I must apologize for not writing more on my blog but frankly not much has been happening lately. I have run out of funds for publicists and such and agents want nothing to do with an Out Gay Race Car Driver LOL. Don't take that as I have given up...I will never give up. I will always be trying, sometimes more than less depending on my schedule, funds and attitude. If any of you have friends that may want to get involved don't be shy!
I am in the process of sending out a large batch of emails to some prominent people. If you are someone I emailed or an agency representing someone I am trying to contact, let me know!
My latest plan has me looking for private sponsorship as corporate sponsorship seems like a stretch, LGBT issues are hot but big companies seem scared to support Out Pro's anywhere for fear of losing out on straight business. I am also trying to hit up some non-racing/sports industries as the impact of supporting an out person in a straight sport is exposure to an audience that may not be thier market but the splash of media to follow and people to see would definitely be the right demographic...everyone!
My other "BIG" plan involves you, the reader of my blog, facebook fan/follower and Twitter follower. I would like to send out some of my hero cards (autographed of course!) for a donation. 50% of what is sent to me gets sent to The Trevor Project and the other half goes towards my racing plans for 2011/2012. If I recieve enough support I will be racing for all to see! Donations of $50+ will recieve an E. Darling Enterprises racing hat (pictures of products will be up shortly on my website) and get thier name/logo somewhere on my race car...obviously a $50 donation would be a small spot and a $50k one would be much bigger ;-)...Either way I wil photograph the logo/name(s) and email them to you.
If you would like to partake in my plan, send me a mailing address to zracre@hotmail.com and I will send a signed card to you regardless. If you want to drop a donation in the envelope I send with it that would be greatly appreciated!
For this plan to work I am going to need all the help I can get...forward a link to this page to anyone you would think would want to help...If I get all my facebook friends to at least look at this and maybe some help out and maybe some forward to people that may have interest, I may get somewhere!
I am still trying to get Lady Gaga, Elton John and Madonna contacts to see if they want to partake in this as well...if Paris Hilton can have a motorcycle racing team one of these other superstars should be able to help me be an Out role model competing in a mainstream straight market. On the level of the above stars, sponsorship is not real expensive for the positive media and impact on society that will come from it...
Cheers,
Evan Darling
Monday, May 30, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Up to date....
Well this year has been full of ups and downs. I have started working at a friends shop to try and get back to normal after my attempt at Pro racing and being an Out role model. My experience was pretty mixed and I wish it turned out different. I had great faith in the GLBT community wanting a role model in a straight oriented sport but found out the community as a group doesn't. My fans are great and everyone that has wanted to support me in the past have bveen a godsend and I thank everyone for that! but the community as a group has been dissapointing. HRC has a few people that sent me info after repeated requests but no real effort on their part to help promote me or my mission. I have done everything to get through to Ellen, Elton John, Madonna, Lady Gaga and other positive people influencing the GLBT community. I dont even get a response. My publicist (in the past...cant afford agents and publicists anymore) tried to contact them as well to no avail. If anyone knows how to contact these people please let me know! I am pretty sure mainstream companies would not sponsor an Out person as they probably believe they will lose market share so I have been marketing private individuals to try and at least get out there to perform. Still looking. Once im out and racing I still really believe I can make a difference by showing we are the same. I absolutely love the commercials for Ashley Fiolek as she overcame diversity issues and public question to be great at something she loves. Racing. Very touching story! So as I go to work everyday I try and come up with marketing ideas that havent been tried before and proven ones I would love to try again. Someone MUST want to see this happen! I really hope I am not alone believing we can all make a difference.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Here is a great story written by my Agent Jessica. Very touching and it shows the world can change for the better!
here is the link;
http://gayweddingmexico.com/blog/?p=165
the story;
A NASCAR DRIVER a ROCK AND ROLL STAR and a BOY….
Permalink | Filed under: Uncategorized | Jessica Arent @ 8:40 pm |
Life is extraordinary. Really extraordinary. You have no idea where you are going to end up or who will influence your life from one day to the next. Fate is always at hand. I relate to the kids whose parents toss them aside or isolate them because my parents simply never understood me, nor could they control me and therefore would prefer to have nothing at all to do with me. Disagreeing with my parents is apparently cause enough to be blocked from Facebooks, emails and phones. A hard lesson and experience regardless of your age, and a painful one I can say from first hand experience.
It took 43 years to put the peices of the puzzle together, and to understand that I was neither favored nor loved and especially not liked, and to understand what that meant to my perception of self, but more importantly I learned and understood what kids go through when they share the intimate part of themselves that tells the parent they are not the ideal the parent had in mind.
With all of this said, it is ironic that in my fight to stand up for my child, and take a position on equality it has brought me into the lives of extraordinary people. This past week, because of a brave OUT NASCAR driver, an introduction was made to a rock and roll icon of my childhood, and I had the once in a lifetime opportunity to have an intimate conversation and begin to get to know someone I idolized throughout my childhood. This man was part of a band that has seen 5 decades and countless hits, poured into the bedrooms of impressionable young girls and piped through the car radio’s of young boys around the world. Their music was harmonious and cutting edge and they are heard in movie soundtracks, flashbacks, classic radio and rock and roll stations, and even Southpark! To say I was not slightly awestruck to find myself sitting next to this man over cheesecake and cappuccino, or later to witness him pull off yet one more concert to a nearly sold out crowd, would have been a lie. I was inspired.
The point however for me, was not to meet the man myself, but to create an introduction for my son. What is extraordinary about this artist, is that he is gay. He was and always has been, and while it was not until 1991 that he officially came out, he lived a life as a performer, and honestly, teenage heart-throb to boys and girls alike his entire career, one which began in 1962. Imagine, your life, under cover, in the limelight, a celebrity, and you are not living authentically to anyone, until 30 years into your career. What a tremendous hardship and journey. This man however, does not emit self pity. Not exactly 100% healthy at his age, and performing with the band part time, he takes his life as a gift and no longer for granted, and he tells a compelling story in a personal autobiography of his fame and fortune and his sexuality. What I wanted for my child in this meeting was to introduce him to someone that lived his dreams and aspired to greatness in his own craft, despite the odds and the pitfalls of being different. A remarkable success story, despite the odds and near loss of life.
While my child sat through coffee and cake, he had no clue who he was sitting with. This in itself was refreshing, because my newfound friend will tell you, he is just another person who is like anyone else, except that he got to live his dream of being a Rock and Roll star! But I watched my child’s face as he listened intently to the stories being told and knew that this man was leaving a positive impression on my child. Later at the concert, witness to the star quality and remarkable talent of this performer, and understanding the decades of the music and the following this band has even today, gave me a sense of incredible joy because my son was understanding the lesson I had hoped to impart. YOU CAN BE ANYONE YOU WANT TO BE REGARDLESS OF YOUR PREFERENCES. It is not about who you are in your love life, it is about who you are as a person.
After the concert this amazing man, and enormous heart, sought us out. It was a proud moment for me, beyond words, when he turned to my son and told him that he was a reflection of who this man had once been at the same age, and that HE was humbled to have met Chase. What was pivotal for me, were the words this great man said next “Chase, you are MY new hero. You are brave and courageous and you are going to leave an indellible mark on this world. You inspire me”. He asked Chase to be sure to stay in touch and invite him to his gradiation in a few years when that time comes. I was never so proud of my child as I was in this incredible moment.
We talked alot that day, this great artist and I. We talked about the kids who are cast out, unloved or even percieved as different and therefore tolerated or loved differently. We talked about his own relationship with his parents, and the difference in affection and disposition his mother had for him as opposed to his twin brother, who was straight. We talked about the parents obligation and responsibility to love each child unconditionally and with full acceptance because that is what the child is entitled to and should have and we talked about how “lucky” Chase is to have parents like my husband and I who would move the mountains and oceans to be sure our child knows he is loved and adored 100% for ALL of who he is.
WE can talk about “it gets better” to our LGBT youth. We can address the tomorrows in the Gay communities and express our desire to see the world change, but until we take an ACTION for today, until we open the hearts and minds of the world around us, and especially until we take those children by the hand and assure them that they are loved and wanted and respected and cherished, and until we show them by example and action that tomorrow will be better through the effort of today, it won’t make a difference. Our kids need answers today. Our kids need action today. They need leaders and mentors and they need love and acceptance. They need to know that we are all fallible and imperfect made this way on purpose and they are extraordinary no matter who they are.
While so many kids are cast out or isolated for being Gay or being headstrong, or “uncontrollable”, one thought comes to mind. Perserverence. I have seen many obstacles and made sacrifices to stand up tall for what I believe in and it has cost me relationships along the way, for me expecially the parent-child relationship. Perhaps this is what makes me the mother I am, and drives me harder to make a difference in the lives of those around me and for whom I champion. Perhaps it is overcoming the ideal to settle into the real, and surround myself with kind, tolerant and accepting people, is the world I create and now call family. Perhaps being cast out by my own parents, was the path God intended so that I could better relate to those who also were cast out for reasons of their own, and ultimately builds this exceptional, impactive and beautiful community around me. I no longer feel sorry for myself. I no longer feel sad for what I am missing because I have discovered that what I am gaining on this path has a far greater return in the end and gives me the tools to understand, be compassionate and forage new trails in this final frontier of equality.
I thank my NASCAR friend, Evan Darling, for making this possible for my son. I thank my performer Rock and Roll friend for the candor and generosity of heart and spirit with which he told his story and moreoever for opening heart and hand to us for the experience to meet him. WE thank them both, for making a difference in our lives in this moment.
here is the link;
http://gayweddingmexico.com/blog/?p=165
the story;
A NASCAR DRIVER a ROCK AND ROLL STAR and a BOY….
Permalink | Filed under: Uncategorized | Jessica Arent @ 8:40 pm |
Life is extraordinary. Really extraordinary. You have no idea where you are going to end up or who will influence your life from one day to the next. Fate is always at hand. I relate to the kids whose parents toss them aside or isolate them because my parents simply never understood me, nor could they control me and therefore would prefer to have nothing at all to do with me. Disagreeing with my parents is apparently cause enough to be blocked from Facebooks, emails and phones. A hard lesson and experience regardless of your age, and a painful one I can say from first hand experience.
It took 43 years to put the peices of the puzzle together, and to understand that I was neither favored nor loved and especially not liked, and to understand what that meant to my perception of self, but more importantly I learned and understood what kids go through when they share the intimate part of themselves that tells the parent they are not the ideal the parent had in mind.
With all of this said, it is ironic that in my fight to stand up for my child, and take a position on equality it has brought me into the lives of extraordinary people. This past week, because of a brave OUT NASCAR driver, an introduction was made to a rock and roll icon of my childhood, and I had the once in a lifetime opportunity to have an intimate conversation and begin to get to know someone I idolized throughout my childhood. This man was part of a band that has seen 5 decades and countless hits, poured into the bedrooms of impressionable young girls and piped through the car radio’s of young boys around the world. Their music was harmonious and cutting edge and they are heard in movie soundtracks, flashbacks, classic radio and rock and roll stations, and even Southpark! To say I was not slightly awestruck to find myself sitting next to this man over cheesecake and cappuccino, or later to witness him pull off yet one more concert to a nearly sold out crowd, would have been a lie. I was inspired.
The point however for me, was not to meet the man myself, but to create an introduction for my son. What is extraordinary about this artist, is that he is gay. He was and always has been, and while it was not until 1991 that he officially came out, he lived a life as a performer, and honestly, teenage heart-throb to boys and girls alike his entire career, one which began in 1962. Imagine, your life, under cover, in the limelight, a celebrity, and you are not living authentically to anyone, until 30 years into your career. What a tremendous hardship and journey. This man however, does not emit self pity. Not exactly 100% healthy at his age, and performing with the band part time, he takes his life as a gift and no longer for granted, and he tells a compelling story in a personal autobiography of his fame and fortune and his sexuality. What I wanted for my child in this meeting was to introduce him to someone that lived his dreams and aspired to greatness in his own craft, despite the odds and the pitfalls of being different. A remarkable success story, despite the odds and near loss of life.
While my child sat through coffee and cake, he had no clue who he was sitting with. This in itself was refreshing, because my newfound friend will tell you, he is just another person who is like anyone else, except that he got to live his dream of being a Rock and Roll star! But I watched my child’s face as he listened intently to the stories being told and knew that this man was leaving a positive impression on my child. Later at the concert, witness to the star quality and remarkable talent of this performer, and understanding the decades of the music and the following this band has even today, gave me a sense of incredible joy because my son was understanding the lesson I had hoped to impart. YOU CAN BE ANYONE YOU WANT TO BE REGARDLESS OF YOUR PREFERENCES. It is not about who you are in your love life, it is about who you are as a person.
After the concert this amazing man, and enormous heart, sought us out. It was a proud moment for me, beyond words, when he turned to my son and told him that he was a reflection of who this man had once been at the same age, and that HE was humbled to have met Chase. What was pivotal for me, were the words this great man said next “Chase, you are MY new hero. You are brave and courageous and you are going to leave an indellible mark on this world. You inspire me”. He asked Chase to be sure to stay in touch and invite him to his gradiation in a few years when that time comes. I was never so proud of my child as I was in this incredible moment.
We talked alot that day, this great artist and I. We talked about the kids who are cast out, unloved or even percieved as different and therefore tolerated or loved differently. We talked about his own relationship with his parents, and the difference in affection and disposition his mother had for him as opposed to his twin brother, who was straight. We talked about the parents obligation and responsibility to love each child unconditionally and with full acceptance because that is what the child is entitled to and should have and we talked about how “lucky” Chase is to have parents like my husband and I who would move the mountains and oceans to be sure our child knows he is loved and adored 100% for ALL of who he is.
WE can talk about “it gets better” to our LGBT youth. We can address the tomorrows in the Gay communities and express our desire to see the world change, but until we take an ACTION for today, until we open the hearts and minds of the world around us, and especially until we take those children by the hand and assure them that they are loved and wanted and respected and cherished, and until we show them by example and action that tomorrow will be better through the effort of today, it won’t make a difference. Our kids need answers today. Our kids need action today. They need leaders and mentors and they need love and acceptance. They need to know that we are all fallible and imperfect made this way on purpose and they are extraordinary no matter who they are.
While so many kids are cast out or isolated for being Gay or being headstrong, or “uncontrollable”, one thought comes to mind. Perserverence. I have seen many obstacles and made sacrifices to stand up tall for what I believe in and it has cost me relationships along the way, for me expecially the parent-child relationship. Perhaps this is what makes me the mother I am, and drives me harder to make a difference in the lives of those around me and for whom I champion. Perhaps it is overcoming the ideal to settle into the real, and surround myself with kind, tolerant and accepting people, is the world I create and now call family. Perhaps being cast out by my own parents, was the path God intended so that I could better relate to those who also were cast out for reasons of their own, and ultimately builds this exceptional, impactive and beautiful community around me. I no longer feel sorry for myself. I no longer feel sad for what I am missing because I have discovered that what I am gaining on this path has a far greater return in the end and gives me the tools to understand, be compassionate and forage new trails in this final frontier of equality.
I thank my NASCAR friend, Evan Darling, for making this possible for my son. I thank my performer Rock and Roll friend for the candor and generosity of heart and spirit with which he told his story and moreoever for opening heart and hand to us for the experience to meet him. WE thank them both, for making a difference in our lives in this moment.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Happy New Year!
Well it's January 3rd and still no sponsors. It has been a long 4 years of struggling and I thank the people that supported me through these tough times. It is a bad sign for young athletes and sports figures to see someone trying to be active in a high profile sport and not getting any support from Gay Inc. The big companies have not been very supportive and I hope times change soon and can be more inclusive so people can see that we all can prosper no matter who we are. Even though I am going back to work and cannot afford to renew my Pro license I will continue to try to get support for this endeavor and I will keep you up to date if anything changes! Also thank you to the many supporters and fans for staying with me!
Evan Darling
Evan Darling
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Year End...
Well the last race of the season for me was a BMW Car Club of America club race (BMWCCA) in Savanna, GA. I was planning on driving my friend Craigs M3 in IP (I Prepared) and Robs 325i in ITR (Improved Touring "R"). Friday was a sprint race, Sat was the Endurance race and andother sprint on sunday. I am a co-driver in the endurance races and I was to start in the M3 and finish in the 325i. Thursday testing went well and both cars were very competitive on old tires posting some pretty fast laps so we were happy going into friday. Craig had a decent qualifying effort for the sprint and started 2nd in class and Rob due to some other factors entered the car in IP (there were no other entrants in ITR and it is no fun racing yourself). For what it was he did great! With 3 laps to go a Spec E36 car being lapped by Craig in the epic battle for 1st spun in front of him in a 100+MPH corner. There was not much for Craig to do but hit the brakes to minimize damage. They hit and Craig continued on with lots of damage. The car was not leaking anything and the temps remained good so he finished out the race holding on to 2nd place. Rob finished safely in 7th in class posting some respectable times. We worked until 2AM saturday then right up to Enduro qualifying to get the car straight. Its amazing what you can do with chains, trees and F250's. Got the car ready just in time for a rainy qualifyer. I love the rain and tend to be real fast but the car kept popping out of 4th...a very important gear! we ended up 9th on the grid and 4th in class. We quickly tore into the car looking for something and found 2 destroyed transmission mounts. We barely had enough time to swap them in and put dry tires on (it stopped raining) and tweak the setup (never got all the adjustments done for the dry). I got the start and it was evident that the transmission may not survive this one! I got it to work pretty good and worked my way up to 2nd catching the leader pretty easily (man I wish that transmission worked!) and pitted in 2nd overall. Craig got in and held on as long as he could but the trans kept getting worse. He limped home in 3rd in class and 6th overall...not bad for a car that had been rebuilt at the track with beer duct tape and zip ties! Anyways I got into Robs car and his clutch was starting to slip. It wasnt too bad but it will need to be fixed before the next one. I only did about 3 laps and the checkers fell. Long and eventful weekend! Thanks to all the guys from BMWCCA and VDCA (Vintage club) that came over and helped pound the car back into shape!
See 'yall next year!
evan
See 'yall next year!
evan
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Frontiers Article
My Frontiers article is just out...a big thanks to my publicist, John Blanchette for setting it up for me!
http://www.frontiersweb.com/Features/Exclusive-Interviews/Story.aspx?ID=1309218
http://www.frontiersweb.com/Features/Exclusive-Interviews/Story.aspx?ID=1309218
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Tragedy
"This latest string of suicides is an indication of how society is accepting our young people into this world. Online bullying and ignorance is taking lives and something must be done to make it stop. We have to educate society to be more accepting and compassionate to our childrens needs. The education needs to start with parents not teaching their children to hate and be callous to others differences. We have a long way to go to make our society a more accepting and safe place. There are many great organizations like The Trevor Project to help kids in need and we need to educate kids and adults to see there is a place to go and get help and guidance. More visibility is also needed in front of the right demographic groups."
Evan Darling
Grand Am Race Car Driver
edarlingenterprises.com
Evan Darling
Grand Am Race Car Driver
edarlingenterprises.com
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