Alec Kissinger

1. Please provide a brief description of yourself.

My name is Alec and as an artist, I am a classical singer. For my profession however, I

work in marketing for a large publishing company. I love languages and speak fluent

French. I am a very loyal friend, and am driven more by my intellect than by my

emotions. I have probably eaten JIF peanut butter in the past twenty-four hours.

2. Where did you grow up?

Rio Rancho, New Mexico

3. What does “being queer” mean to you?

To me, being queer means being myself. I don’t know how else to exist, so if queer is

what people call it, then it’s what I am.

4. What are some obstacles faced by people who identify as queer?

I think the biggest obstacle is acceptance – accepting yourself and being accepted by

others. We grow up within our society’s framework that expects people to be straight.

Then when you realize that you don’t fit within that picture, it can be very difficult to come

to terms with yourself. You don’t want to disappoint people. You don’t want to be seen

as different. You want to be honest with everyone, but there’s a barrier preventing you

from being yourself. When acceptance is lacking, it creates space for more obstacles.

5. How did you become involved with art?

I began performing in school choirs and musicals. (Impromptu performance art around

my house for my parents and family started much earlier.)

6. How does your gender help you define your art work and viceversa?

Many classical art songs are written from a specific gender perspective where someone

of the opposite gender fuels your emotion. This is even inherent in romantic languages

since most songs will have feminine pronouns and adjective endings. My gender

influences what pieces I sing from a physiological perspective as well as from an

emotional one. Then there is always artistic freedom to break those traditional rules.

7. Are you hoping to make a living from your artwork or art form?

"The purpose of art is not the release of a momentary ejection of adrenaline but rather

the gradual, lifelong construction of a state of wonder and serenity."

- Glenn Gould