by Arnaud | Feb 27, 2015 | People Pics
“When I entered the military in Taiwan, I was ready to “get married” for four years, but after several months, I new it would be for me like getting married..to suffering my whole life.I left the army, studied finance and economics, and I moved to SF to become a businessman, to built my abilities, be my own boss. I moved to the Castro, the more open minded place in the city, here there is a high acceptance, diversity, people don’t juge you, you can be who you are.”
Do you know why you are gay?
“Do you know why you are straight ? Do you prefer eggs or chicken? The beauty of living in America is that people have the right to be who they want to be; for example my first boyfriend was from France, her Mom was half black half white, her Dad was Brazilian…that’s the most appealing thing about the U.S.A, the respect of differences!”
by Arnaud | Feb 24, 2015 | People Pics
Excuse me sir, can I take a picture of you? “Of course, please do so.”
Can I post it on my blog ? “I don’t care sure. My name is Robert, I am retired, you can post whatever you want, I am ok.”
Do your tattoos have any inspiration from the Pacific islands? “Yes, a friend of mine brought from Polynesia some wooden statues and they inspired me in the choice of ma tattoos. I am tattooed all over my body, I have full body tattoos.”
Why? “I like people looking at me all the time in the streets of SF, I feel different”.
by Arnaud | Feb 22, 2015 | People Pics
Why did you buy these flowers? “I love flowers for my house, I like to support Guy by buying flowers whenever I come by.”
Why do you live here ? “Castro is the best area of the city to live in, close to everything, far from downtown. I have rented under rate control for the last 20 years (lower than normal rates), this is the ideal place to live as the environment is more pleasant; here we are just human beings, whether if a male or a female.”
by Arnaud | Feb 20, 2015 | People Pics
“When I was young, I got raped and molested. I thought I was gay till I met that man, who told me that “women would like you, women would probably love your style”…I had a date with a woman, I realized I was not as gay as I thought. The reason why I live in Castro in the Duboce Triangle, is because here you can be yourself, in other places people cannot stop looking at you; here you see people completely nude, and this is not a big deal, this is just freedom of choice; nevertheless, I believe everything has its place, and if clothing is not an option, there are places for nudists as well.”
Guy has been selling flowers at the corner of Noe and 15th (Guy’s Flowers) for the last 30 years. He got that idea after visiting the flower market in Paris, France, where he decided to study french. He was then a young actor in Berlin, he did TV commercial in Greece and was a model in London and Amsterdam. Born in Baltimore, he met a guy from San Francisco in Amsterdam, and decided to move here. Guy is a very friendly and sensitive person, It was a real pleasure to sit on that bench to discuss with him for a long moment. Guy was interviewed in the 2013 Emmy Nomination documentary “We were Here” showing on Netflix.
by Arnaud | Feb 13, 2015 | People Pics
“I was born and raised in Venice, Italy, and at 30 years old I moved to Paris France to teach psychology. While I go to Venice every month to visit my family, I have the feeling that I would love to live her in San Francisco, although I have been here for only three days! I am not 20 anymore, and it is important to know what you are looking for in life. Here we meet friendly people in the streets, people talk to you spontaneously, I like the climat, I appreciate the sweetness all over.”
Donatella is famous in France and Europe for her dedication to children’s psychological support, through numerous initiatives and publications. I admire people who dedicate their lives to others, as well as her optimism “I believe there is always something to do to help children, there is always hope somewhere; everything is about meeting the right people at the right time’. From Donatella’s voice emanates a tenderness that is probably the clue to the children’s salvation.
This picture was taken at The Arion Press, The Presidio, San Francisco.
