville) and it’s like a little Boy’s Town, Chicago. Sometimes I feel like I don’t fit in though.

When it comes to the dating scene or going out…in the back of my head I’m thinking that People may not like my coarse black hair.

I’ve never had anything said to my face, but I know there’s a chance someone won’t like me or be attracted to me because I am a brown person. When I think of my place in Louisville there’s not a lot of people like me, or I haven’t met them yet. But I think I’m good at adapting to most people and situations. But I try not to use anything as a crutch in life.

When I actually try and put effort into it, I do well in my work and I’m happy in my social life.