You can call me… Gatsby. I went through a multitude of names, but now I finally settled upon Fitzgerald’s “Gatsby”. That’s been my pen name and online alias for years. I’ve been more honest online than offline. It’s about time I make that into a reality.

I identify as… dynamic. In flux. Changing. I am not static. I strive to develop, grow, and evolve. I am constantly recreating and reinventing myself. As far as gender goes, I AM neither, but I can act AS either. Gender should be something fun and exciting to express- not oppressive social roles used to limit people’s true potential. However, I am most happy with being “Gatsby” and not “boy” or “girl.” Labels are convenient, but not enough to define me. I am an open question. I like it when people make the effort to explore and discover who I am. But does “human” suffice for you? It does for me. I’m just another human with fears. Trying to be a little braver day by day by learning how to love myself and others.

As far as third-person pronouns go, … “He/him/his” are preferable. “She/her/hers” are tolerable. “Gatsby” is the best. The benefit about Korean and American Sign Language is that gender neutral pronouns are used constantly. I wish English was like that more often.

I’m attracted to… passionate people- especially those who love the Arts (visual art, theater, music, literature, etc.) People who love Art more than themselves, who show their love for Art through each action and every word, who allow Art to work through them to benefit society. People who view words like “live” and “love” as verbs- not just mere standalone concepts. I look at people at their most fundamental state: human beings. Humans with ambition to turn visions into reality. Humans that are not victims of their circumstances. Humans that acknowledge their imperfections. Humans that love Muse, Ayn Rand, Fitzgerald, plaid shirts, literacy, breaking rules…Gender does not matter to me. Excuse my French, but I don’t give a damn. As an artist, I see physical attributes from an objective point of view (angles, directions, form). Initially, people are shades of gray. It’s after I discover what’s underneath that a person lacks or gains color, and oh, do I love color. With that being said, I know a person of amazing color, and I love her, endlessly.

When people talk about me, I want them to… be honest and clear. If you knew me before, then I know that you’re apprehensive and afraid. You’re afraid of losing me, but hey! I never left. You can’t lose me. I’m not dead. I’m still here.

I want people to understand… to let go of the people that deny you. To love the people that accept you. To deny yourself love is easy to do, but to love and let yourself be loved is so frightening, yet courageous. Try to think that you only have 15 years left to live. It puts everything in a different perspective: you are productive each second, you strive to love strangers, and you actively create an altruistic purpose. Make a conscious effort to do something a little brave each and everyday. As Atticus Finch said, “I wanted you to see what real courage is instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.”

About Gatsby.
Gatsby is an artist. Lives by his own dynamics. A city kid at heart enjoyed time in the South, but it’s time to go out into the bigger world. A fanatic lover of Muse and Jonsi. Seventeen, young, and changing. Caught up in the velocity of how fast the kid’s evolving. Learning how to love himself. Excited to see what tomorrow brings.

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