The portrayal of gay men in recent years has seen a flip because the world is changing. Positive images of gay men and women, especially gay love, is what I believe can help shape the image and portrayal of the LGBT community. Positive images of gay love have been nonsexist for decades but with this sudden shift within society future gay men will live better than I can remember.
Even though homosexual and heterosexual relationships from the outside appear to be different, it’s all the same. Both relationships experience similar difficulties when it comes to finding or falling in love. We’ve all been changed by a first or previous love in such a way that we end up fighting the true essence of life. Eventually the hurt evolves into a lifelong trip of game playing; game playing in hopes of finding ‘true’ love.
The horrible truth is that the heartache of love lost makes it harder for us all to fall in love or ultimately trust in the process. As time passes, we grow older and wiser and suddenly realize our heartbreaks have created a web of fear preventing us from remembering what it feels like to be loved.
When I saw the video for #ThisCouldBeUs I realized that there is a generation of gay men who were not free to love who they wanted to love and who most likely let that love go because of the lack of acceptance and understanding. It’s a concept and message that resonated with me deeply after watching and listening to the lyrics to #ThisCouldofBeUs.
The artist behind #ThisCouldBeUs is Doug Locke. Mr. Locke is an artist who I believe has his handprint on what’s important today. The #ThisCouldBeUs video is executed with excellence and thoughtfulness. Even though the video is thought-provoking the song to me is a symbol of hope for the future and that one day all gay men and women will freely be accepted, happy, and fearless when it comes to falling in love. Love is more than a game; it’s worth living for.
I wanted to know more about this gem in our community and someone who restored something within me. It was a pleasure chatting with Doug Locke and here is what I learned about this upcoming star:
Doug, it’s so great to have an opportunity to sit down with you and talk about your astonishing and touching video, #ThisCouldBeUs. We’re interested in getting to know more about you.
Who is Doug Locke?
That’s a great question… The answer to which I am slowly chipping away at day by day. Simply put, I’m an artist in LA doing my best to live an authentic life while channeling and reflecting my experiences through my work.
It is ironic that I came across your video at this time because I recently attended a movie screening of ‘Love is Strange.’ Both the movie and your video portray older gay men in a positive light. I am curious, how did your video come about and why did you decide to use a scenario of love lost through time rather than a present day couple dating but playing games?
Creating this video has been one of the best artistic experiences of my life. When I wrote the song with my producer Eric McNeely I knew that I wanted it to be my next single. I was coming off of my directorial debut after completing the music video for my song “Trojans” when I began preparation for the “#ThisCouldBeUs” music video. As an independent artist I’m used to being a bit of a one man army and being in control of every element of my work. This project was a beautiful lesson in teamwork. While I had a treatment for the video when I brought Bubba Fish on board to direct, he had a lot of fresh ideas and together we created something special.
With the video we wanted to discuss unrequited love in a way that the song alone did not. Lyrically, the song is actually quite sad. Rather than focus solely on beautiful imagery, we wanted to add an emotional element through a narrative that would give the viewer another perspective on our theme. After years of working to discover my truth, I think it is important to live a life without regret. I love that we were able to explore that with the video.
The song #ThisCouldBeUs can resonate with many gay men as it relates to playing games. What do you find as a challenge in dating today particularly with all the social media and various hookup apps and does the current methods of meeting and dating change the view and perception of love in your opinion?
Dating in the digital age has it’s own set of challenges. Our online presence is essentially our personal billboard. It is a projection of what we perceive to be our best selves. What I find most attractive in a person is their energy, charm, and their quirks. It is difficult to get that from just a picture and a few words. While social media and apps give access to a larger pond, it feels like fast food. I’ve found that my best dates come from chance encounters, meeting through mutual friends, or just being out and about.
It’s a pleasure to chat with you, especially after writing about the video and having an overwhelming response for shares on UrbanLand Media. The video was impactful on me and I wonder how would you categorize yourself as an individual when it comes to falling in love and how does that affect the music you produce and the words you sing?
I’ve discovered that as much as I try to deny it, I’m a romantic at heart. My blunders and triumphs in love tend to be my greatest inspiration in writing songs. I find writing and recording to be very therapeutic.
#ThisCouldBeUs is a message of love and a reminder that it is okay to fall in love. What is your advice to others who are dating and in relationships?
Love yourself so that you can truly love others.
What is the message you’re trying to send through your music and artistry?
Live free, and live authentically. Don’t ever give anyone else the power to define who you are.
Over the last week, I’ve witnessed a surge in press regarding #ThisCouldBeUs, the music and especially the video. How has this affected you and what are your aspirations with respect to your music career?
This past week has been surreal! I’m amazed and honored by how warm the reception has been. Due to the success of the video, I now have fans all over the world. I’m excited to share new music with them. I’m currently finishing up my debut EP as I prepare for live shows with the new material.
