Meet Gray Anderson

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gray Anderson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Gray, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?

I learned early on in life what it meant to be the only one. I was the first in my family to leave home for college, the first to imagine a life shaped by ideas rather than circumstance, the first to stand in a lab at Duke University pursuing a PhD in molecular cancer biology and realize that nobody else in the room looked like me, lived like me, or carried the same history in their bones.

I grew up at the intersection of many margins: a first-generation American with a mother who crossed a border from Mexico to build a life; a kid from a low-income military household, quickly understanding that sometimes survival meant improvisation. As a queer transman, I walked into academic spaces where my identity was uncommon, never once intersecting the path of someone who resembled me. What I discovered is that being “the only one” doesn’t have to mean being smaller. It can mean being unmistakable, unforgettable, & unwavering in my resolve.

My strength has always come from the same place: limitless creativity and self-expression. In rooms full of mostly homogeneous yet brilliant scientists, my imaginative instinct has been my through-line, the thing that allows me to see questions differently, push boundaries others don’t notice, and bring my whole self to work that demands originality. Science thrives on perspective, and mine has been shaped by resilience, reinvention, and the quiet confidence of someone who’s had to build his own map.

I’ve learned to be effective not by blending in, but by refusing to disappear. My difference has never been a deficit; it has been the engine that drives my success, the lens that focuses my thinking, and the reason I can stand in any room — even alone — and know exactly who I am.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

After spending a decade as a scientist, leading high-impact biomedical research, publishing fourteen peer-reviewed primary research articles, & obtaining numerous accolades – I found myself craving something more creative & free. I have never been afraid to make big life changes, so in July 2022, I hung up my lab coat in pursuit of more creative endeavors and the freedom to express myself through an exploration into the unknown.

In the time since, I have been a model, an actor in a short film, an amateur poet, & a full time house husband – learning dry wall repair, fence building, general handyman skills, principles of painting walls, HVAC systems, & all the small and large things that go into caring for a house that my wife and I call home.

My brand, although cliché, is ‘live laugh love’ & I do all three the only way I know how: to the fullest, containing the entirety of my heart & soul. I don’t know where I’ll ultimately end up, but I know for certain, I’ll have an incredible journey on my
way there.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Everything I have achieved in my life is a direct result of my adaptability, confidence, & creativity. Let go of the ‘should’, ‘could’, and ‘would’ & embrace the beauty in the mess of it all. Have fun with the absurdity of life. Take every challenging moment as an opportunity to learn more about who you are. And most of all, live, laugh, & love.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I am always searching to be in community with folks that span many intersectional identities. Let’s create together! Collaborative photoshoots, poetry workshopping, philosophical conversation with a cup of coffee. You can find me at 90s_queerroyalty on Instagram, or via email at [email protected].

Contact Info:

• Instagram: 90s_queerroyalty

Image Credits

Khadejeh Nikouyeh