Hello world!
Happy Friday :) It’s been about a month since I last wrote you – a whole month! I honestly find it hard to believe, but then again the time flew by.
*Also, as I was writing this intro, a classic New York crazy started barreling in my direction shouting something to the effect of “Can you believe this??” As a seasoned New Yorker entering my third year of successful survival in this city, I know very well never to answer the siren call of a New York City crazy, let alone look in their direction. But alas, as you might’ve already guessed by now, I fucked up. You guys, I looked this man square in the eyes, inviting his frenzied energy upon myself, almost as if to say, “Sir, I too cannot believe this – please tell me more.” Anyways this lengthy intermission smack dab in the middle of the introduction of my first newsletter back is all just to say thank you – thank you for reading this newsletter and thereby giving me a task to look consumed by in order to avoid interacting with “can you believe this??” man and his manic eyes. Hunching over my laptop screen in feigned deep focus was enough to get this guy off my back – god bless ya’ll. You’ve all done me a real solid today, and I just wanted you to know that. Ok, now that he’s gone and yelling at some other poor unfortunate soul that dared meet his gaze down the street, let’s get back to being back.
Listen friends, this past month has been a month of soul searching for me. Not to go all Eat Pray Love on you, but I definitely needed the break to figure out everything that was clouding up my head and clogging up my words.
The big TBH: I needed time to figure out why it is I should keep coming back two times a week to write this newsletter.
At the time, the only answer I could come up with for that burning question was “because I don’t want to quit” and that wasn’t cutting it for me.
There are two things I know (I think?) to be true:
Life is short – too short to continue doing something just because it’s what you’ve been doing.
Life is change – and you’ll be swept away if you don’t look up every now and then and get your bearings.
So I needed to ask myself, “Does this thing I’m doing still serve me?”
I decided that, yes, it does. Very much so.
And I hope it continues to serve you, too.
To me, That’s Gay is a small part in a much, much larger revolution going on all around us – a collective “fuck that” heard all over the world in response to queer oppression, from the extreme to the subtle (but still devastating); from the backwards criminalization of homosexuality in 69 countries still going on today to the shame subconsciously forced upon so many of us in otherwise “LGBT-friendly” environments.
^ Ok, I know all this may sound super dramatic, but here’s a tweet that literally just came in on my phone as I was writing this.
We’re not done here!
So here’s my shtick: I’m going to keep writing this newsletter with humor, personal anecdotes, and just a splash of chaos, all the while filling it up with everything I think you need to know (and that we need to talk about).
At its prime, I think reading That’s Gay should always feel like you’re opening up a text from me in all caps recapping something funny/crazy/serious that just happened. Then make it queer.
If I’ve done that, I’ve done my job.
Here’s to many more volumes to come – genuinely so happy to be back.
Love,
Till
P.S. Share this newsletter with a buddy that would appreciate it –
I was sure you'll be back soon or late.
So welcome back!!
JC