Rationale:

I will be focusing on the Part 1 learning outcome of analyzing the impact of language changes and
demonstrating an awareness of how language and meaning are shaped by culture and context. Recently, theres
been many positive breakthroughs in the LGBT community. However, it was the Orlando nightclub shooting that
prompted me to think about the evolution of LGBT rights. I was intrigued by the manner in which it was discussed
and how people responded.
I will be taking the position of a freelance artist couple with a webcomic idea based on their life as parents
raising a gay son. Having them as speakers will allow the topic to have more weight due to the deep personal
factor. I will set the story to be between 1980 and 2016 to highlight the progression of much of the LGBT rights in
the United States.
My target audience are young adults (18-25 year olds) because they are the group most likely to read
webcomics while having the ability to fund it. Young adults also possess the maturity to consider complex social
issues such as homosexuality. Kickstarter is an appropriate platform because it is where I can express my ideas
and seek financial support for them.
I will draw my own sketches and sample pages to mirror the conventions of a kickstarter proposal and
use the informal register that is typical of this text type. I will also include hyperlinks to fully take advantage of the
electronic format. The sample pages will contain scenes that are from the authors lives, and each scene will
illustrate a significant event and the exchange of language during it.
Word count: 272

Topic: Language and Sexuality

Mom, Im Happy
Created by

Elaine & Steven Richards

__________________________________
Full color pages and a story sure to make
you smile. Come with us as we take you
through our journey of raising our son in the
unforgiving lands of the suburban United
States.
Based on real life experiences.
__________________________________

About this project

Hey there! Were Elaine and Steven Richards, married for 30 something years and retired. Since
we have enough pension money to avoid becoming starving artists, and have nothing better to do,
were creating this comic together. (Just kidding, this comic has a purpose too.)
Way back in 1980 (holy cow), we had our first and only child - Aryn. It didnt take long for us to
figure out that he wasnt like all the other boys.
The title Mom, Im Happy comes from what he said when he first told me he was gay. He came
to me in the middle of the night when he was 12 years old and asked me: Mom, gay can mean happy
right? I said yes and he replied: Mom...Im happy. He left the room immediately after that, leaving me
to process what he had just told me while Steven snored loudly beside me.
We wanted to create a LGBT (Im not including Q for a reason)-friendly comic in an attempt to
demolish stereotypes and show how the things you say really do matter.

The Characters
Main cast

Aryn Richards
Our little boy who soon grows into a handsome young man. Hes friendly and trusting (for better or for
worse). He says what he wants, and says it like he means it, which gets him into trouble sometimes. He
doesnt have a favorite color because he believes theyre all beautiful.

(We obviously no longer look this young)

Elaine Richards (formerly Johnson)
Myself. I can be bitingly sarcastic and am likely to blurt out my opinions. I have a low tolerance for
several things and my anger often took on a physical manifestation when I was younger. I learned how
to navigate through the world of ladies in time. My husband says the funniest thing in the world is
watching the edge of my mouth twitch when I smile at something/someone I hate.
Steven Richards
My husband. Hes just as headstrong as our son, but hes often too polite to ever say anything rash. He
has many opinions and feelings, but rarely acts out. His temper is something that is almost nonexistent. He says his favorite thing in the world is air because its free and it keeps you alive.

The Story
Steven and I have had many adventures raising Aryn. He taught us as much about the world as
we taught him. For one, we didnt realize how much words meant, especially for something as
(unfortunately) taboo as homosexuality. We lost some of our closest friends in our drive to support of
LGBT rights. (But its alright, they werent as great as we had thought after all).
Sketches - pages from Chapter 2: Its Okay

Needless to say, I never saw Esther the same way after that day, but I stayed on good terms with
her for the sake of Aryns friendship with James. The one thing that really stood out to me that day was
how James said its okay mom. This only proves that were not born with prejudices against different
forms of love. To James, love was all the same.
James, like Aryn, is 36 years old now. He has 3 kids and a wife, and Aryn still jokes that James
was his first kiss.
Ester has gotten better, but she still refuses to say the words gay or homosexual. I suppose I
understand, because those words meant nothing but bad things when she (and I) was growing up.
Refusing to hide away the words like theyre bad things can strip them of their overwhelming negativity
over time.

Sketch- First page of Chapter 5: Words Can Never Hurt Me

This page essentially shows the evolution and different meanings of the word faggot. This word
obviously has a very different effect when used in different contexts.
I did a bit of research and, thanks to Wikipedia, found that it was first used in english as a unit of
measurement. One faggot equalling one bundle of either billets or sticks of wood.
In 17th century Britain, a faggot could also refer to someone who was hired by the military for the
sole purpose of adding to the numbers, regardless of ability.
In the UK, the word faggot may also be used to refer to a type of meatball. It actually looks quite
tasty.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, faggot became an abusive nickname for a woman
around the 16th century. This meaning has since fallen out of use, but it appears to be where the
modern usage stems from.
Aryn was 15 the first time he was called a faggot. He stood up against Ramsey (a bully from the
grade above him) and was punched in the face for it. I remember him coming home with a bloody nose
and a bruised cheek, saying that what hurt him most was the way Ramsey spat the word like it was
venom. If Ramsey treated him like that even when he didnt know Aryn was gay, he couldnt imagine
what itd be like if he had known. He swore up and down that hed pretend to be straight for the rest of
his life.

Risks and Challenges

Its the first time were doing a project like this, but weve got (many) years of art experience up
our sleeves. We wont have a difficult time keeping on top of our schedule because weve got plenty of
time on our hands.
The story is all set, and weve got a few pages finished already.
We will need to make all the kickstarter prizes for all you wonderful supporters and calculate the
shipping cost in time.

Word Count: 992