[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:09.96,0:00:11.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Finding shelter"
Dialogue: 0,0:00:12.73,0:00:15.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He built a house around him\Nmade of sticks and wood
Dialogue: 0,0:00:15.28,0:00:18.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and a sheet from the hall closet\Nthat mother told him no.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:18.39,0:00:20.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And he went to grab one from the dryer,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:20.47,0:00:24.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and his brother said, "Mom will kill you,"\Nand Peter said, "Good, let her."
Dialogue: 0,0:00:24.20,0:00:27.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because the thing about Peter\Nis he was never afraid.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:28.89,0:00:32.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He built a house around him made of\Ncardboard and wood from the garage.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:32.48,0:00:34.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And his father never blew it down,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:34.13,0:00:37.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,even though it shivered when Peter\Ncrawled out of it and said,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:37.10,0:00:39.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Look, Dad. Look what I made."
Dialogue: 0,0:00:39.52,0:00:41.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And his father got down\Non one knee and said,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:41.82,0:00:46.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Son, you can't fit your life\Ninto tiny boxes."
Dialogue: 0,0:00:50.88,0:00:53.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,One memory that really sticks out to me
Dialogue: 0,0:00:54.78,0:00:57.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is when I was about six years old,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:57.23,0:01:00.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and there was another boy\Nin my first grade class
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.38,0:01:02.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who had gotten a tap dancing solo.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:03.56,0:01:06.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And he was very excited to tell\Nthe rest of our classmates.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:08.18,0:01:13.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the rest of the kids in my class,\Nunfortunately, started making fun of him.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:14.61,0:01:18.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So little six-year-old me,\Nwith all the voice I can muster
Dialogue: 0,0:01:18.95,0:01:23.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,stomped her foot and said,\N"Hey, tap dancing boys are cool."
Dialogue: 0,0:01:25.22,0:01:27.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And what sticks out about this memory
Dialogue: 0,0:01:27.61,0:01:31.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,isn't the fact that I thought\Ntap dancing boys were cool,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:31.54,0:01:34.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but it was the fact\Nthat I was a very timid child,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:34.92,0:01:37.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I couldn't even stand up\Nfor my own self,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:37.80,0:01:41.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,yet here I was, standing up for\Nsome other boy in my class.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:43.19,0:01:47.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Little background: I didn't grow up\Nin a very traditional household.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:47.71,0:01:51.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,My mom was the only mother\Nat Girl Scouts with a Mohawk.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:53.27,0:01:55.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Both of my parents were artists,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:55.83,0:01:58.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and you could very much say\Nthat I was not a child who fit into
Dialogue: 0,0:01:58.91,0:02:02.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,any sense of what\Nwe would call the norm.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:03.18,0:02:07.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, needless to say,\NI got made fun of: a lot.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:07.63,0:02:09.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I didn't have very many friends.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:10.62,0:02:14.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But, in order to deal with that,\NI read a lot.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:14.13,0:02:17.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I became friends\Nwith characters in books.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:17.29,0:02:23.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I became friends with Hermione Granger\Nand Junie B. Jones and many more.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:24.15,0:02:26.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And all of this reading inspired me
Dialogue: 0,0:02:26.43,0:02:29.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to want to become a writer\Nfrom a very young age.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:30.17,0:02:34.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And as a writer, I focused mostly\Non queer youth narrative.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:35.21,0:02:36.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'm going to break this down:
Dialogue: 0,0:02:36.61,0:02:40.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,queer meaning people,\Ncharacters, or voices
Dialogue: 0,0:02:40.92,0:02:45.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that don't identify\Nas heterosexual or cisgender,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:45.48,0:02:50.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,meaning not identifying as the gender\Nthat you were assigned at birth.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:50.32,0:02:52.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And in my writing,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:52.76,0:02:57.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I focus on the ages between 11 and 10,\Nas young as that,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:57.96,0:03:01.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or as old as 25 and 26.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:01.63,0:03:07.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And we all know that reading is often\Nassociated with this form of escapism.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:07.28,0:03:10.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A lot of us use reading\Nto escape our reality.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:10.39,0:03:13.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I did. I'm sure many of you did as well.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:14.02,0:03:18.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And, there's another form of escapism\Nin the time that we live in,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:18.33,0:03:20.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which is celebrity culture.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:20.31,0:03:23.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You know, and we live in a time\Nwhere we can go online
Dialogue: 0,0:03:23.25,0:03:28.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and find out anything we want to know\Nabout any singer, actor, entertainer
Dialogue: 0,0:03:28.37,0:03:30.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In a matter of seconds.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:31.72,0:03:37.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it's wonderful\Nthat we have out queer celebrities
Dialogue: 0,0:03:37.10,0:03:39.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who are active within the community.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:39.14,0:03:42.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We have Neil Patrick Harris,\Nwe have Ellen DeGeneres,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:43.48,0:03:45.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we are also, luckily, live in a time
Dialogue: 0,0:03:45.67,0:03:48.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where we have\Nqueer characters on television.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:48.67,0:03:54.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We have Mitch and Cam from Modern Family,\NCallie and Arizona from Grey's Anatomy,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:54.87,0:03:57.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and both lists continue to go on.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:57.59,0:04:02.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But the difference between queer\Nyouth narrative and celebrity culture,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:02.85,0:04:04.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,there's a big difference.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:04.36,0:04:09.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In celebrity culture, you have\Nthese stories of these older celebrities,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:09.60,0:04:12.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but a lot of their coming out stories\Nare from 20 years ago
Dialogue: 0,0:04:13.43,0:04:16.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,--so they're not experiencing it now--
Dialogue: 0,0:04:16.03,0:04:20.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and their experience may be very different\Nbecause of the time that they lived in.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:22.02,0:04:26.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Whereas queer youth literature,\Nin a book, the character never ages.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:27.82,0:04:31.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Harry Potter was always 14\Nin Goblet of Fire,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:31.16,0:04:33.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and will continue to be 14\Nfor the next 20 years.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:34.54,0:04:36.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He doesn't age in that book.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:37.60,0:04:42.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Also the fact you don't often hear about
Dialogue: 0,0:04:42.20,0:04:46.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,young people coming out in the public eye.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:46.23,0:04:49.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You don't hear about young celebrities\Ncoming out of the closet.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:49.61,0:04:51.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And there's a couple reasons for that.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:51.54,0:04:53.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Often they get brushed under the rug,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:53.76,0:04:56.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and they don't come out\Nuntil they're much older,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:56.45,0:04:59.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or they come out in the public eye
Dialogue: 0,0:04:59.26,0:05:02.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and authority figures\Ndo not respect their identity.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:02.90,0:05:06.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Their authenticity is often\Nquestioned and doubted.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:07.27,0:05:10.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And for a young person to hear that\Nfrom an authority figure:
Dialogue: 0,0:05:10.85,0:05:14.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a parent, a relative, or even\Na stranger on the street,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:15.67,0:05:17.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it makes you think,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:17.61,0:05:20.100,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Well, if they don't respect\Nthis famous person's identity,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:21.00,0:05:23.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,how can they respect mine?"
Dialogue: 0,0:05:24.98,0:05:29.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the age thing and the experience,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:30.58,0:05:33.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,experience and having them coincide,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:33.42,0:05:37.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,having someone around your age\Nexperience the same thing you are;
Dialogue: 0,0:05:37.72,0:05:39.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you can connect.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:39.58,0:05:45.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They can be inspired by the stories of\NNeil Patrick Harris and Ellen DeGeneres,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:45.47,0:05:47.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but they can't connect.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:47.85,0:05:50.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it's a necessity\Nto be able to connect.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:50.93,0:05:53.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So that they can move forward\Nin their lives
Dialogue: 0,0:05:53.93,0:05:58.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and feel as if there is someone else\Ngoing through the same thing they are.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:59.15,0:06:02.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I decided to become a writer\Nat a very young age.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:02.21,0:06:07.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I was about 13, and at the time,\NI was still reading a lot.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:10.45,0:06:14.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I read a mixture of voices:\Nqueer voices, non-queer voices,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:14.44,0:06:19.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I was lucky enough to have access\Nto all of these different types of voices.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:20.64,0:06:26.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And deciding to be a writer\Nat a very young age,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:26.94,0:06:29.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I was going through a very difficult time.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:29.87,0:06:31.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And these books were helping me
Dialogue: 0,0:06:31.39,0:06:33.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,get though questioning my identity
Dialogue: 0,0:06:33.45,0:06:36.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and discovering who I was\Nas a young person
Dialogue: 0,0:06:36.46,0:06:38.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In my more formative years.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:39.47,0:06:44.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I made the decision\Nbecause I had felt this obligation,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:45.26,0:06:48.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I felt an obligation to my future readers,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:48.74,0:06:54.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that I needed to give back this sense of\Nhope and longing that reading gave me.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:55.44,0:06:58.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Which is why I started writing\N"Peter and the Concrete Jungle".
Dialogue: 0,0:06:59.94,0:07:02.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Peter and the Concrete Jungle"\Nis a project
Dialogue: 0,0:07:02.16,0:07:04.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that I've been working on\Nfor about 6 months,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:04.51,0:07:07.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and it's a collection\Nof poetry divided into two parts.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:07.64,0:07:13.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The first half are all third person poems\Nabout Peter, a trans man,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:13.01,0:07:18.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and his experience through his childhood,\Nand his transition, and his adulthood.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:19.24,0:07:22.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the second half is about Wendy,\Na young queer woman,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:22.96,0:07:26.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,through her childhood\Nand her experience coming out,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:26.18,0:07:27.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and their relationship together.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:29.18,0:07:33.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the reason I started writing it\Nwas to create this understanding
Dialogue: 0,0:07:34.16,0:07:39.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for people who may not be familiar with\Nthe struggles of the LGBT community
Dialogue: 0,0:07:39.97,0:07:44.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to be able to understand\Nand empathize with these characters.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:44.96,0:07:48.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So I played a lot\Nwith visual form and language.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:49.23,0:07:52.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,All of Peter's poems\Nare right-hand justified,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:53.26,0:07:55.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all of his poems in his section.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:55.23,0:08:01.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And many of you are probably not used to\Nreading on the right-hand side of the page
Dialogue: 0,0:08:01.52,0:08:04.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and it would probably be\Nvery uncomfortable.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:04.40,0:08:07.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That discomfort is to mimic\Nthe sense of discomfort
Dialogue: 0,0:08:07.10,0:08:09.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that he feels within himself\Nthrough much of his life.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:10.68,0:08:15.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,All of Wendy's poems, while they're all\Nleft-hand justified as we may be used to,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:16.52,0:08:19.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all of her poems are\Na little more chaotic.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:19.44,0:08:24.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There are no form poems,\Nand most other poems lack punctuation
Dialogue: 0,0:08:24.92,0:08:29.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because her experience, unlike Peter's,\Nis a little bit more chaotic,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:29.08,0:08:31.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and a little bit more disastrous.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:32.62,0:08:34.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And as I was writing this project,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:35.49,0:08:39.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I brought some poems\Nto my professor to review them,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:39.88,0:08:42.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and she said to me and my classmates,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:42.70,0:08:45.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"There aren't many voices\Nlike this out there.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:45.78,0:08:49.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And this really needs to turn\Ninto something much bigger."
Dialogue: 0,0:08:49.25,0:08:50.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it did.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:51.56,0:08:55.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And while I was writing it,\NI felt this excitement
Dialogue: 0,0:08:55.97,0:08:59.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about writing it\Nand being closed to finishing it,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:00.56,0:09:05.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but at the same time,\NI felt this frustration and anger
Dialogue: 0,0:09:05.73,0:09:10.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I was very upset because it's not\Nthat there wasn't a lack of queer voices,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:10.87,0:09:13.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's just that they weren't talked about.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:13.40,0:09:17.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they weren't accessible to everybody,\Nthey weren't respected.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:18.62,0:09:24.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I continued writing, pursuing that,\Npursuing this connection
Dialogue: 0,0:09:24.60,0:09:29.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,not just with the LGBT community,\Nbut with a larger community of readers.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:31.24,0:09:34.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And we all have these connections:
Dialogue: 0,0:09:34.46,0:09:38.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to each other, to characters\Nin books from our childhood,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:38.13,0:09:41.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to characters in books\Nwe may have read last week.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:41.48,0:09:44.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And maybe if we listen\Nto these connections,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:44.98,0:09:46.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we would be able to understand
Dialogue: 0,0:09:46.63,0:09:50.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that it's a necessity\Nto have this variation of voices,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:50.26,0:09:54.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and that all of these voices\Nshould be respected and listened to
Dialogue: 0,0:09:54.83,0:09:59.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because these voices all give us\Nthe sense of understanding,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:59.68,0:10:04.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of longing, of hope that we need\Nto keep going as people.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:06.18,0:10:11.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And should we listen to these voices,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:11.04,0:10:14.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,maybe we could change\Nand have an impact on each other,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:14.24,0:10:16.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and on the world,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:16.00,0:10:19.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But only if we pick up the book,\Nand listen to the voice long enough.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:22.58,0:10:24.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Grocery shopping"
Dialogue: 0,0:10:25.100,0:10:29.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,His hands corrode the wheel\Nwith the sweat of ancient summers.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:29.65,0:10:32.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I can't tell\Nif the slick water lines are rivers
Dialogue: 0,0:10:32.04,0:10:35.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,leading from his temples\Nor just under his eyes.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:35.16,0:10:39.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We put away the oranges,\Nthe bananas, the whole wheat bread.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:39.49,0:10:41.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I don't want to talk about it.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:42.74,0:10:45.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And he wrings a dishrag\Nbetween his wrists and thumbs
Dialogue: 0,0:10:46.68,0:10:50.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,mourning a conversation\Nthat's just at the corner of his mouth.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:50.94,0:10:52.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The cheese goes in the shelf.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:52.43,0:10:56.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"That's where it always goes,"\Nhe says, "And where it always will be."
Dialogue: 0,0:10:57.69,0:11:01.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He pulls out two slices,\Nkills the last of the rice milk;
Dialogue: 0,0:11:02.77,0:11:04.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,tells me not to throw away the juice.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:04.63,0:11:05.100,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Not yet.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:05.100,0:11:09.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And he pours me a glass\Nas he examines the date again.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:09.94,0:11:13.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Garage sale plates clank\Non the table from his mother's.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:13.76,0:11:15.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I don't want to talk about it.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:15.40,0:11:20.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I comply, and he pats\Nhis chest twice to feel its still there.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:21.99,0:11:23.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Thank you.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:23.34,0:11:24.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Applause)