Interview: The T.R.U.T.H. Project's Robert Ross on THE BOY THAT DREAMS IN YELLOW

In regard to The T.R.U.T.H. Project, Robert Ross was an earlier-than-early adopter.

"[Founder Kevin Anderson and I] literally sat down and had coffee when The T.R.U.T.H. Project was just an idea," he says with a laugh.

Ross describes the initiative, now in its seventh year, as committed to being a non-judgmental platform for LGBT artists to address rarely-discussed issues affecting the LGBT community by, as the name explains, "Telling Real and Unapologetic Truth through Healing."

But the now-board chair still remembers a reality check the young organization received not long after producing installments on bullying and domestic violence - a note through their Facebook page from a person considering suicide.

"Everybody froze," remembers Ross. "It's really scary when a person's not there, physically in front of you, and you can't wrap your arms around them, you don't know what state they're in at the moment."

Ross says Anderson was able to engage the person in a conversation through messaging, and ultimately help, but the effect was profound. "It really made us all aware of how serious the impact the work that we're doing can have on someone."

That work continues next month when The T.R.U.T.H. Project presents THE BOY THAT DREAMS IN YELLOW, in honor of World AIDS Day. The multi-disciplinary installment will address the stigma around HIV/AIDS through a clever analogy - traffic lights.

"Red is like 'no, I don't want to deal with this,' 'this is where my line in the sand is,' 'I'm angry,' 'I'm frustrated,' 'everything about the situation is something I absolutely don't want to deal with,'" explains Ross. "We have that wall of stigma preventing us from moving forward, and THE BOY THAT DREAMS IN YELLOW is about those stigmas starting to come down and moving from red into yellow."

It's a pragmatic approach, according to Ross. "We know we live in a world where people don't jump from red to green and [become] loving and accepting of us 100% overnight. We understand that things happen slow and happen in stages." But Ross hopes this story will show that it's okay to let your guard down, so "hopefully one day we move into green, and [we'll] be loving and accepting [of] those who are living with HIV/AIDS."

The message will be conveyed through a combination of dance, music, spoken word, theatre and visual art from local artists and performers, the beauty and limitlessness of which is not lost on Ross.

"I believe when people come to a T.R.U.T.H. Project installment [they] may be aware of the issue we're addressing, but because we're communicating and addressing the issue through the arts, you really don't know what to expect and you don't know what element of the program is going to touch you.

"It might be a song, it might be a poem, it might be a dance presentation that ends up being what ultimately touches you in a way that changes your mind, inspires you to think about something a little differently or makes you aware that you're in the midst of dealing with an issue and need resources."

Resource accessibility is a top priority for The T.R.U.T.H. Project, and crucial for nights like December 2, when THE BOY THAT DREAMS IN YELLOW premieres. "[Art] either gives us a sense of security because it's images or something that helps solidify our own thoughts and feelings about a situation or it's something that makes us terribly uncomfortable because it's in direct conflict with everything we believe," says Ross.

"It's kind of like you feel violated because it hits you from an angle where you weren't guarded."

Still, Ross believes using the arts as their medium is the most beautiful aspect of the The T.R.U.T.H. Project and says they always try to have a mental health professional on-site, "because you never know when someone is going to have a breakthrough moment."

A networking mixer will be from 6:00 to 7:15 p.m. and THE BOY THAT DREAMS IN YELLOW will begin at 7:30 p.m. The MATCH, 3400 Main. For more information, call 713-521-4533 or visit truthprojecthtx.org or The T.R.U.T.H. Project Facebook page here. The event is free to the public, but registration is required.

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