Jejune has the pleasure to share with you one of the most inspiring people we have ever met — Yves Mathieu East. Yves is a born and breed New Yorker, who is one of a kind. At the young age of 13 he convinced his mother that it was ok that he got his first tattoo, he is now head to toe covered in them. What is magical about Yves is once you start speaking to him, all you see is him, the tattoos are just a part of him that completely unquestionably make sense. A lot about Yves is like this. We were on set, and this guy was nothing but waves and “have a nice day” to every single person who walked by! It is actually pretty shocking that he grew up in NYC with how friendly he is.

This beautiful openness to the world does not come from naivety, Yves has seen the dark side of life, in fact, it is more that he wants to be that person who is the change — who gives those who need it the most hope. With no questions asks he will throw on his backpack, maybe pack up a pitbull, and head off to what issue needs him next, be this LGQTQ+ rights, Black Lives Matter, Abortion rights, rehabilitating pitbulls, or spending time with the elderly. This guy really does it all! Please read further to learn more about his incredible guy.

___
Foreword by Kira Bucca, Editor in Chief of Jejune Magazine.

Where are you based?
Brooklyn, New York.

You are a talented model, musician and activist. Let’s go in that order? What inspired you to go into modeling?
I feel like modeling sort of just happened to me, I was scouted and then it opened up a really cool door of opportunities, and then gave me a platform to amplify what I really care about, equality and justice.

You are covered in tattoos. Can you tell us a bit about this journey? What inspired your first tattoo? Did you know going in that you would want to cover your whole body? Do you have a tattoo that stands out to you?
I started getting tattooed when I was around 13 years old, my first tattoo was the words “Nothing Lasts Forever” on my chest. The journey of me getting tattooed is ongoing. I’m covered head to toe, but I always find some sort of space for something that really means a lot. I always knew I would be covered, but I just didn’t know how long it would take. As far as having a tattoo that stands out, I view them all as one, but as of late it's my Uncle Bart’s name that I got last year, he passed away last year. I miss him, our challenging conversations and his random messages of him doing dance challenges. lol

Your tattoos flow into each other perfectly. Did you go into them with a plan? When/how do you know it is time for a new tattoo?
I feel as if they sort of planned themselves if that makes sense, I’m the canvas and life is the paintbrush. For example, as I mentioned in the other question, last year I had no idea that my uncle was gonna pass away, but the spot I found for his name was just so perfect, its almost like it was always gonna be for him. Sometimes I see things and/or I go through something and I want to permanently make it part of my skin’s story.

Back in the day tattoos on models were unheard of. Obviously now, we all love your tattoos. However, when you first started modeling were your tattoos a conflict or were they always an asset?
I’ve been tattooed for so long that I forget how tattooed I am until someone is staring at me for a long time, but to also be in a field of work where how you present/look is the basis of your profession it makes you maneuver through your industry a bit more intricately. I’ve definitely been turned away before because people say my look is too extreme or too wild for what they’re looking for, but I look normal to myself and I also love how I look, so someones conflict with it doesn’t really mean anything to me.

Let’s talk about music! What came first, modeling or music? What inspired you to get into music?
Music is like medicine, therapy, and a love language all in one. As early as I can remember, I was in my living room as a kid listening to records of Tina Turner, The Commodores, and the saddest and grooviest tunes you can think of that shaped the 60s, 70s, and 80s. In my heart music definitely came first, and when I was 17, I was accepted into the college (that I ended up dropping out of) for songwriting/playwriting.

You recently came out with a new music video for “I Only Do This For You” can you tell us a little bit about this song and the music video?
I love this song so much. I wrote it a while ago but didn’t release it until a bit later because ya know, life happens. I wrote this song about that part of you that lets go of it’s barriers and you start to realize that you’re doing things for someone else or yourself, that you said you would never do. I think its beautiful to recognize that shift in changes in ourselves because it shows growth, especially when it deals with our capacity to love and allowing ourselves to be loved. The video is me at a ranch with a beautiful herd of rescued horses. I work with animals and I wanted the video to be simple and just have that and only that. I also really love that video.

Jejune loves your song “N*ggas Can Be Gay Too! Can you tell us a bit about this song and what inspired you to write it?
I wanted to write a song that was as plain and simple as possible, but using my normal writing formula. You’d be surprised as to how many people pay attention to a chorus and ignore the verses. I received a lot of backlash for this song, I receive a lot of backlash for this song, and when I’m dead, my children and family probably will as well, but it just proves the point of the song. You can say the most simplest thing in regards to your own life experience that doesn’t hurt anyone, and people will always have something negative to counteract it; so, you might as well just say what you heart is telling ya to say, and Niggas can be gay, TOO!

Speaking of LGBTQ+, you are a huge activist for LGBTQ+ and especially Transgender rights. Can you tell us a bit about your activism journey and why LGBTQ+ rights are so important to you?
It would simply be a shame for me to not speak on the injustices and inequalities that affect my community and my people, we are merely a reflection of each other, they are my people and I am theirs.

What was your own coming out experience like? Is your family supportive?
My coming out experience was pretty bad, I was physically beaten and tormented, but a part of that is why I am as fierce as I am today, my body survived but my mind (almost) didn’t. There are certain people in my family who don’t speak to me at all, but my immediate family loves me like the wildest fire you’ve ever seen. Isn’t it sad that people think you would choose to be completely disregarded, mocked, and turned away because of who you love? If I were to sit and wait for everyone to love me just for me being me, I would die alone and waiting.

You have worked with queer homeless kids through streetwork project. Can you tell us a bit about this and what they do?
The streetwork project is an incredible organization and team of individuals that provides toiletries and makeover affirming services for queer youth in nyc — makeup, skin care, wigs/hair installations, manicures, face masks, and of course food is provided for our youth. I usually like to get them pizzas and we just spend time with each other. You don’t need a lot of money to show up for someone, you just gotta show up.

You are far from a one issue guy. Mental health is very important to you, and can be seen as a theme in your music. You also work with the Jed foundation. Can you tell us a bit about this organization and your work with them?
It means a lot that you pointed out that you can see the theme of mental safety and security in my music. It’s something that I intentionally do very aggressively whenever I’m writing/creating music. The Jed foundation is a beautiful organization that focuses on mental health and its impact on young teens, they offer care services and counseling. I stepped in as a stepping stool to refer the students and young teens that I meet at my school speaking engagements for our youth who need further assistance or simply someone to talk too.

You are also very passionate about Black rights and were out protesting for Black Lives Matter. Can you tell us a bit about this and further black rights activism you do?
It’s not possible to answer this in one question. Being black is a gift to me, and it is weaponized and has been weaponized in a million and one ways. My fight for my life and the lives of those who are a mirror to mine will be a part of my life until I take my last breath on this planet. A lot of the work that I do involving black rights is intricately tied to the fight for black trans rights, which to me is the same thing, you can’t have one without the other, to exclude one from the other just doesn’t make sense to me, and its lazy, if I’m being honest. The Transgender District, House Of Tulip, Black Trans Travel Fund, and Arm The Girls, are a few organization that I have worked with and will continue to work with for as long as I live, because if my girls aren’t safe, then I’m always gonna have a problem with that.

You recently spoke about the intricacies in queerness, the nuances in blackness, and how the two are related at Carnegie Mellon University! Congrats! Can you tell us a little bit about this experience and what you hope your students got from it?
This was something I could’ve never imagined would’ve happened to me, it was really cool and such an honor to get the chance to do this. My main point of these teachings was to emphasize that every black experience is not the same, and to put blackness in a box does a disservice to the many languages, richness of culture, history and royalty that comes with the many traditions and differences of black people across the world. What’s so beautiful about being black is that there’s more then one way our blackness shows up in the world, its undeniable, that’s what I hope my students got from it.

Lately you have taken on womens rights, which sadly is rarely seen coming from a male, especially to the level you are getting out there. Thank you for that. Can you tell us a bit about why you felt you needed to get more active with this issue?
Even before the social media days, a lot of my volunteer work locally I did in my late teens involved being with queer folks/trans women, and trans women are women, so any issue involving women just makes sense for me to care about, women are people and should be treated as such, the fact that we even have to have this conversation is insane to me.

Someone has to care, and I refuse to wait around for that someone, when I am someone.

You have been visiting abortion clinics in red states that are taking away the rights to choose. Can you tell us a bit about this experience? What has the response been? What do you hope comes from these visits?
Like any spontaneous radical decision I’ve made to drop my things, pack a backpack and simply go, I’m never as prepared as I think I am, especially because I do a bulk of this alone. I never know if I’m gonna make it back, but I just know that I have to make it there. Sometimes I don’t really know what I’m gonna do once I get there, but I do know that, that’s where God wants me to be, so I book flights first and ask questions later. The response is always heads or tails, but the only response I care about is from the people that I’m trying to help. All that I hope comes from this is that the people who are alone know that someone gives a shit.

Can you tell us a little bit about some of the clinics you visited and their important work?
Here are some of the incredible clinics that I got the chance to work with, and learn from: the Full Circle Health Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico, the Boulder Abortion Clinic in Boulder, Colorado, the Emma Goldman Clinic in Iowa City, Iowa, the Hope Clinic For Women in Granite City, Illinois, the Carafem Clinic in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, the Jezebel Rebellion which was formed from the workers formerly known for their work as the pink house defenders in Jackson, Mississippi, the Feminist Women’s Health Center in Atlanta, Georgia, and the Powerhouse in Montgomery, Alabama that was an extension of the now closed Reproductive Health Services. The Powerhouse is still top and running and providing care for those in need. A major area of importance for me was making sure that trans men/non binary people had safe access to the places as well.

You have had some nasty encounters while visiting some of these clinics, can you tell us a bit about this and how you handle them?
Almost every clinic was being counter protested by men with guns and flip flops. I had a guy point a gun in my face and told me he was going to shoot me for working for the devil. I’m here to tell you about it; so, I guess he didn't shoot me. Haha. At that point, I knew what I’ve signed up for and I knew what I care about. So, all I can do is “laugh” at the utter ridiculousness of people trying to get in the way of someone exercising their basic human rights.

"Shoot me, or get the fuck out of my way.”

Some of these clinics are in sundown towns, for our readers who don’t know what this means, can you please enlighten us?
Sundown towns are all-white neighborhoods or predominantly white neighborhoods in the United States that have held onto racial segregation by excluding non-whites (mainly black people), via discriminatory local laws, violence, and intimidation. If you’ve ever heard the phrase “be home when the street lights come on”, it was passed down from black people facing danger from being outside when the sun is down, due to the intimidation and violence brought upon black people living in these spaces/towns and also traveling through these spaces/towns.

So, as a black man you are entering dangerous environments to fight for women’s rights. Again, thank you, were you ever scared? Did you have any encounters?
There’s always some element of fear because I know that at any point in time any one of these trips could be my last. I’ve had enough encounters for more than one lifetime.

You actually were arrested during one of your visits, for “disturbing the peace” aka being a black man in the wrong part of town. Honestly, this makes me so mad I could cry. Can you please tell us about what happened.
Unfortunately, I was arrested in West Palm Beach, Florida, outside my AirB&B because someone in the neighborhood called and said there was a suspicious black man in a hat breaking into houses, and coincidentally I’m a black man…….and I was wearing a hat. I was arrested on the sidewalk, brought to the precinct, processed, and charged with disturbing the peace. It was a very discouraging time for me, mentally and emotionally.

This isn’t your first time being arrested. Do you have any other stories you would like to share with our readers?
I’ve been arrested about 18 times. I was arrested, beaten, had my cheek dermal piercing pulled out, and was given a shiner on November 4th, 2020, for pushing a cop off of a woman that he struck in the face in Washington square park in New York City. I beat the case March 2022 last year due to the officers using excessive force to detain me, and withholding my rights while I was held.

On your list of things you do to give back, you also foster pitbulls! Can you tell us what got you into this and your current pup? Do you take her with you when you travel?
I had a pitbull of my own when I was a freshman in college, she unfortunately passed away. I haven’t had it in me to get another pup, and she’s the greatest animal companion I’ve ever had; so, I wanted to work hand in hand with this breed that is so heavily stereotyped in a negative light. It’s a big part of my heart and my life’s work. My current foster pup was adopted on Christmas Eve, im so proud of her. When she was rescued she had burns on her back and scarring on her head. She was very skiddish and timid, and now she’s the most sociable and spicy love bug you’ll ever meet. I’m looking forward to the next pup that I can care for, she was my 38th, so I’ll be going on to number 39 soon.

Many of these dogs have been abused, how do you break through to them?
Patience, patience, patience, patience, patience, patience, patience, patience, patience, oh yeah, and some more patience.

We seriously think you do everything, because you also volunteer with the Manny Cantor Center working with the Elderly. How did you get involved with this organization and what do you do with them?
Haha I wish I could do everything. I love the Manny Center, and I love my seniors with all of my heart. I got involved at MCC about seven or so years ago via inquiring through neighborhood volunteer opportunities. I went once and haven’t stopped going, and now I have really cool responsibilities there that have been entrusted to me. I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of something that I believe is so important to our community and society, and that’s the treatment of our elders.

Ok, seriously, how do you do everything you do? Are there 10 Yves?
Hahah that’s super kind of you to say! In the words of living legend Beyonce, "I’m one of one!" I believe that for all of us, find your gas pedal and step on it as hard as you can, but don’t forget to hit the brake so you don’t run out of gas.

You are 100% sober, and keep a record of the years with numbered tattoos on your face. Can you tell us why you decided to live this lifestyle?
To me its more of a commitment then a lifestyle. If I wasn’t sober we wouldn’t be having this conversation, you wouldn’t know who I am, and I wouldn’t have lived past 17 years old. I’m really happy that I’m here, I really am.

What is next for Yves*? What is 2023 looking like for you?
Continue to be productive, make rest a priority, put out another album, rescue more dogs, of course, spend as much time with my loved ones as possible, and maybe finding a pair of pants that won’t rip when I’m dancing my ass off. Haha.

It has been a crazy few years, how have you been staying positive?
Prayer, swimming, journaling, therapy, and saying no.

What is your motto in life?
Don’t take shit from people, be kind, and we all got something going on that nobody knows about.

To learn more about Yves please follow his Instagram and please keep up with the organizations he works with below:
House Of Tulip, The Transgender District, The Animal Care Center of NYC

Yves’s Instagram: the_yvesdropper

Team Credits:
Photographer: Kira Bucca
Stylist: Chad Groom (The Style Monsters)
Groomer: Asha Smith
Photo Assistants: Michael Newman and Tam Nguyen

COVER - Yves Mathieu East - The Face Of Change