Comments

1
Thanks Dan

If true this is a horrible thing and we should all be on the lookout for a way to help out the poor kid.
2
I just called the Faulkner home to ask for Bryce and the nunber has been forwarded to a fax... so I sent a fax instead.
3
Really sad. Here's hoping that the program Bryce is in isn't sophisticated enough to screw him up any worse than the haters who call themselves his family already have and not brutal enough to hurt him physically.
4
Okay, having looked at the photo collage of this guy, I have to ask: his parents needed to read his guy's e-mail to figure he's gay? I mean, shoot, the guy was in musical theater, how much more do you need?
5
Here's the thing, though, Dan: parts of Arkansas are really, really rural. If he came home for a family visit, and was confronted while he was physically at home, it's possible that a situation comparable to a kidnapping occurred: his little sister swiped his cell and car keys while his dad disabled the internet and his mom took him in for the confrontation/ultimatum. If he was caught by surprise, it's entirely possible that walking out of the house was simply not an option, if he was a hundred miles from a bus station or airport.

For what it's worth, I'll keep an eye out in Atlanta.
6
Unless the family has him imprisoned with ZERO privacy, can't he at least send a letter to his boyfriend?

Something about this wreaks of bullshit...
7
There is some thought that he is in an ex-gay program in Florida. Perhaps he doesn't have means to communicate, perhaps he's willingly trying this program for his family, perhaps he has chosen to disappear. It's a very sad situation.
8
Sounds like his family and parents have a lot of control over him, true, but that's hardly as unusual as most of you urban refugee gays make it sound like. Not everyone is willing or able to divorce themselves from their upbringing and build a new life with only a suitcase and a bus ticket.
9
Move away! Flee! Build a life somewhere there are others who understand what you are feeling. There a lot of good places to live and you'd be surprised how happy you can be when you learn to love yourself. And family can be a bigger burden than they are worth. Courage!
10
These things make me cry literaly at work :(
11
To get a sense of what his surroundings are/were like look at the Google Maps street view for the address given on one of the websites (probably place of employment for one of his parents "?!"): 532 W Faulkner St, El Dorado, AR 71730

The town is in the lower part of Central Arkansas - just north of Ruston & Monroe Louisiana. Doesn't look like there's a whole lot going on there - and looks like a lot of small towns that I saw/lived in growing up in.

It wouldn't be surprising that a 23 year old man would still be dependent on his family and could easily be cut off from the 'outside' world.

A sad story. We can only hope that if the accounts are accurate that he is found before any (further) lasting damage can be done. Suicidal thinking in situations like this is not out of the question - especially if he is left thinking that he has no way out.
12
I'm originally from Northwest Arkansas, which looks like freakin' Haight Ashbury compared to a hellhole like El Dorado. He might as well be in rural Iran or some other FSM-forsaken nowhere.

Having fled to Seattle almost a decade ago, I can tell you that one of the biggest hurdles in escaping is money. Moving expenses, first, last and deposit on an apartment can easily run $3,000-$5,000 at a minimum, and in Arkansas, you're lucky to find a job paying $7 to $8 an hour.

I've helped two friends move out since by just giving them a place to crash while they found jobs here and saved up for apartments. I'll be happy to reopen my queer underground railroad if Bryce is found, though is sounds like WI is where he should go to be with his BF.
13
Having lived in that part of the country, I can tell you that cutting off your toxic family is not as easy as it may be in Seattle. There's a very strong, religious "family at all costs" ethic there, and you will experience meddling from outsiders if you cut off your family, even when your family is widely known as insane or violent. You can expect these outsiders to report on you to your family, to be refused employment because you're "the one who doesn't speak to his mother", to hear how cruel you are from the cashier at the grocery store when you go to buy your food. If you grow up in those circumstances, it is very difficult to break away from that mentality and you likely assume you have no choice but to go along with your senior family members' outrageous demands. This guy will need to get completely out of Arkansas if he wants to start a new life.
14
If a 23 yr old is still mooching off his parents he should be 'put out on the street'.
15
Dan, if 'the kid' comes home when he is 23 and says he has joined the Aryan Nation what are you going to do?
Bake him some cookies?
16
I think there's a good chance this young man is dead already. His parents are evil. Purely and simply evil.
17
@16 Lets hope you're dead wrong.

There's something I don't get - on the website the guestbook makes a note: "Please note...Bryce is not being held against his will or has he been kidnapped.
As in most cases such as this, fear and intimidation is used to "hold" the victim."

Am I wrong, or does using fear as a controlling method take away one's right to choose? Doesn't matter if he's a legal adult or not, if you threaten to take away someone's life if they don't do as you say, that's making someone do something against their will isn't? No one is going to choose homelessness and pariah status when being pressured by the people you've grown up with, people who have raised you and taught you right from wrong. It's blackmail, it's coercion, can't someone call the cops on these people?

I'm all the way in CA, but I really want to help. This is such a sad, and disgusting thing to read about, and I can't really keep an eye out for this person, so is there anything else people in my position could do? Aside from praying (which I don't normally do but will do for him)
18
Isn't there some ChickenHawk in some hip urban area who could take Bryce in, abuse and use him until the 'new' has worn off, then throw him out?
Come on guys, help till it Hurts!
19
Why doesn't beau Travis help?
Is he living with mommy and afraid too?
20
17
Bryce's family is already praying for him.
Thanks anyway...
21
from the website:

"Bryce Faulkner is a bright young pre-med student who, like many in college, was totally dependent upon his parents for survival. His CAR, his CELL PHONE, his weekly SPA VISITS and PEDICURES, his GYM MEMBERSHIP, his education, even his job was all connected to his parents purse strings.
"...they took away everything and left him the choice of becoming homeless and destitute or going into therapy."

God Forbid he should get a real Job!!

Moral of the Story, Girls:
Don't Piss Off Mommy
if she is paying your bills
22
from the website:

"For those of us who choose the intimate relationship with God know that God loves all of us, just as we are and not as others would necessarily have us to be. Homosexuality is not an unnatural property, but indeed is a natural creation from God."

Dan, do you believe God makes people Gay?

Why is this website's version of what God and the Bible want us to do any more valid than that of Bryce's family?

How is Pro-Homosexual religious brainwashing any more legitimate than Fundamentalist religious brainwashing?
23
Just to be clear, this 23 year-old guy turned down being who he truly is, for money. And he’s pre-med, so he doesn’t seem like a dumb guy. It seems like he made a choice, and was not “forced” into this program… or am I missing something? I admit that it sucks, but creating a website seems a bit much. He should have stayed with Travis, got on his own, and lived his life. Instead, he chose to to cave in to his family. Again, sad, but this response seems over the top.

I saw this on Towleroad, and a couple articles above it was a man in Jamaica who was held down, and knifed by 3 men, just for being gay. And that this happens not only from thugs, but by police, and gays have no protection whatsoever. To me, that sounds like a cause for a website.

Just saying…

24
Before Bryce disappeared his boyfriend Travis recieved one last phone call on June 15th and was crying uncontrollably saying, "You should have heard the mean and hateful things they said- they made me read out loud passages from the BIBLE."
25
<<>

*I* am "Travis' mommy" Travis doesn't and hasn't lived with me since he graduated High School! Travis got his first job when he was 15 and has been working ever since. He's paid his own way through college as well as all other expenses incurred by any other independant adult. Of course, while in school, there had been times when he may have been short of cash a time or two.. but let me make this perfectly clear... none of this has ANYTHING to do with the issue at hand. The fact that they (as parents):

1. Threatended him at ALL is wrong.. a parents job is to love unconditionally.
2. The fact that they stole all his personal email and passwords is wrong.. on every level.
3. I've heard people say that the Faulkners are not "Homophobs"... ever heard the term "Not in my backyard"? Seems to me a double standard.
4. The fact that Bryce cannot be found and spoken to by anyone except the "family"... kinda makes me wonder.. why can't Bryce speak for himself? BECAUSE THESE PLACES DON'T ALLOW IT!!

I think it's quite clear, Travis isn't afraid of anything to go to the extent he..WE ALL HAVE to find Bryce. So instead of tossing false accusations, name calling, and trying to figure out why his "beau isn't helping"... you tell me.. what else can we do? Because we are MORE than willing to do ANYTHING to find Bryce!

Travis' mom.. and proud of it!
26
Bryce is 23. He made his choice.

I was 19 when I moved half way across the world, from mothereffin Russia. I made my decision to live by myself and provide for myself. I learned how to speak English, I got a restaurant job, (I'm a head server at one of the Lincoln Park eateries) which is not exactly my dream come true but this job pays the bills and rent in Chicago's Boystown.

Bottom line is Bryce needs to grow a pair and face the reality of a grown up life. Take the responsibility for himself and stop living off mommy's bank account. The financial blackmail that parents subject their kids to is a degrading and demeaning thing. It sucks but it works when you're 15-17 years old. When you're 23 however, it is a delibirate choice, and therefore you have nobody to blame but yourself! Grow up already Bryce!
27
It does seem like Bryce should have realized what his family was like and planned ahead to weaken the family ties and develop some independence, so they wouldn't have the leverage to now, at age 23, force him to do something he doesn't want to do. But if he had his head in the sand about the whole issue, I can sorta see how a 20-something in this day and age could be blindsided by something like that and not have the logistical and emotional resources to resist. I teach college, and the kids today are dependent on their parents to a degree that is astonishing to me, and I'm only a little over 10 years older than the kids entering college now. It doesn't strike me as particularly unusual that a guy could get to that age and have no idea how to arrange his own housing, transportation, and employment because he's had those things provided for him all along. It's sad--I think it's a parent's job to start scaffolding children toward independence as they enter the teen years--but I don't think it's unusual. And if the parents want to rule their children's lives well into adulthood (as many parents today seem to want to do), they may actively discourage attempts by the young adult to be more self-reliant.

Obviously I don't know what really happened, but I can imagine a young person in that situation telling his parents, a few years ago, "I've decided to get an on-campus job over the summer for $7 an hour so I can buy my own car and handle some of my expenses," and the parents going, "Oh, no, come home, we'll pay you $11 an hour in the family business, you can live for free and drive a car that's in our name." And maybe the parents aren't thinking, at the time, that doing this will make sure they can rule their adult child's life...so the kid doesn't realize the catch either.

tl:dr: Yeah, at 23 he should be making his own choices, but there may be semi-good reasons why that's easier said than done.
28
Well, the media hasn't flushed him out: detectives, rewards and ex-gaywatch might all help. And set a useful precedent beyond this case, if it later turns out he's been completely isolated from the outside world.

There is some poetic justice here: the Faulkners tried to put their son away quietly, now the entire planet knows he's queer.
29
travis's mom,

i'm really lost for words regarding this whole situation. as a friend of travis, i can only imagine how he feels. not being able to talk to bryce, and having no idea what is going on.

but he always talks about how supportive you are, something i still wish i saw in my mother, and most likely never will.

i'm actually moving to arkansas in a few weeks to go to school. i go to uw-green bay right, but i'm participating in an exchange program and will be in arkansas for a year.

i will join in the cause to find bryce. at a time like this, he needs the most support, love, and caring he can get.

i will find some way to join in the fight.

you've raised quite an amazing son so it seems, as i'm getting to know him as a friend.

together, we WILL find bryce.

~andrei
30
I live 6 miles from the Faulkners in El Dorado. I grew up with Bryce's parents, and I've known Bryce since he was just a thought,,,let me ad here that I am gay. This junk is total bull####. He is 23 and he could had chosen to leave his life here and flee(there's the prepaid plane ticket to see dear Travis remember) like alot of other gays have done, and built his life with Travis, who says they are so in love, as a result of meeting, I believe, twice in person, and the result of a "internet affair". Come on people, grow up. He weighed his options and opted to do what his parents ask him to do so that he could keep their support and continue to build the life "he has chosen for himself", fair or not, he chose his parents conditions over leaving and going to be with Travis. Obviously this Travis dude didn't make the cut is all, and now he's just gone completely overboard with his selfish, self-centered revenge. Travis is the one ruining Bryce's life at this point, with these facts, whether he can admit it or not. Bryce WAS in the closet because he chose to be, not anymore, huh Travis? I wonder if anything Travis said was true, do we really know??? NO. By law, Bryce can make his own choices, he doesn't need anyone's help, he made the choice. I know them personally, he was free to make the choice, stay or leave, he chose to stay, whether we think it was fair or not. Drop it, Bryce will be much better off without ever seeing all this personal crap all over the world about him since he WAS very private about his personal life. The more I think about it the more I'm convinced that this Travis guy really doesn't mean as much to Bryce as he thinks he does, is all.
31
Hi, JHK, i just have a few questions, if that's o.k. with you:

You know this part of the world better than anyone else of us, it seems. How religious are Bryce's parents? How are they looking at you "for being gay"? Do they fully recognize you as a fellow Christian (if you belong to any Christian denomination), or are they (behind your back, perhaps) pitying you for "bringing the fires of hell upon yourself"? -

Do they know that you are gay - and "God forbid", NOT ashamed of yourself?
Even if Bryce did "opt" for his family, how free was he emotionally to do otherwise, having been brought up by them and having soaked in much of what they told him over the years? You would know what the upbringing feels like that the Faulkners would hand to their son.

Please understand why I ask so many questions - I find all this hard to understand.
Thanks!
32
My point was, fair or not, Bryce is a 23 year old adult male. From what I know, Bryce is more likely to be having a much harder time now knowing that his private life has been broadcasted across America by this Travis guy. It puts a whole new deminsion to what he's already going through. I think he could deal just fine before Travis chose to out him to the world, but now I'm scared for his mental/emotional state, due to the enormous violation of his private rights by Travis choosing to out him to fight his own battle, I know Bryce did not ever want to become a poster boy for gay rights. I don't think Travis understands what he did to Bryce yet, he seems more concerned about "his" love, life, and drama....Bryces parents are normal, mediocre people, that go to a plain ol' church, they're not the religous fanatic types they have been made out to be by people who don't even know them. As for me, I could care less what they think about me, or say behind my back, I do know they are always nice to my face... and that's what matters to me, you can say whatever ya want behind my back, I don't care.
33
jhk, ]

Given the sensitivity of the situation, I'm pretty sure we all believe you could have chosen a more respectable way of sharing your feelings. Their is no reason to be mean, or hurtful to Travis, or to anyone. Just as you say others do not know Bryce, you do not know Travis, nor are you aware of any details regarding their relationship. Your ignorance is astonishing.

The only goal here is to hear from Bryce directly, something that all of us who support Travis have yet to see. Perhaps that provides the main point for you.

~Andrei

34
I know mostly what I've read from Travis himself, besides knowing the Faulkner family all my life. He said they met 2 times publically and had a internet relationship. If you think that gives Travis the right to take Bryces right concerning his "secret life" and broadcast the fact he's gay to the world, or think that this so called "relationship" consitutes love, the you, my dear child, are the ignorant one.,,,,,,,Time will tell, right? Everyone? Then I can say, I told them so :)
35
I know Travis as I attended school with him at UW-Oshkosh up until 3 weeks ago when I transferred. Spending almost 10,000 minutes a month on a cell phone is a little more than an internet affair as some have called it. I am not gay but agree completely with Travis' statement, if this is what Bryce wants, then Bryce needs to tell him that. Until Bryce does this, Travis can only go off of their last conversation where Bryce was crying about what his family was forcing upon him. Travis is highly respected on campus and very invovled with the rights of LGBT community. I support Travis in his fight to truly discover what has happened to Bryce. If Bryce entered under his own free will, then his family can easily stop this by having Bryce contact Travis. These are two people in love that would sleep with their web cameras on so that the first thing they would see each moring was each other. The love that they were able to briefly share is something that everyone deserves, regardless of their sexual orientation.

Travis I wish you all the luck in Bryce returning to you!
~~WHERE IS BRYCE??~~

Ann Marie Brewer
36
Hahaha, so reading everbodys post is just to funny. First, I knew the guy. Second, they choose every remotely gay looking photo from his facebook to make a YouTube video. I'm sure we can go into anyones facebook and find photos that makes us look like we are gay. Plus most of those pictures were from a thing like Greek scene (or where frats & sorority's) compete for cash and it helps the school raise money. it's called tiger tunes at ouchita and it raises like 75,000 dollars in scholarships in 4 days. Most of the people I know really don't care that much about this whole issue, and yes we went to school with him. The main reason is cause his he's old enough to make his own choices. He's graduated. His parents offered there view of help, counseling, or move out. They did just pay for an 80,000 dollar degree And bought pretty much everyhting cause he didn't really have a job during school. Set him up to be pre-med. Yes, I can totally see where they set him up to fail. So I don't think they were going to dis own him, but there weren't going to support him finacially when they view that lifestyle as morally wrong.
37
It would be nice for Travis to be able to hear from Bryce. WHERE IS BRYCE?
38
Any updates on Bryce Faulkner and how he's doing today? Many thanks!

GayChristian101.com

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