'Life is about to experience everything it has to offer, and I am doing that.'
I always try to present a diverse selection of artists and models. Not just differences in culture and race, but also with age, body type and level of modeling experience. Despite my efforts however, I know there's still so much more to be done. Although the modeling industry has has opened up to models not cut from the same tall, thin, white cloth, the majority of shoots and jobs still go to a select narrow few.
When it came to a model to celebrate for Chinese New Year however, I knew exactly who to spotlight. I've been a fan of model Edison Fan for awhile now, and thought today would be a great day to introduce him to the few who haven't made his acquaintance.
Born in Nanjing, Edison's road to becoming a leading Chinese influencer, gay model and LGBT advocate didn't come quickly or come easily. Today's he leading companies including; OMG Sportswear and U-Touch Underwear, but dream fulfillment didn't always seem possible when Edison was growing up in China.
When he was growing up, Edison was conditioned to believe that his sexuality as abnormal and LGBTQ+ representation was really lacking. There was one gay themed television shows that aired in Mainland China at the time, and it left the air quickly after getting banned by authorities. It wasn't until Edison traveled to New Zealand when he was 16, that he began to see and realize that being gay was ok in other parts of the world.
Today the business owner, model and father is a light for many young boys, in Asia and around the world. As far as many of us think we have come, there are still only a handful of successful and openly gay men to look up to as examples of success for reinforcement and inspiration. Edison Fan has gone from needing one, to being one.
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