Born This Way Read Online Free PDF

her camera, and took the shot. I have amazing parents who always showed me how to be a great person and to embrace whatever makes us all different.

david, age 7
    Looking at this snapshot now makes me laugh. It’s a little embarrassing remembering my habit of licking my lips, turning my head to one side, and squinting just before every picture because I thought it made me look mysterious. But it’s a habit that paid off years later in the bars when I was learning how to cruise. I came out when I was twenty-three years old. My effort at being straight—marriage and child—failed miserably, and I didn’t see the point in lying anymore. It wasn’t a perfect coming-out experience by any means, but we all survived.

emanuel, age 6
    My stepfather used to refer to me as
mariconcito
behind my mom’s back. That’s Spanish slang for “little faggot,” and at this age, I was probably just beginning to understand that it was not a good thing.
    My mom was responsible for dressing me up in these cutesy little outfits. This teddy bear was my best friend, and I didn’t go anywhere without him. I’m pretty sure everyone picked up on my effeminate ways. Sadly, the religious influence and machismo of my Latino culture made me out to be deserving of much abuse. Nonetheless, I grew up to become a successful writer and turned all of that childhood adversity into fodder for art.
    I would encourage queer youth to embrace whatever creative talents they may have and express themselves through music, painting, literature, or whatever gets them through. Sometimes those of us who have been emotionally crippled are capable of creating great art and contributing to the inspiration of others. Even if you create it just for yourself, it’s great for letting go of hurt and moving on in life.

jeffrey, age 8
    My folks lovingly tolerated my fascination with Dracula. All that Vaseline in my hair was pretty hard to wash out, but it was worth it! I certainly wasn’t conscious of it at the time, but there was something about this dark, hypnotic, dominating masculine figure that must have struck a chord with me. Dracula routinely wreaked havoc on normal society, and even if he was destroyed in the end, he was just doing what came naturally to him. Was he appealing to me because I innately knew I was different as well? My Dracula obsession branded me a weirdo, which was good preparation for becoming comfortable with my own difference. I got a head start in accepting my own outsider status, and I found it empowering to be considered a bit of a freak among my peers.

chris, age 2
    I always felt like a fabulous fish out of water in my hometown. This picture fairly screams “gay.” It was taken in the days of disco, when I enjoyed playing with dolls, banging on the piano, and looking like a young, gay version of Hugh Hefner. If I’d known when this photo was taken, I would have told myself that everything would be okay once I grew up and moved away! There was a lot of the world out there to see. And after I saw some of it, I got to appreciate where I came from, as well as who I am and have always been.

sia, age 3
    As a little girl, I didn’t really mind if you were a boy or a girl. I just wanted you to love me! Honestly, it wasn’t until a few years ago that I really realized I was queer. Now, I call myself an art fag, a lezzie, a dyke, and straight. But the truth is, labels don’t matter.



bill, age 14
    I’ve been a music junkie since before I could walk. The 45-rpm single of Shirley Ellis’s “The Clapping Song” shaped me. There are family stories of me hoisting myself up to the stereo so I could stare at the records spinning around and around. I was encouraged to be creative, and I’m sure my parents suspected I was different. Unfortunately, I spent most of my teenage years distancing myself from them, because I simply didn’t know how to communicate the cravings