Baby, You Were "Born This Way"

Born This Way the blog is a new photo essay project that shows the "innocent beginnings" of LGBTQ children through personal photos and stories.

Creator Paul V. (left) was inspired to start the site after viewing a photo of a gay friend that was taken when the guy was a 3-year-old boy. The image showed a smiling toddler in a plaid jumpsuit, one hand on each hip, his left knee bent slightly toward the right knee, which allowed his left foot to point to the floor and showcase a shiny white sneaker. Very red carpet.

In less than three months, Born This Way has received more than 2 million page views, was featured on CNN, and has spawned a weekly radio show. Paul V., who's been a key player in the Los Angeles music scene for more than two decades (he's known professionally as DJ Paul. V), told Gay.com that the site has resonated with so many because, "Millions of gay kids have all gone through roughly the same experiences, but we've never really shamelessly talked about them or shared them. So that part is very cathartic and celebratory, for both the viewer and the person who submitted something."

Read the entire interview and watch a slide show of images from the blog here.