As a gay man, I grew up without any real gay examples of love. I never was able to make the connection between being gay and the ability to be in a strong, lasting relationship. Now, in a long term, committed relationship, I look back not knowing who I was or how there were so few images of that life I so greatly yearned for. My work is more a manner of creating a barrage of examples of gay normality in love and life to infuse the world with that I never saw at a criticial point in my life. In this new "homo-domesticity" the home plays an important element as a symbol for stability and commitment. While my images may glorify these men, they don't claim false romantic perfection, but instead demand respect.
A great series of stills. Be sure to click through the email section of Houle's site, which displays some of the emails he's received over the course of his project. They're laid out in a touching, poetic fashion—a little bit of decent typography to round out an aesthetically sound site.
If you or anyone else you know is interested in participating in Houle's project, email him at chad[at]chadhoule[dot]com.
