Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Former Chicagoan asks, 'What bullies you?'
by Ross Forman, Windy City Times
2013-01-09

This article shared 3082 times since Wed Jan 9, 2013
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


Michael Anthony Nalepa has come full circle from his days being bullied while growing up in suburban Wheeling.

Now known as simply Michael Anthony, he is a Los Angeles-based actor, writer and producer. He came back to Wheeling in late August to discuss and sign copies of his new book, anthology of anonymoUS. Anthony also discussed the "anonymoUS initiative" and his similar-themed documentary, set to be released this year.

"I'm really proud of the book and am actually shocked at the life it's taken," Anthony said. The book also has an accompanying soundtrack, anonymUS: mUSical mUSings, about the ways we bully ourselves, available on iTunes.

Much of Anthony's entire "anonymoUS initiative" has had a strong groundswell, dating back to March 2011, when he returned to Wheeling to film an inspirational anti-bullying documentary for local gay teens, inspired by the "It Gets Better" campaign.

He ultimately learned that most did not want to speak out about the bullying they endured.

So he turned to emails with a simple question in the subject line: "What is it that bullies you?"

The replies came in, lots of replies—hundreds, then thousands.

Some came from Wheeling's gay teens, as well as their parents, their siblings, their straight friends and classmates, and others, he said.

"Some of these letters were long, multiple pages. Some, meanwhile, were short, maybe only a single word. There also were poems and drawings," he said.

Those emails led to the "anonymoUS initiative," and letters from literally around the world, though mostly from the United States.

He has received about 3,000 replies overall, and 99 of them are spotlighted in his new book. Each was published exactly as received and as written by its author.

"Originally, I just wanted to get these letters out there, but I think people have really been taken in by these short stories," Anthony said. "What I have found across the board is that people talk about how the letters make them feel."

Such as the letter from a mom living in Elgin, who wrote about her daughter who had committed suicide. "The thing I loved most about this letter was, she talks about something that happened 10 years ago, yet you can still see/feel so many emotions, including guilt, pain, forgiveness and love. That story really touched me," Anthony said.

About 50 percent of the book's stories are gay-related.

"The point of this project, and encouraging people to write their letters, is because although I'm pretty open, a lot of others are not that open," Anthony said. "But a letter is kind of the first chance/opportunity to take the problems in their head, which they are wrestling with, and actually put it on paper and give it a voice. I think, if you have the strength to write it, you will eventually have the strength to talk about it with people."

The book features stories sent from celebrities, Anthony said, though he would not identify the celebrity or the corresponding letter.

"While it would be great to know who wrote some of these [letters], it's anonymous because I'm not sure that is necessary. We can emphasize; we don't need to identify," he said. "This [book] is not [strictly] about gay teen bullying; this is about the bullies that live inside of us.

"This campaign is not about convincing people that, 'It gets better.' Of course we provide them with resources, if they need them. What it is is, an opportunity to tell your story and realize that you're not alone—and when you're in the thick of a problem, I firmly believe that knowing that you're not alone provides strength."

About 80 percent of the letters in the book are from Chicago, particularly the suburbs. All are from the United States.

Anthony and his anonymoUS initiative are no stranger to controversy, he admitted: "A huge part of the initiative is that we don't try and convince people that 'It Gets Better!' Yes, when it comes to gay teen bullying, it always gets better. But this campaign isn't a 'gay thing' and it's not a 'teen thing.' It's about the ways we all bully ourselves and, let's face it, not everything gets better. Cancer, the loss of love, money problems, losing a spouse ... those don't get better; they only get different.

"A few influential people have told me that because I'm gay and because I'm speaking about bullying, I have to say 'It Gets Better! It Gets Better!' But I'm not going to do that.

"This campaign is about helping people of all ages, races, demographics and orientations come together and realize that their inner bullies are exactly the same. I love the 'It Gets Better' campaign, and I think it is so vital in this day and age. But that's not what the anonymoUS initiative is about. It's not about telling people that things always get better. I'm not qualified to do that and, frankly, I don't know if I believe that either. All I know is that we are not alone. Even in our darkest moments, we are never alone."

Anthony will be launching a live stage show in 2013 a la The Vagina Monologues. It will feature actors bringing the letters to life.

He graduated from Wheeling High School in 1999, and then from the University of Southern California in 2003. But back in 1993 or 1994, Anthony was the one bullied.

Anthony, who is now openly gay, had his first same-sex crush while in eighth grade at MacArthur Middle School in Prospect Heights, Ill. Anthony made a Reba McIntyre mixtape for the subject of his crush, and it took him 90 minutes to make.

His classmate "freaked out," Anthony said, and he let everyone at school listen to it. "That's when I started to be bullied—because I was gay. I also was overweight, dorky and loved show choir though I was tone-deaf. I had a bunch of strikes against him.

"I was quite often picked on in school."

In 2006, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

"My bully is bipolar disorder," Anthony said.

He has since battled and beaten his bully.

"I'm really proud, perhaps also a bit shocked, by how many people have decided to help with this project," Anthony said. "It's touched something in people, whereas I just thought it was going to be a little quick email back and forth between 100 people in Wheeling, Ill."

For more information or to order the book, go to www.iamanonymous.org .


This article shared 3082 times since Wed Jan 9, 2013
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

After 30 Under 30: MAP Executive Director Naomi Goldberg 2024-03-25
- NOTE: In this series, Windy City Times will profile some of its past 30 Under 30 honorees. Windy City Times started its 30 Under 30 Awards in 2001, presenting them each year through 2019. This year, ...


Gay News

THEATER When growth is paramount: Jim Corti helps fuel Aurora theater expansion 2024-03-01
- Out actor/director/choreographer Jim Corti made his Broadway debut in 1974, in the ensemble of Leonard Bernstein's musical Candide. Director Harold Prince's acclaimed Tony Award-winning revival is often cited as a ...


Gay News

MOVIES Director Daniel Peddle on the sequel to the classic doc 'The Aggressives' 2023-12-05
- In 2005, Daniel Peddle released The Aggressives—a groundbreaking documentary filmed during the late '90s and early '00s in New York City that profiled several masculine-presenting/transmasculine people of color. Fast-forward to ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ 'Black Adam,' Cyndi Lauper, Sondheim, Oscars, OutFest 2023-03-18
- Cultured Magazine recently profiled Quintessa Swindell—who became the first out, non-binary actor to play a lead superhero in the DC universe when they portrayed Cyclone in the 2022 movie Black Adam. Swindell grew up in Virginia ...


Gay News

Show about trans+ women models to debut Aug. 5 on Here TV 2022-07-29
- The Here TV docuseries Road to the Runway—which focuses on trans+ women models—will debut Friday, Aug. 5. The series profiles the 20 hopefuls competing in this year's annual Slay Model search. Cameras follow the women to ...


Gay News

Local writer from Hillman Grad Productions Mentorship Lab to tell stories about immigrant experiences 2022-06-04
- Growing up on the South Side of Chicago without any sort of U.S. citizenship, Ruben Mendive said he started developing his identity as a writer while he was sitting in front of the TV, devouring "every show that came out ...


Gay News

PASSAGES Writer, attorney, activist Takeia R. Johnson 2021-07-25
- The local organization Affinity Community Services announced the recent passing of Takeia R. Johnson. According to Johnson's LinkedIn profile, she was editor-in-chief and lead writer at Inclusion at Work as well as a Ph.D. student focusing ...


Gay News

SAVOR Talking with new Travelle Chef de Cuisine Qi Ai; Profile of Travelle's breakfast 2021-06-09
- Travelle Chef de Cuisine Qi Ai Travelle at the Langham (330 N Wabash Ave.; https://www.travellechicago.com/) has undergone a major change during the COVID pandemic: New Chef de Cuisine Qi (pronounced "tee") Ai was promoted from sous ...


Gay News

MOVIES Dutch journalist talks about making 'My Friend, the Mayor' 2021-02-17
- In the Amazon Prime Video documentary My Friend, the Mayor: Small-town Democracy in the Age of Trump, Dutch journalist Max Westerman profiles friend Sean Strub, an openly gay activist, activist, long-term AIDS survivor and POZ magazine ...


Gay News

Booksellers launch "Boxed Out" campaign, a look at consumer choices 2020-10-22
--From a press release - (New York, New York) 20% of independent bookstores across the country are in danger of closing. Today, theAmerican Booksellers Association launched the "Boxed Out" campaign to draw attention to the high stakes indie bookstores face this ...


Gay News

Author/academic John D'Emilio on new book, future endeavors 2020-10-01
- Queer Legacies: Stories from Chicago's LGBTQ Archives is a new book by Gerber/Hart Library and Archives President and University of Illinois at Chicago History and Women's and Gender Studies Professor Emeritus John ...


Gay News

Out Illinois State coach dives into new position 2020-09-16
- Logan Pearsall, an accomplished college diver who has since transitioned into master's level diving, was competing at the 2017 FINA World Masters Championships in Budapest, Hungary. He was doing a challenging inward dive from a one-meter ...


Gay News

Joseph Baar Topinka preserves legacy of mother: Pro-gay Republican Judy 2020-09-02
- Riverside resident Joseph Baar Topinka is still impressed with the resolve and stamina with which his late mother, longtime GOP politician Judy Baar Topinka, was able to "slug it out" in the political arena. "She got ...


Gay News

'Making Sweet Tea': Out NU dean talks about new documentary 2020-08-18
- Performer and Northwestern University Dean E. Patrick Johnson discussed his new film and the importance of reclaiming storytelling agency in a virtual Q&A Lambda Legal hosted Aug. 9. Johnson, dean of Northwestern University's School of Communication, ...


Gay News

Asha Ransby-Sporn talks building on the anti-racism movement's legacy 2020-08-05
- With anti-racism protests happening around the United States, in what some media outlets are saying is the largest movement in this country's history, demands to abolish the police have increasingly been a part of the rallying ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.