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THOMAS RYAN
“I remember what it was like just coming out…not knowing where I could go and feel safe,” says Thomas Ryan. That’s one of many reasons why the Carma Productions co-owner is passionate about his company’s work, which includes making products that inform people about where to find gay-friendly businesses.
How would you define your role in Atlanta’s LGBT community?
Discrimination has been prevalent in our community for a long time now. Typically, we are discriminated against while going about our daily activities. As one of the owners of Carma Productions, Inc., which produces both the Gay Community Yellow Pages and the Gayborhood application, I am fortunate to have the opportunity to help our community know what businesses they can patronize on a daily basis without being worried about discrimination. I remember what it was like just coming out…not knowing where I could go and feel safe. The products our company produces help to alleviate those fears.
What do you forecast for Atlanta’s LGBT community in the next 5 to 10 years?
There have been times in the past few years when I have felt our community has been separated. I have seen less of us working together and more of us segregating into sub-communities. Whether bears, leather, transgendered, male, female, femme or butch…we have pulled apart. With everything occurring in our community today, from DADT, to teen suicide, and Proposition 8, I see our community pulling back together again…working as one group fighting together to make all of our futures better.
We learn from all our experiences, both good and bad. Tell us about a negative life experience you’ve had that you learned a valuable lesson from.
Throughout my life I have had a somewhat sporadic relationship with my older brother. About six months ago, my father was in a terrible accident while at work; third degree burns covered his entire face and over 80% of his arms. He was airlifted to the burn unit in Augusta, GA and given a 10% chance of survival. During the time Dad was in the hospital and for a couple of weeks after, my brother and I were speaking at least every other day. We learned that we’re actually much more alike and have more similar interests than either one of us previously realized. Today, our relationship is stronger than I can ever remember. Much like life, it just goes to show you that no matter how different people are there is always a way to make those relationships work. And there is always some good that comes out of a bad situation. In this case a very bad situation led to my brother and myself strengthening our own relationship.
How has being LGBT shaped your outlook on life?
I consider myself to be a strong individual, both personally and professionally. I remember the days in high school, walking through the halls and being called a “faggot” or “queer”…mainly by the jocks. I learned at a young age that there will always be people trying to make you feel as though you’re not enough or you’re not good enough. And to those people, I’ve learned to say…well, I don’t think that can be printed…but just use your imagination. As my mother used to say, “Never let one person ruin your day.”
Tell us a little more about yourself. What are your hobbies? What are your goals?
I grew up right here in Atlanta and graduated Cum Laude from Georgia State University in 2003 with a B.B.A. in Marketing. When not working, I enjoy spending time with my partner and friends, traveling, dining out, reading, cycling and believe it or not, college football. My professional goal is to continue to expand Gayborhood to cover 300 cities in the next 5 years; we currently cover 39. As far as my personal goals, to say I am happy in my relationship with Chris would be an understatement; we plan on expanding our family to include children in the next three years.
If you were stranded on a desert island, what’s the one book you would want with you?
The Devil Wears Prada! It’s such a wonderful book and puts me in a good mood every time I read it.
