Since the onset of COVID-19 in March 2020, Keegan has posted daily virtual cello performances as a means of staying connected with his grandmother, Hope (who he calls “Guey”).
Becoming “Guey”
As a mother, all Hope wanted for her daughter, Kelly, was for her to be happy. Becoming a grandmother was a bonus. “When they called and told me they were going to be mommies, I still get choked up [thinking of it],” she says. “Because I saw the joy on my daughter’s face.”
Going together to lessons over the years, the cello has been a means for Guey and Keegan to stay connected—even in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. With more than 400 virtual cello concerts to date, Keegan’s performances have boosted the spirits of Facebook friends and family during an uncertain time. “That cello playing means the world to Guey,” she said to Keegan when Family Equality sat down to talk with them over Zoom. “Those memories will be with me the rest of my life.”
Growing up in an LGBTQ+ family
As an LGBTQ+ family, Keegan—and his grandmother—are no strangers to finding unique ways of building community and connection. In fact, they’re regulars at Family Week in Provincetown, the largest annual gathering of LGBTQ+ families in the world.
They carry their experiences in Provincetown back home. “When we go to PTown, we all talk about issues in the LGBTQ+ community,” says Hope. “I’ve taken that information to the mall when I’m sitting with friends and they realize my daughter is gay…I can talk to them about it. At my church, I will talk about my family and the LGBTQ+ community.”
“I think you have to talk to everyone about it,” said Hope.
Whether on the beaches of Provincetown, advocating in the community, or playing cello on the porch, the family’s love for one another sends a message to LGBTQ+ families everywhere: “You’re not alone,” says Keegan. “You’re not the only one in the world that has two moms.”
Dedicated to telling the stories of everyday LGBTQ families, the Ric Swezey Memorial Fund made this film possible. Make a donation to support our storytelling work here.