Mark Wesley Pritchard
Founding member
Bio
LGBTQ cosplayer in Fayetteville, Arkansas. 2X Cosplay Contest Winner.
Facebook: Texxx-Man Cosplay
Instagram: @thecosplayerfromtexas
Twitter: @texxxmancosplay
TikTok: @thecosplayerfromtexas
Stories (178/0)
Following My Own Rainbow: 10 Years Later
February 20, 2012: the scariest, yet joyful moment in my life. It's hard to believe that 10 years has gone by since coming out as a gay man. While many people were excited that I had the courage to do it, others condemned me for "living in sin." I've dealt with homophobic comments since then and still face the same problem today, mainly on TikTok. I used to attend church services on Sundays with my parents as a kid, but I stopped going to church almost eight years ago. The reasons are because most Christians are hypocritical and don't practice what they preach. Also, they spread their hatred towards LGBTQ+ people: people who they personally don't know anything about, by spewing Bible verses and urging them to "turn to God." You can't claim to be a Man/Woman of God and have a pure dislike of a specific group of people who aren't bothering you or have never done anything to you. All they want is to be treated equally with dignity and respect, not as second class citizens. Why are they so invested in our lives and how does the way we live affect their marriages? Those are the two questions I would ask them. However, there are other Christians who openly support people like me. I love being who I am and will never apologize for it.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard3 months ago in Humans
Putting Myself First in 2022
2021 is drawing to a close soon and a new year will begin. We’ve been through so much, especially for almost the last couple of years. You’ve probably been asked at least once what your goals are for the new year. According to an article from Statista Research Department published in May 2021, about 50% of Americans said that they wanted to lose weight or exercise. I never use the term resolutions, because in most instances, many people tend to break them in a short amount of time. Instead, I say New Year’s goals.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard5 months ago in Psyche
‘Spider-Man’ Fans Came Through
The Spider-Man hype is real! On November 29 at midnight, pre-sale tickets for Spider-Man: No Way Home, which comes out on December 17, were available for purchase. However, with that hype, came huge problems. Most people were experiencing crashes while purchasing their tickets online through either AMC Theaters or Fandango. Others had to wait several hours. Also, scalpers were on the prowl. They are selling their own tickets and the asking price of them were for as much as $25,000. I loathe scalpers in general, because they take advantage of people’s deseperation. Yours truly, on the other hand, had no issues with purchasing my ticket through AMC Theaters’ app. I didn’t have to wait long to do just that. I’ll be seeing No Way Home on December 16, one day before the official release of it. I’ve never seen a movie a day before it’s release before, so I’m looking forward to this day. It’s been well over 600 days since I’ve last seen a movie in person. That movie was Sonic The Hedgehog on Valentine’s Day 2020.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard6 months ago in Geeks
The Ugly Truth of Being a POC Cosplayer
Cosplay has helped me make numerous friends at conventions, make memories, gained a moderate following on social media (specifically on TikTok), and allowed me to express myself. However, with the good, comes the bad. POC stands for person of color. It’s also known as non-white. These are cosplayers who dress up as characters who are not white. We’re often told by others that we’re either the wrong race or body type for a specific cosplay. The most common thing I’ve heard from people is “(insert character here) is not black.” I’ve been doing cosplay since 2014 and still love it. Unfortunately, I’ve occasionally been the target of racial and sometimes bigoted attacks towards me on social media because of two cosplays I love doing.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard6 months ago in Geeks
Embracing Loneliness During the Holidays
The holiday season is almost here and it’s stressful for anyone to figure out what to do during this time of year. Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for the things and people we’re happy for. However, there are others who either don’t have any family to spend time with or aren’t accepted by their families because of their sexual orientation. Growing up, my family and I would eat some great food and watch the yearly Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving game. Over the last several years on Thanksgiving, I would either go to a friend’s house or simply enjoy this day alone. My parents and I have been estranged for over a decade and I’ve experienced physical and verbal abuse in my childhood. Not only that, but also the early parts of my adult years.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard6 months ago in Humans
Switching Political Parties
In my previous story, I shared my honest opinions about President Joe Biden and why I no longer support him. The main issue I had with him was implementing vaccine mandates for businesses with 100 or more employees. As of this story, the 5th Circuit in Louisiana issued a stay, preventing the mandate to take effect. Also recently, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, suspended the enforcement of President Biden’s vaccine mandate.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard6 months ago in The Swamp
LGBTQ+ Representation In Comic Books
LGBTQ+ characters in comic books have existed since the late 1970s. There are now more than 65 comic book characters who identify as such. Whenever a character comes out, I could never understand the outrage over it. It’s 2021 and LGBTQ+ characters are here to stay, no matter how much you complain on social media. They’re not going away anytime soon.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard6 months ago in Geeks
My Latest Thoughts About President Biden
I’ve stated many times in previous stories that I wasn’t going to talk about the Covid-19 pandemic anymore, but since health experts, the government, and most governors continues to milk this whole crisis, I have many strong opinions about the 46th president of the United States. I swear this would be the final time I ever talk about this. Many of us, me included, have since moved on from the pandemic. We have been cooped up at home and isolated for over a year and a half. I’ve been a Democrat for years, but some of the things that President Biden have said and done makes me not like him. The following below are the reasons why me and the majority of the country have lost confidence in him.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard7 months ago in The Swamp
Whatever Happened to Freedom of Choice?
I promised that I wouldn’t talk about the COVID-19 pandemic anymore in 2021, but since the media likes to continue instilling fear among us and the government keeps milking the whole crisis, this led me to rant about a number of issues. If you have read my previous stories on Vocal last year regarding the pandemic, I was feeling depressed, overwhelmed, and exhausted (mentally and physically). I’ve been tired of continuing taking safety measures. Back in late June, I returned to work for the first time in over a year and a half and have since been fully vaccinated. It was good to not only see my coworkers again, but to get back to the swing of things after my daily routine was rudely interrupted last year. Here are my opinions about face masks and vaccinations.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard9 months ago in Longevity
Where Do We Go From Here?
May 25, 2020: a date that millions of people will never forget. On this day exactly a year ago, on Memorial Day, to be precise, George Floyd, who was 46 at the time, died due to now former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, pressing his knee on his neck for more than nine minutes. Despite Floyd’s constant pleas for Chauvin and from bystanders to let him breathe, Chauvin ignored them and the officers refused to intervene. Floyd’s death had sparked protests from not only around the country, but all over the world. Last month, Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. He’s expected to be sentenced next month. The trial of the two other former cops, accused of aiding and abetting, will take place in March of 2022.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard12 months ago in The Swamp
More Thoughts About the Body Positivity Movement
One year ago, I wrote a story on Vocal about the body positivity movement and stated my personal opinions regarding this topic. The reactions to that story were mixed, but I felt that I needed to be up front and honest. Fast forward to now, I have more thoughts about the body positivity movement.
By Mark Wesley Pritchardabout a year ago in Longevity
#2020Rewind
2020 has been a difficult year for all of us. We thought that this year would be amazing, but unfortunately, the coronavirus outbreak was top news everywhere. I’m not going to talk about the pandemic, because I’ve talked about it in previous stories and stated my opinions. I know for a fact that people are tired of hearing about 24/7 and want to resume their normal lives again. The pandemic has taken a toll on millions of people, especially those who are currently suffering from mental illnesses. Also, because there’s rarely any positive stories in the media reported that’s not related to COVID-19. Instead, I’m going to share my three best moments from this year and a story about family. These are not in any particular order.
By Mark Wesley Pritchardabout a year ago in Humans
