ists " ▁cit ing ▁the ▁A ID S ▁Account ability ▁Project ▁and ▁other ▁controvers ial ▁causes . ▁ ▁Early ▁years ▁and ▁influ ences ▁ ▁Pet rel is ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁New ark , ▁New ▁Jersey , ▁where ▁he ▁lived ▁for ▁" four ▁or ▁five " ▁years ▁before ▁his ▁family ▁moved ▁to ▁C ald well , ▁a ▁nearby ▁sub urb . ▁According ▁to ▁a ▁family ▁legend , ▁his ▁mat ernal ▁grand m other ▁once ▁created ▁a ▁scene ▁when ▁his ▁mother ▁failed ▁to ▁win ▁a ▁Sh ir ley ▁Temple ▁look - ali ke ▁contest ▁in ▁New ark , ▁over turn ing ▁the ▁jud ges ' ▁table ▁and ▁sc ream ing , ▁" This ▁is ▁a ▁ma f ia - rig ged ▁beauty ▁contest ! ▁My ▁daughter ' s ▁the ▁most ▁beautiful ▁one !" ▁Pet rel is ▁said ▁of ▁the ▁legend , ▁"... of ▁course , ▁I ▁wasn ' t ▁there , ▁and ▁you ▁don ' t ▁necessarily ▁inherit ▁that ▁kind ▁of ▁whatever ▁it ▁takes ▁to ▁do ▁it , ▁but ▁sometimes , ▁you ' ve ▁just ▁got ▁to ▁over turn ▁some ▁tables ▁and ▁remember ▁that , ▁for ▁me , ▁I ▁have ▁a ▁Mediter rane an ▁background ▁and ▁that ▁anger ▁is ▁okay ." ▁ ▁Pet rel is ▁attended ▁an ▁alternative ▁high ▁school ▁in ▁East ▁Orange , ▁New ▁Jersey , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁open ly ▁gay . ▁He ▁rem embers ▁first ▁becoming ▁involved ▁with ▁the ▁gay ▁community ▁as ▁a ▁te en ager , ▁travel ing ▁to ▁the ▁Green wich ▁Village ▁neighborhood ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁In ▁the