tully satre - Peering over Cloud Gate

I’m always prone to making an apology for failing to provide any updates of my life and work for long periods of time; however, there has been so much change this summer that I haven’t had a golden opportunity to put it into words (nor will this be one of justice.)

As you can see, I cut my hair. I decided it was time to get rid of the long locks and have them serve a better cause. I think this summer has been very revealing of my character. I have grown tremendously as an artist and I will continue to kindle that muse as I move my studies to Chicago where I will be attending the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.

Come August 24th I will be moving downtown on State Street in the windy city. A lot of people have judged my decision to leave Virginia saying that I am abandoning the work I have started. First of all I would like to point out that the work I started in Virginia continues and lives on through the many dedicated and hard-working individuals and groups who worked with me from the beginning. Equality Fauquier/Culpeper continues to thrive and is currently under-going a bit of a make-over as authority transitions. CEEVA was converted into the Virginia Safe Schools Project which will enable Virginia’s LGBT youth to find a statewide outlet that serves and protects their specific needs as youth. The Voice Project which lives and breathes online through social networking arenas such as Equality MySpace continues to grow under the authority of Matt Hill Comer. Although I have given up my leadership positions in many of these venues I will continue to write for The Advocate, with a pending piece about religion currently underway and another article in development about generational gaps and vocabulary in the gay community.

Other people have asked me why I no longer accept speaking invitations. I think a lot of people who did not necessarily agree with my views or way of doing things decided to start a rumor that I am an opportunist; willing to take any chance I can for the spotlight. I resent this statement both as an activist and an artist. In either venue I never was striving for the spotlight, but when it shined I wouldn’t turn it down but would rather use it in accordance with my plan to advance an organization or work of art. Regardless of this I decided it was important for me to “be a kid” and live out of that sort of spotlight as it was one which demanded constant maturity, responsibility, and wisdom which I lack at my young age.

Some of you may be confused about my decision to not pursue politics. Well, to be completely honest, I never intended to. I often laughed off questions about which college I would attend to advance my political “career.” What I did over the past two years was a reflection of doing the right thing. I never had any intentions of going off to college to study political science, or to pursue non-profit work as a career. Since I was little I have been working in theatre (which accounts for the confidence I maintained leading groups, speaking, and the like.) It has and will always be my intention to continue performing and growing as an artist. This was my plan from the beginning and will be my plan until the end as far as I can see. This is not to say that I will never assist in advancing the cause for equality and justice. I will always be an advocate for equal treatment, especially when it comes to the LGBT community. But I can no longer take as active as a role as I have in the past. As stated before, I will continue to write and work behind the scenes, but other than that do not expect me to be working in the public eye anytime soon as far as politics is concerned. As for this blog, I will make commentaries here as I find necessary to share my voice.

With much love and respect for the many readers who have followed me for two years as I held flags proudly for our community and joined a league of hundreds of thousands of brave people shouting for equality, I take my leave down a different road many of you may not have been aware of from the start—in a pivotal entry which opens a new chapter in my life, I welcome you all to continue reading and commenting. As always, I enjoy a great conversation. Cheers.