Happy Friday! It officially feels like fall here in Tennessee which always puts us in the best moods ever. Are you the same way? Do you find yourself smiling a lot more when you see leaves falling all around and landing on the sidewalks? This time of year is always our favorite and the most magical. Well, besides Christmas, of course.
Today's Feature Friday is a New York native and you know our feelings about NY. *Swoon*. He works in editorial so naturally, Sean is a good writer, and we think his honest answers are fearless and absolutely refreshing. Also, he's hilarious. Like, we actually LOL'd a few times. We had a lot of fun reading his responses and we think you will, too. Take a look below to see what we mean...
Where are you from? Brooklyn, NY
Where do you live? Astoria, NY
What’s your Instagram handle? @seanybrams
Age? 25
Relationship Status? Very, very single
What is something you think people should know about you? This little white, freckly Jewish boy can bust a move! A strange turn of events led me to join my dance company in college, and I've somehow managed to stick with it ever since. A passion for watching YouTube videos turned into the real thing, and it's been a central part of my life for a while. A large portion of my friends are from my current company, DanceWorksNYC, and being able to perform on stage and feel the crowd's reaction after a show is one of the best feelings in the entire world. I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Choose a song for the story of your life: This landed on my "Time Capsule" Spotify playlist recently, so I'm going to go with "Since U Been Gone" by Kelly Clarkson. Thinking back, I was prone to hang on to the idea of "what if" and what could've been. Basically, I was a glutton for punishment. Now, I've come to realize that I need to do what's best for myself, shaking off all that negative energy and removing people from my life that don't have my best intentions at heart. My girl Kelly says it all for me.
What is one thing you would tell your younger self right now? To grow a pair. I've always been a bit insecure, and I'm not sure if it's because I was dealing with my sexuality, but it had me acting as follower. I always aimed to please, without acknowledging that it was never for my benefit. At this point in my life, I'd want to tell my younger self to stand up for yourself. It's alright to stand tall, speak your mind, and not worry about what other people think. You're a pretty cool dude, and even if it takes a while to realize that, you'll get there.
How would you describe your home décor style? Warm. Cozy. Anything that is inviting and makes you want to stay there. I've been in my own apartment for the past 3 years, and while it's not always the cleanest (courtesy of my two straight male roommates), I try to make it seem welcoming. Decorating for the holidays, or something as small as using candles or things like that, can make a huge difference for me.
Any big plans for the future? Where do you see yourself in 10 years? 10 years is a lonnnnnng way off for me, but ideally, I'd be married... Chris Evans, I'm looking at you. I work in editorial, so I'd like to be high up in the business somewhere, whether situated at a big publication or something that has me interviewing celebrities and A-list talent. I also just got back from my first overseas trip, with a trip to Ireland booked for 2018, so I foresee a lot more travel in the future, for sure.
Tell us your favorite quote and why: "So it goes." It's from "Slaughterhouse Five" by Kurt Vonnegut. I got it tattooed on my wrist a while back. To me, it just means "fuck it." Things happen, life can be really shitty sometimes, but there's nothing you can do. You can drag yourself and keep your head down, or you can pick yourself up and move on, and make something good out of what you have left. There's no point in wallowing in self pity. So it goes.
What is one thing still left on your bucket list? Fall in love. Extremely cheesy, I know, but it just hasn't happened for me yet. I've gotten pretty close, but I've never been with someone that felt like it would really ever get to that feeling of absolute, totally crazy in love. I've never had a boyfriend either, and I'm in pursuit of something real at this point in my life. It's about damn time.
How old were you when you came out and what was your experience like? I came out officially at 23. A few college friends knew of me fooling around with guys back when I was around 21, telling them I was bisexual, but it was in 2015 that I came out of the closet for real. I remember feeling like I was going to vomit, pacing around my room for what felt like an eternity. Only my mom was home at the time, and I came out of my room, telling her I was heading up to SUNY Oneonta (where I went to college) for the weekend. I had found myself hooking up with a friend who was a year younger (and in the closet), repeatedly going up to visit him at least once a month. Naturally, my mom was curious why I made so many trips, and I decided to tell her the real reason. Her reaction was exactly as I expected: She asked why I hadn't told her sooner, that she already knew, and she loved me no matter what. She asked if I wanted to tell my dad or if she could, with me telling her I'd like to do it. Naturally, she told him... and the rest of my immediate family. Their reactions were all very similar, and I'm extremely thankful for how accepting everyone was to my coming out.
Have you faced any backlash or hardships since coming out? I haven't felt any backlash necessarily, but I feel like it did take me a while to immerse myself in gay culture and find a comfortable place in the gay community. I've always considered myself a late bloomer in terms of coming out, kind of putting up a front and slightly frowning upon things I actually was eager to take part in. I also never really found myself with a lot of gay friends, others who had direct, very similar interests to my own. Over the last few years, I've really put in an effort to change that and truly embrace who I am and everything the LGBT culture has to offer. I've got to say, it's pretty great to be gay.
Who is your inspiration (either fictional or real) and who do you look up to the most? I'm really inspired by men in the media who've come out publicly. People I can relate to, like Colton Haynes, really inspire me to speak out and be proud of who I am. Everyone's situation is unique, but I can only imagine what is going through your mind when you're in the public eye like that. I had the opportunity to meet Gus Kenworthy, the Olympic athlete who came out publicly on ESPN Magazine, and it was probably the best interview I've ever done. I'd just come out only a few months before, and it was the first real conversation I felt like I was having. He got it. He understood. He related to every single thing I'd gone through. It was surreal to be sitting across from someone like him, and it's something I'll never forget. He was just a normal guy. Albeit, he's also insanely good looking, but he's also just a normal guy who happens to be gay. I can bet what he did has helped so many others bust out of the closet too. It's people like Gus and Colton, among so many others, that inspire me.
