Chris TompkinsJul 14, 20204 minThe Importance of LGBTQ Inner-EqualityThe most important step any of us can take to unlearn thought systems based on fear, including queerphobia (a term used to describe all...
Chris TompkinsMay 11, 20205 min4 Ways to Support LGBTQ Youth during Quarantine. I spend many sleepless moments these days, thinking about how LGBTQ youth are being supported, and how youth, in general, are being...
Chris TompkinsFeb 13, 20193 minRepealing ARS 15-716 matters, but so does how we talk about itDear Arizona Daily Star, My name is Chris Tompkins and I am a teacher in Los Angeles. I was born and raised in Tucson and my mom is a...
Chris TompkinsApr 10, 20184 minMy Response to Perez Hilton Preferring His Son to Not Be GayA friend recently shared an article with me about Perez Hilton saying he would prefer it if his five year old son wasn’t gay. Hearing an...
Chris TompkinsJul 18, 20173 minWhy Heteronormativity Is HarmfulLast month, at an educational event, I spoke on a panel with an elementary school teacher who has two decades’ worth of experience. She...
Chris TompkinsJun 9, 20173 minBeing Authentically ProudLast week I was speaking at a high school and a young girl asked me whether or not I loved myself. I was there to share with them my...
Chris TompkinsFeb 20, 20173 minA Surprise Lesson From My Relationship.I’m in a new relationship. It’s not that new, but it’s unlike any other I’ve had. Up until now I haven’t talked much about it to anyone....
Chris TompkinsDec 11, 20164 minHelping Create Allies One Child at a TimeMichelle’s mother realized she’s transgender one night while consoling her after a panic attack. She said Michelle began getting really...
Chris TompkinsOct 1, 20164 minWhat Running The L.A. Marathon Means For MeI’ve always loved running. The last time I ran a marathon I was living in Monterrey, Mexico. I wasn’t out of the closet and so signed up...
Chris TompkinsMar 16, 20166 minOur Beliefs Matter: A Deeper Look at Institutionalized Homophobia.James was my friend’s brother and best friend—he passed away last month from a heroin overdose. He was 25 years old. James was many...
Chris TompkinsJan 14, 20163 minLoving Your Enemy, Religion, and the LGBT CommunityI recently went to Arizona to visit my family. My mom has always wanted to take me to this church called, Our Lady of the Sierras in...
Chris TompkinsJan 9, 20163 minHumility, Colombia, and the Connectedness of the LGBT CommunityLast week I had something happen to me that I haven’t experienced before. A young man sat at my bar. I immediately felt his energy and...
Chris TompkinsMay 13, 20159 minMessages from the Playground: How to Address Homophobia and Bullying“Uncle Chris, is she your girlfriend?” Suddenly I was a teen again. I felt like I did before I was out of the closet and someone would...