We started partnering on advocacy stuff back in 2017 right as Woodstock was coming out, then activated dates on their 2018 summer tour, and I officially joined the team in 2019 to help build what would become PTM Foundation the following year.
This band really cares about people, and I’ve had the great pleasure of helping them raise and donate nearly $400,000 to the community since the start of the pandemic. This work, coupled with making music and trying to make the world safer for people, has been my solution to this time of prolonged grief and suffering in the world. It’s felt good to be able to do something that matters in the midst of it all.
Thank you to John, Zach, Eric, Zoe, Kyle, Jason and Rich for believing we could — and for making space for queer weirdos like me at your table. I love y’all.🖤
For this current Portugal. The Man tour, we have launched the PTM NIGHT OUT initiative, in support of disabled fans requiring ADA access.
Portugal The Man’s 34-date North American tour alongside alt-J has been centered on the concept that ‘Everyone Deserves a Night Out’ and is designed with ADA accessible needs fans in mind. We had hundreds of entries and each winning ticket holder has been treated as a VIP guest of PTM; provided with transportation to and from the show, concierge escorts throughout the venue, as well as gifted merchandise and a special meet-and-greet with Eric Howk and other members of the band.
All of us on Team Portugal. The Man have experienced how difficult it can be for someone to get around venues in a wheelchair and we are placing emphasis on the importance of making live music accessible for fans through the #PTMNightOut program, in partnership with Accessible Festivals, as another step towards changing that.
LIVE MUSIC SHOULD BE SAFE, FUN, AND ACCESSIBLE FOR EVERYONE. ♿️
This month I am celebrating 14 years in longterm recovery from a 16 year addiction to cocaine and alcohol that nearly took my life many times.
I am really happy to be here. 🖤
For the first decade after I stopped trying to hurt myself, I had these incredible moments of shame and guilt and weird panic take me over constantly, just about having been this person for so long — and I still sometimes do.
Like…how did I ever think anything I did, wrote, sang, or said in the 90s and early 00s was ok? How could I have hurt myself so much and cared so little for other people?
I do my best to stay compassionate with myself, and so many of you have shown me the same over the years.
If you are someone I hurt, humiliated, or discarded somewhere along the way, I’m truly sorry. All I can really say is that hurting people hurt people, and I was hurting for many years.
Every single change I’ve made in my life has been made in the direction of my knowing I needed to do better, be better, and ultimately take responsibility for the entire experience of having been me this whole time — both as a very sick person, and now having been a very well person for many years.
I was talking to John from Portugal. The Man a few months ago about how so many things would never have happened if I had been successful in killing myself. One of the things I listed was that we would never have met. He very kindly let me know that we had met before I was well and that he just had never brought the experience up because clearly I did not remember and he knew I had been through a lot.
I have no recollection of this, and so many other experiences from that time; But I know that many of you retain these memories of me from before, and I am so grateful to John and every single one of you who have been willing to meet me again over the years, and have made space for me in your lives since.
Thank you to everyone who tried to keep me safe or showed me love during those early years — and thank you all for giving me the chance to be who I am now. It is your kindness that has carried me through.
Just ran a final fundraising report for 2021 and as of today, I’ve partnered with my friends Portugal. The Man to raise and donate $274,615.27 to the community since the pandemic began.
Thank you to everyone who supported our work at PTM Foundation this year! We love you.
Thank you to Out Magazine for the great night and for the #Out100 honor.
Thanks also to Portugal. The Man for making a gay feel special.
You can watch the replay of the show now at www.Out.com/Out100Live — it’s cute! (The #Out100Live program kicks off 19 minutes into the video cuz livestream.)
If you wanna take a beat from freaking out, I am the guest this week on the Hipsterocracy with Johnny Taylor podcast over on The Hard Times, chatting about music, addiction recovery, Old Portland, DotGay, PTM Foundation, Gucci and other stuff.
Give the show a spin HERE or wherever you get your podcast on, friends.
After 18 months of strategic planning and organizational development work, PTM Foundation officially launched today!
The organization is focused on building community resilience, empathy, and awareness through music, stories, art, education and connectivity. We aim to convene and organize partnerships and projects informed by community need, then mobilize Portugal. The Man’s listeners and supporters around that shared vision.
I am honored to serve as PTM Foundation Director and to have had the opportunity to partner with Portugal. The Man and the community to build this organization from the ground up over the past couple of years — and I’m super proud of everyone involved.
Please take a moment to check out what we’re up to below and dive in with us at www.PTMFoundation.org
