1. What inspired you to be a filmmaker?
Well, first of all; I certainly don’t consider myself a filmmaker.. LOL.. If anything maybe a documentarian but not even that! I simply had something to say, thought it was a great idea and was inspired to document it all on film. I guess if I was ever that inspired again by another concept I would take on another film but truthfully, it was one of the hardest, exhausting, time consuming (and expensive) things I’ve ever done, artistically. But that being said, I’m happy I did it and am very proud of it, for sure!
2. What does Pride mean to you, and do you have any advice for the next generation?
Pride to me means, acting the exact same way you would on Gay Pride Day, the other 364 days of the year. Pride means being out all the time. It means being proud of your sense of self, your sexuality, being comfortable in your body, in your skin and when challenges with these mantras present themselves, being able to stand up for your beliefs, being true to yourself and holding firm to your convictions. My one thought of this next generation of the LGBTQ+ community is to make sure you’re not assimilating. What I mean by that is; we are everything! We play rough and tumble sports, we watch football, we play poker and love fast cars and death metal music. DO NOT let the world around you dictate what being gay means to you. So many times we’re backed into a corner of acting fem, liking dance music, doing drag or leather S&M, on and on. And I’m not saying there’s anything wrong w/being a fabulous fem boy or girl; just do it for the right reasons. Because the truth is; the ONLY way being gay will become a boring, non-issue is for all of us to just be ourselves, through and through.
3. What is your next project?
I am actually smack dab in the thick of my next project! It’s kind of a one two punch but it all started w/the pandemic and my poker gigs coming to a complete halt. With all that time on my hands, I dug in and finally wrote the poker book I’ve been meaning to do for years! Took about 8 months; it came out in Sept 2020 and it’s called “The Gay Guyde To Poker”! And although it’s in a lot of stores locally and also on Amazon, it was kind of a weird time to write a book since I couldn’t “push” it in the form of appearances and book signings due to Covid. But now that’s all changing. I have all my poker gigs back including one in NYC (Boxers) and one starting in August in DC. I signed on for my 1st book signing in Rehoboth Beach DE (Browseabout Books) on June 20th AND The Philadelphia Phoenix (pro ultimate frisbee team) just hired me to be a part of their 2021 season starting June 11th! (gonna set up a poker table and teach Texas Hold ‘Em on the sidelines..) All this is keeping me so busy so I can’t really see past this project just yet and am pretty excited as it’s pushing me and pulling me in all different directions. But you guys will be the 1st to know what’s next!
Instagram: @Phillybutch