A recently launched blog called "Born This Way!" does something very simple: It pairs a snapshot of a gay person as a kid with a personal essay about what he or she sees when looking at the photo.
Courtesy of "Born This Way" JC, age 5, Manila, Philippines, 1986
"I always knew I was different from other boys, even at an early age. This photo definitely proves it," JC writes in a post. "Looking at it now, as a 31-year-old, it only reaffirms what I've always believed — that my being gay wasn't a choice."
The photos are totally delightful, and the essays are thoughtful and often funny. But there is no denying that the site is wading in contentious waters. The blog's editor, a DJ in Los Angeles who goes by Paul V, attempts to pre-empt one issue in the blog's about page:
"So, some of the pix here feature gay boys with feminine traits, and some gay girls with masculine traits. And even more gay kids with NONE of those traits. Just like real life, these gay kids come in all shades and layers of masculine and feminine. And this project is not about furthering stereotypes."
The other flash point is in the site's premise. It didn't take long for the comments section on the first post to spark a conversation about nature versus nurture in regards to sexuality. And if you're looking for a representative sample of the queer community, this probably isn't the place to look.
Potential controversy aside, the site appears to have been created in the spirit of fun. The photos below speak for themselves.
Power By Npr.Org
