For Brian Mason, performing requires the same thing that living proudly does: the courage to be seen.
Mason, 43, is a singer and performer living in Wilton Manors. He counts pursuing his performance dreams, traveling to 56 countries and finding a home within the city’s LGBTQ community among his proudest accomplishments.
His identity has shaped both his relationships and his work. Personally, Mason said he had to become more comfortable in his own skin before he could form authentic connections. Professionally, performing demands that he lower his guard.
“Professionally as a performer, you have to show your true self and be vulnerable to your audience, and my identity has forced me to do just that.”
That vulnerability has opened doors. Mason has worked with organizations including HRC, Sun Serve and Pink Nail Society. Most recently, he worked with GDMAF in Dallas, where he served as an opening act for Cheyenne Jackson.
For Mason, being out and proud begins with reaching a place of confidence and security where he can live unapologetically. But pride is not only a personal destination. It also means fighting for equality, establishing LGBTQ people’s place in history and creating a path for those who come next.
“It means paving the way for those who will come after us. ”
His advice to LGBTQ youth follows the same principle. Mason urges them not to force themselves into a mold created by society. Challenges, he said, can become the building blocks that make a person stronger.
“I would remind them to surround yourself with people that make you want to be the best version of yourself.”
Mason has found those people in Wilton Manors. He describes himself as grateful for a community that allows him to be himself, connect with others and perform. He also credits an “amazing chosen family” with helping make this the happiest chapter of his life.
His personal motto distills that experience into a boundary: “Keep yourself where you are celebrated, not tolerated.”
Onstage and off, Mason has learned that being fully visible is how a performer connects, how a community forms and how the next person learns that they belong.
