I am a bit crazy when it comes to my hair and I don’t know if it’s just me or whether there are others out who might be the same. Either way, I think it has something to do with my upbringing. You see, I never actually went to a hair dresser, salon or barber until I was about 17, and that was only because I was living in Switzerland at the time. I probably would have held out ‘till I was over 20. My mommy always chopped my locks- and it’s not like she’s trained. I think this lead to my rather unusual habits with my hair. Now, I’m not referring to the multitude of hairstyles I’ve had- though that may have also been caused by my mother, but that’s a whole different post, for another time.

I will let it grow out and then suddenly one day, I hate it and need to chop it all off. Now I’m guessing this isn’t uncommon, but the weird thing is that I need to change it RIGHT AWAY. For many, this would mean making an appointment somewhere, or hitting up a barber. However, since I was brought up getting hair cuts for free, and whenever I wanted them, this has caused me to be cheap and actually afraid of hair cutting establishments. I have no idea what to say to whomever is cutting my hair: it’s all foreign to me.

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I hate that fucking question. Like my compensation is really that interesting or any of your business…

Sounds harsh, right? Most of the time, when people bring up this topic I try my best to laugh it off. “Enough, I suppose,” or: “Much more than you think” is another killer answer.

Reality is, if you ask someone that question out of general interest, I think it’s fair. For instance, if someone is thinking about entering the same field as you, then I do feel it is your duty to guide them towards realistic goals. If you’re asking because you want a slice and think that I can provide it for you, then suck it (Kathy Griffin!). Find someone who’s desperate enough, and needs a sidekick.

Sorry if this sounds a bit rant-ish, but has this ever happened to you before? Is it so wrong to hold parts of your life off from others? Friends? Families? … Lovers?

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“To be gay, or not to be gay, that is the question.”  - Shakesqueer.

A guy I used to be friends with- and who was my boss at one time- used to work in the film industry, and when I told him I was going back to school to study acting for film & television, he told me that I better stay in the closet. Whaaaa?  After more than 20 years of hiding in the closet, I was supposed to go back in? And this guy was gay too! An openly gay guy telling me to open the door, slide the coat hangers to the side, and step back inside the dark, lonely room…   Read the rest of this entry »

Richard Tsong-Taatarii / The Associated Press

When I landed at YWG last Friday I was excited to just come home and relax. I quickly started noticing the subtle differences from leaving a metropolis for a smaller city. I no longer had to key in an area code when dialing a phone number (we’ve only got one: 204 represent!). Most people live in houses (not apartments), so I was pushing doorbells instead of buzzers- who knew the sound “ding dong” still even existed! I shovel the walk every day to clear the snow so that the milkman can get to our front door to deliver our weekly order. I began to enjoy the nuances of being back in Winnipeg and started to enjoy my relaxation. And then, the reports of flooding started…

Look at that picture. That guy’s house is underwater up to the roof!

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For some people, it is a non-issue that is given nary a thought. For others it is something that strikes fear in their eyes as a water-cooler conversation moves away from work and someone brings up what you did on the weekend: afraid you might mix up your pronouns when you’re trying to play it straight. No matter how you slice it, being gay in a corporate environment is an complicated experience to navigate.

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For those of you up in Northern, BC that were up early this morning, you may already know I had a live radio interview with CBC Radio One on the Daybreak North show, speaking to reporter Betsy Trumpener all about Homorazzi.com, growing up in a small town in Northern, BC, and my coming out experience.

Well, here’s is the clip. It’s a tad over six minutes, and I’ve incorporated a little photo album to go along with it.

You can also check out the interview on the Official Daybreak North on www.cbc.ca.

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We’ve all done it. Or, I guess I should say, I’d like to believe we’ve all done it: I’d better not be the only one! You meet that amazing guy at the bar, you text him the next day, you day-dream about how your two last names could be so elegantly hyphenated together… and then you Google.

Sometimes Facebook just isn’t enough- especially when that perfect new guy has redonk privacy restrictions. What does he REALLY do? What dirty little secrets is he keeping? What pictures hasn’t he shown me? Just how gushingly amazing is he? What does Google know? It’s not creepy: it’s curiosity.

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Now seems like a good time to tell you MY coming out story. As Dan mentioned in his article: The Coming Out Story:  We All Have One and Kevin in his The Gay Stigma, we do all have a story about our own struggles with coming out of the closet. I hope that as we, at Homorazzi.com, share our personal accounts of the milestone, readers who are currently struggling with the how and when of coming out themselves might in the end be helped.

I was recently asked by CBC Radio to participate in an interview about Homorazzi.com; growing up in Northern British Columbia (Terrace); and, my own coming out story. Off course, I gladly welcomed the opportunity, and will be doing the interview- live- this morning.  I’ll be getting the sound clip soon to post on here at a later date.

Before moving away to finish university, I did the first two years of my studies in my hometown of Terrace at Northwest Community College. I went right into the business program immediately after graduating in 1999, as valedictorian of my class. For those first two years, I was not out to anyone and played the “straight role”. I was not comfortable with telling my friends or family, as I was not yet comfortable with it myself.

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