Meet 20-year-old Nick Comes. By day, he’s a women’s hair stylist. On the weekends, he’s rodeo rockstar.
“When I go to the salon, I look like a totally different person,” Nick tells OZY magazine. “I’m not in boots and jeans and a cowboy hat. And so when people ask me what else I do, and I tell them rodeo, they give me a weird look.”
Related: Strap On A Saddle Because Arkansas’ Gay Rodeo Is Just Getting Bigger and Better
Nick lives in the tiny town of Lander, Wyoming. He’s been doing rodeo pretty much his entire life.
“I started rodeo when I was 3,” he says. “My mom did it when she was in high school, and my grandma’s second husband was a PRCA [Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association] roper. And that’s all I’ve done since.”
Nick came out when he was 15. He was the first student in his high school ever to do so.
“Before I came out as gay, I was kind of terrified to,” he says. “It’s never been very acceptable in the rodeo circle; it’s just not something you see or hear about every day.”
Related: The Gay Rodeo: Cultural Landmark Or Animal Cruelty?
To his surprise, people were much accepting than he thought they would be. In fact, he says, “there wasn’t any backlash.”
“My family took it a lot better than I thought they would, even my grandpa, who is probably the most old-school person.”
As far as dating in Lander goes, Nick says, “it sucks.”
“Really the only way is online dating, Grindr. Even then, you see somebody online and they are probably 200 miles away,” he says. “I don’t think there’s a gay bar in the state.”
(We checked and, from what we can tell, it’s true. Wyoming doesn’t appear to have any gay bars!)
Still, Nick says, he has no intention of leaving his hometown any time soon.
“I want to stay here,” he says. “Eventually, I want to start my own breeding and training operation.”
And as for rodeo, he says he doesn’t plan on giving that up ever.
“I’ll probably do rodeo till I can’t walk anymore.”
Related: Gay Cowboys Lasso An Often-Ignored Part Of The American West
h/t: OZY
tham
I’m such a sucker for a guy in a cowboy hat and boots…I might even like it more than a guy in a fireman slicker…hmmm….both just turn me on.
TheBigOne
Maybe, if he were 40 years older 🙂
Xzamilloh
“I want to stay here,” he says. “Eventually, I want to start my own breeding and training operation.”
There’s a joke in there.
Sam6969
Haha!
Steve
Sounds like quite a catch
jhon_siders
I have seen him on ESPN he has a great cute LIL butt Id love to spank it !!!!!
jimontp
More importantly, he’s got a handsome face and what’s probably a naturally athletic body, as well as being a nice guy brave enough to come out at 15 in Wyoming. I’d be cautious about trying to spank HIM, he could easily lasso and hogtie you up. Then you’d be penned up in his breeding and training operation!
patrickC
He’s getting married in September 2018
blackhook
Yup he found the only other gay in the village!
jhon_siders
Hey don’t threaten me with a good time LOL !!!
ProfessorMoriarty
Wow, proofread much, Queerty? The original 0ZY article says that he is 28 years old, not 20. And sorry fellas, but he also says in the article that he’s been in a relationship for a year now (and good for him!)
patrickC
Thank you for clarifying that
patrickC
I’m so happy for my fiancé. Just popped the question on the first and so happy that he said yes! I’m so proud of you Nick, 2018 can’t come soon enough, can’t wait to be your husband!
Sam6969
Wow, you are so lucky Patrick! And sure, he is too! I wish you all the best to both of you 🙂
Greetings from France.
patrickC
Thank you Sam!
Danny595
Small town values +5
Normal looking +10
Uses Grindr -5/But only out of geographic necessity +5 = Net 0
Women’s hair stylist -10
Participates in rodeos -15
It’s a wash.
Sam6969
Participates in Rodeo + 15 you mean
Heywood Jablowme
@Danny: Uh… not good at math, are you? = -10.
@Sam: Yep!
lee_21
Per, social media, Nick Comes says he is engaged to his boyfriend.
Josh447
Awesome, good for him.
GayEGO
Wow! Congratulations to Nick, he is such a cutie pie. I was born in 1941 next door in Idaho in 1941 and back then they taught that we were sexual deviates. Boise, Idaho had a witch hunt in 1955, sending gays to the penitentiary, fortunately, I had not come out until 1960 when I was in the Navy in Washington, D.C.
Sam6969
Interesting! So you came out in the Navy in 1960? What happened then ? How did you find boyfriends? Please pardon my questions, if they are too intimate.