The Queer Portrait Project is a collaboration with the queer community, pairing each participant's narrative with my portrait of them. Queer people are often seen as faceless, autologous, nameless. One queer person becomes a representative and stand-in for a monolithic whole, robbing them of their own autonomous story. The Queer Portrait Project illuminates the breadth, depth, joys, struggles, and particularities of individual members of the queer community. The paintings and writings together allow the viewer to see and identify with the personal, distinctive, and particulate examples of each project contributor.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Nick

Being born queer isn’t easy. Being born queer in Janesville, Wisconsin was especially difficult. It was an incredibly bigoted town to have grow up in. When I turned eighteen, I looked at my parents and said, “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m getting the hell outta here!” I caught a lot of guff growing up, always being picked on simply for being who I was, even though that person wasn’t even fully developed yet. It forced me to grow up fast and toughen up. Looking back, I’m thankful for my experiences there. Without it, I wouldn’t be the gay warrior that I am today.

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