ODYSSEY STORYTELLING PHOTOS and BIOS

Drew Cronyn is just another unabashedly gay pediatrician, ultra-liberal quasi-hippie, Catholic convert, single adoptive father and recent Tucsonan. Growing up, Drew was fairly certain he was the only boy in Borrego Springs, California (population 1600) who felt 'that way' about other guys. It was only years later that he found out his high school principal, those nice ladies at the pharmacy and the men who owned the Airport restaurant were also 'that way.' He picked his college out of "The Preppy Handbook" and, after graduation, lived, worked and came out in New York City. Drew then left behind the glamorous world of pharmaceutical public relations to go to med school. After graduating, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri where he worked for eight years at a public health center as a general pediatrician. In 18 action-packed months, he became a Catholic (although all of his spiritual mentors have now been ex-communicated), adopted a son from Russia and, in January, moved to Tucson where he now works in academic pediatrics with a special interest in special needs and chronically-ill kids. He lives in one of Tucson's co-housing communities with his 4-year old son Matvey and dog, CJ.

Lola is a sweet, sassy and stunning diva suprema but she has had to go through a lot of hardcore sh*t with her family. She overall prevailed and has become one of the biggest leaders for GLBTQ youth of all time. Viva la Lola. Kisses.

Karin Uhlich, Council Member, Ward III, served as the Executive Director of the Primavera Foundation -- an affordable housing, job training and homeless services agency for nine years. In 2002 she founded the Southwest Center for Economic Integrity, a non-profit research, advocacy, and public policy organization working to strengthen local economies. She currently serves as Executive Director. In 2005 Ms. Uhlich was elected to the Tucson City Council. She Chairs the Mayor and Council Subcommittee on the Environment, Planning and Resource Management. Karin holds a degree in Social Work from Michigan State University. She served as a Congressional Aide to U.S. Representative Howard Wolpe (D-MI) and as the statewide Executive Director of the Food Bank Council of Michigan. She has served on numerous community Boards addressing poverty, domestic violence, and worker rights. In 2002 Karin served as an NGO Delegate to the United Nations International Labor Organization.

Walt Veasy: born in Philadelphia, PA; survived Jesuit university; worked in Philadelphia prison system; taught in Philadelphia schools; 10 year relationship there; took off to teach in Egypt, came home 27 years later after taking detours to teach in Brazil, Italy, Thailand, Turkey, China and Taiwan... good to be back... how strange America has become. Wrote two musicals and a gay musical review that played in New York City.. (a children's musical "The Birds and the Beasts" won national award for New York production)... musical director/conductor for "The Western Stage", a major regional theater in Salinas, California... "Walt Whitman in song: A musical celebration of 'Leaves of Grass'" will be performed in San Jose, Costa Rica next spring...

Adam Hostetter grew up Mennonite outside of Intercourse, Pennsylvania. Some routine elements of his childhood included feeding black bears ice cream from the back door of his family's mountain cabin; playing in the swamp dressing frogs in Barbie clothes; and passing Amish buggies at 60 mph without considering quaintness or novelty. In 1995, he patched together a degree in Secondary English Education from Temple University in Philadelphia with absolutely no intention of being a teacher, and then came to Tucson to rest in the desert before starting "real life." He's been a Tucsonan and a teacher in adult literacy for 13 years. He is glad "real life" never caught up with him.

Carolyn Carter: the coming out of a small town southern girl, from debutante to dyke.

Ben Griffith has live in Tucson for 16 years and is currently still discovering himself. He was Mr. Gay Teen Tucson 2007. His main interests are performing as a drag king, hanging out with friends and building himself up. His closest companion is Tumbleweed, his cat.