Jun 4, 2024
WITH LOVE AND PRIDE
Jun 4, 2024
WITH LOVE AND PRIDE
I was raised in a small town. Our little, yellow house had aluminum siding and sat at the foot of a dormant volcano. The shadow from the volcano would stretch to our front step in the dry summer. We lived on a dirt road, and when I was very young I remember that our phone was a party line we shared with 4 neighbors. My mom cooked amazing meals in that tiny home, and I shared a bedroom with my two siblings. We went to church twice a week, and I remember loving that time. This was of course pre-internet, pre-ipad, pre my obsession with iced coffee. In those years I grew up in the back seat of my sister's VW Rabbit–she is 9 years older than me and to this day remains one of my closest friends.When I was 16 I applied and was awarded a scholarship to study abroad from the local Rotary Club. I was selected to go to Belgium for my Junior year of high school. I remember it was this year abroad that opened my eyes to so much. I met one of my longest best friends, who was also on exchange, and my world was cracked open. Not specifically to my queerness (I was still closeted at this time), but it pushed me into a state of hyper-awareness where I saw that there was so much more out there, so much more for me, and so many people who could accept me for who I am, who I had always been.I returned home to Eastern Oregon for one, last year of high school–the most difficult year for me personally, spiritually and emotionally. It was always very hard on my parents as they had no idea what was going on with me. I simply wasn't ready to put it into words. I wasn't prepared to share, to pull my own self from my cocoon of safety. Flash forward to 1997 and I am in college in San Diego. I had the most beautiful blonde bob, and I can honestly say this is the only time in my life that I have been able to identify as a twink. I. WAS. READY.
I had met a man named Dave at the coffeehouse where I did my homework (Living Room Coffeehouse Hillcrest). He approached my table and asked me on a date. I remember shaking as I said yes. I was terrified, thrilled and trembling inside. Several dates later, Dave was driving me back to my dorm. We had just seen LA CONFIDENTIAL at the Mission Valley Mall and rain was pounding down in an El Niño rager. As we drove, we laughed and then Dave dipped the volume of the music, "do you wanna play tennis and go to lunch on Saturday?" "Sure!" I beamed. He looked at me and cooley said, “I have been HIV positive for 11 years and I am very healthy, but I want to tell you as we move forward.” This was the first man I had ever dated. I was 20 years old. I was a small town boy from Eastern Oregon–sitting transfixed in his car. I'm ashamed now, that this scared me and I wasn't prepared. Dave showed me compassion and pushed me to discuss my feelings. I came out that night to my best friend from college. I sobbed and sobbed, and felt freer and freer.
PRIDE is about freedom. About men like Dave scooping me up in love and community. PRIDE is about progress and looking forward. For me, PRIDE is equal parts where I am from and where I am.In addition to PRIDE month, June also marks the official 10th anniversary of INTENTIONALLY BLANK! Thinking about the gravity of these two, monumental occasions colliding is both humbling and thrilling. As a queer kid from a small town, I could never have imagined that this journey would lead me here, and I am forever grateful for all the experiences along the way. Needless to say, we will be celebrating both PRIDE and our 10th ANNIVERSARY all month long.With Love and Pride,Ty McBrideFounder & Creative Director
I was raised in a small town. Our little, yellow house had aluminum siding and sat at the foot of a dormant volcano. The shadow from the volcano would stretch to our front step in the dry summer. We lived on a dirt road, and when I was very young I remember that our phone was a party line we shared with 4 neighbors. My mom cooked amazing meals in that tiny home, and I shared a bedroom with my two siblings. We went to church twice a week, and I remember loving that time. This was of course pre-internet, pre-ipad, pre my obsession with iced coffee. In those years I grew up in the back seat of my sister's VW Rabbit–she is 9 years older than me and to this day remains one of my closest friends.When I was 16 I applied and was awarded a scholarship to study abroad from the local Rotary Club. I was selected to go to Belgium for my Junior year of high school. I remember it was this year abroad that opened my eyes to so much. I met one of my longest best friends, who was also on exchange, and my world was cracked open. Not specifically to my queerness (I was still closeted at this time), but it pushed me into a state of hyper-awareness where I saw that there was so much more out there, so much more for me, and so many people who could accept me for who I am, who I had always been.I returned home to Eastern Oregon for one, last year of high school–the most difficult year for me personally, spiritually and emotionally. It was always very hard on my parents as they had no idea what was going on with me. I simply wasn't ready to put it into words. I wasn't prepared to share, to pull my own self from my cocoon of safety. Flash forward to 1997 and I am in college in San Diego. I had the most beautiful blonde bob, and I can honestly say this is the only time in my life that I have been able to identify as a twink. I. WAS. READY.
I had met a man named Dave at the coffeehouse where I did my homework (Living Room Coffeehouse Hillcrest). He approached my table and asked me on a date. I remember shaking as I said yes. I was terrified, thrilled and trembling inside. Several dates later, Dave was driving me back to my dorm. We had just seen LA CONFIDENTIAL at the Mission Valley Mall and rain was pounding down in an El Niño rager. As we drove, we laughed and then Dave dipped the volume of the music, "do you wanna play tennis and go to lunch on Saturday?" "Sure!" I beamed. He looked at me and cooley said, “I have been HIV positive for 11 years and I am very healthy, but I want to tell you as we move forward.” This was the first man I had ever dated. I was 20 years old. I was a small town boy from Eastern Oregon–sitting transfixed in his car. I'm ashamed now, that this scared me and I wasn't prepared. Dave showed me compassion and pushed me to discuss my feelings. I came out that night to my best friend from college. I sobbed and sobbed, and felt freer and freer.
PRIDE is about freedom. About men like Dave scooping me up in love and community. PRIDE is about progress and looking forward. For me, PRIDE is equal parts where I am from and where I am.In addition to PRIDE month, June also marks the official 10th anniversary of INTENTIONALLY BLANK! Thinking about the gravity of these two, monumental occasions colliding is both humbling and thrilling. As a queer kid from a small town, I could never have imagined that this journey would lead me here, and I am forever grateful for all the experiences along the way. Needless to say, we will be celebrating both PRIDE and our 10th ANNIVERSARY all month long.With Love and Pride,Ty McBrideFounder & Creative Director