Pride 2024 - P&E Picks - Matt Cullen - Our Queer Life

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Matt Cullen has always had a curiosity to learn more about a person. It’s a trait that isn’t seen in many today. He believes that all queer individuals share common aspirations in life, such as love, a stable living situation, good health, supportive relationships with family and friends, and the desire to approach each day with a positive attitude. In his uplifting documentary series Our Queer Life, he features interviews with LGBTQ+ individuals from diverse backgrounds, ranging from well-known celebrities to everyday people living unconventional lifestyles. The series is an inspiring project needed in today’s political and social environment. “I feel if something scares me, there's a reason for it. I've always been a curious person. I wanted to know about people in my community and the stories they've gone through to live in their authentic truth,” shared Cullen. “I grew up in California —Los Angeles—New York and very liberal places. I was hungry to learn more about my community so I trusted the fear and went with it.”

Cullen has had the opportunity to talk with all walks of life in this series. The challenge of picking which ones to start with wasn’t as difficult as he anticipated. “At the beginning, it was just who I could get, especially before the series was out,” stated Cullen. “I had a proof of concept to show people. It was just who would trust me enough to share their story. Once I showed the audience and people watching the show that I was doing these stories from my heart—with care and sensitivity—I felt like it opened more doors. People were trusting me with their stories, so it's been a bit easier finding them. Now people want to be involved and share their stories on my platform because they know I'll do them justice. It was a struggle to find the stories, but I always just trust my gut. If someone's life story or job interests me, I trust the audience would find it interesting too.”

With the myriad of stories Cullen was able to acquire, there may be some that stand out more than others. When asked which one took hold of him, one stood out. “It’s hard to pinpoint one story because every story resonates with me differently,” expressed Cullen. “Some are inspiring, some are harder to deal with, and some are very emotional. It all varies, but when I’m asked that question, I immediately think of one of my guests. Her name was Mousie, and she's a trans woman who lived in Los Angeles. She was a street hustler who had spent much of her life in and out of jail. She invited me into her home when my series was still very new, and she shared her story with me, and it just reached so many people. Unfortunately, she passed about a year and a half ago, but I still feel her with me as my show continues. With every connection I make, I feel Mousie is there cheering me on.”
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Cullen hopes the show will be picked up by a streaming service where the education can be presented to a larger audience and a bigger budget. “I always think about those people in smaller towns in the midwest that maybe don't have a trans person in their life, and they are just reading the news and the trans community is painted in a way that is not accurate. I really hope my videos can reach those people that don't have anybody in their life that they know and can meet the people in the way that I see them, which are beautiful, strong, and resilient people, and that's what I want the takeaway to be.”

To learn more about Our Queer Life and watch full episodes, visit youtube.com/@OurQueerLife or follow Matt Cullen on Instagram at instagram.com/mattcullen. - Teresa Robinson