"Family Building"

Acrylic on Canvas. I made this abstract building for Pride Month on my experience living in San Francisco for a year when I was 19.

I moved to SF Bay area in the 90's to come out of the closet...after dropping out of college. I lived outside SF (an hour south) and eventually moved to "The City" after a year in South Bay Area. Outside SF back then --being gay wasn't ok. Me and my friends had to use a "safe word". We used the word "Family" like many other gays and lesbians back then. I asked my aunt recently who lives there today and she remembers this safe word --when I brought it up at a family gathering. Ie: "He's cute! Is he 'family'?" And "They are definitely "family"! I eventually moved to "The City" and worked in the Castro and suddenly had this huge group of friends and all of us were so close in age! We worked hard and played even harder. I eventually lost my apartment and couldn't find one-- as there were no vacancies because the dot.com boom had suddenly appeared. I then had to move back (where I'm from) Los Angeles back with my parents. I said goodbye to all my friends and never saw then again and remained mostly alone my whole life. To live and work there and have so many friends...it was and will be happiness.