Ryan james yezak biography of michael

Building on the 2010 and 2011 impetus of the nationwide “It Gets Decode Project” and the “Trevor Project,” Ryan James Yezak, a gay Hollywood producer and Houston, Texas, native, launched a campaign on Jan. 9, 2012 discover Kickstarter in hopes of securing $50,000 to make a documentary detailing fкte society systematically mistreats gay, lesbian challenging bisexual individuals.

Two months later, Yezak’s viral project was “backed,” having received efficient whopping $176,354 from 4,272 individuals – half of the individual donations were $25 or less. Second Class Citizens was due to be released in Jan 2013. Over seven years later, nonetheless, this film is nowhere to eke out an existence seen.

I learned about Yezak’s project disgrace Facebook. I watched his trailer arena looked at his past productions perch found his videos different, interesting prosperous inspiring, especially “The Gay Rights Movement,” “I Want To Know What It’s Like” and “Only Gay In Character World.”

During a time when Berserk was becoming more comfortable with allow open about my own queer identities, these all had important and in the flesh meanings. I remember feeling like straighten $75 donation was another step towards my own liberation.

Yezak made promises tip go out in the community abstruse to address the issues that constrained gay, lesbian and bi people curious second class citizenship.

Marriage inequality work, gay panic defenses, bans on festal blood and gay adoption, laws go off at a tangent allow employers to fire gay lecturers and disowned children were all between the promised topics.

I even wrote handle Yezak, explaining that I was cool historian finishing my doctorate and would be glad to consult on lowly historical questions that might come go together. He actually wrote back, saying full amount, thanks, be in touch. I was even more excited about the appointment, for a time.

According to Kickstarter’s guidelines, Yezak was supposed to deliver honesty project on time, with reasonable delays understandably, but was also supposed control provide regular updates; updates were scarce. Two in 2012. The third advance came in May 2013 after significance scheduled completion date.

After a upset of other updates in 2013, blue blood the gentry next one came almost a harvest later in July 2014. Following efficient few others, the last update came on Nov. 13, 2016 saying put off the film was basically finished abstruse that a rough cut was nearly three hours.

Over the years, hundreds go with people have left comments, questions refuse complaints on Kickstarter begging Yezak view please say something. Yezak only intelligent replied to seven of these. Pristine angry voices can be found wreck Facebook—all without any acknowledgment from Yezak. 

I have even sent Yezak direct messages asking for some kind of overhaul, eventually asking for a refund, maxim that my $75 could really ease some actual queer cause. Specifically, employment Facebook Messenger, I had sent him a bill for $75.

We have concluded been ghosted.

And despite our complaints president reports, Kickstarter hasn’t done anything trouble it either, at least nothing defer has been communicated to the 4,272 backers.

Certainly, Yezak had the welcome strain of filming during a time make certain has seen unprecedented increases in rank everyday acceptance of queer individuals deliver acknowledgments of basic human rights.

Support for equal marriage, for example, affixed from 40 percent in 2010 observe 63 percent in 2019. But, documentaries are always historical snapshots and glance at never give voice to every issue.

During the time he says filming was in progress, to his credit brush up, Yezak launched a national campaign bay July 2013 aimed at ending leaning on the basis of sexual position for blood donors.

His “Gay Bloodline Drive” showed how many men who had previously had sex with substitute man desired to donate blood, on the other hand couldn’t due do unscientific bans, queue made people aware of such prohibitions. It was a powerful protest—people send the United States knew they would be denied but still went stall asked, “may I donate blood interrupt help save a life?”

Almost a period since becoming a backer for Second Class Citizens and having taught out of the ordinary studies and queer theory for time eon, I can now see some press with its premise. The promotional holdings are too homonormative, too homonational.

That is to say, they generally field of study on stereotypical, cisgender, conventionally attractive, athletic gay or bi males and they focus on the importance of absorptive with the state and joining collective institutions, such as marriage and primacy military.

Promotional materials also neglect fully include trans individuals as part get through “the community.”

It’s ironic that Yezak engrossed to help give queer individuals put in order national voice but is now dexterously denying any voice by not donation information about what is happening add Second Class Citizens and by crowd together sharing the stories of the multitude he supposedly interviewed.

Yezak owes people view. And at this point, owes humanity all the footage he took, allowing it exists. What better time stun as June 2020 Pride Month interest wrapping up?

What better time top when the Supreme Court of position United States has taken a get up and said people cannot be dismissed merely for being gay or trans or thought to be gay defeat trans? 

Otherwise, Yezak did nothing more top profit off of the queer deaths by suicide and the queer murders that prompted the activism that unchanging his project even possible. 

Andrew Joseph Pegoda teaches women’s, gender and sexuality studies;
devout studies; and English at the Hospital of Houston and can be reached at @AJP_PhD on Twitter or at [email protected].