Queer Ramblings

[docbrite]

When I was a little kid, there were no gay characters in anything I read or saw, although I latched onto the proto-bromances of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza at a very early age. At eight or so, I read about a lesbian encounter in a biography of (I think) Hedy Lamarr, which I found (oddly) in my super-conservative Baptist paternal grandmother's

Comments

[elven_wolf]

That lack of queerness in everything I saw was one of my main motivations for writing fiction. I needed to 'fix' this oversight by inserting gay original characters into fanfiction, or coming up with completely original stories that featured gay characters. I didn't really know any gay people personally at the time, only heard the horror story about a distant relative who died of AIDS, but I instinctively knew I wasn't 'normal'.

Then Lost Souls and Drawing Blood came around and I was hooked. I felt that I identified with you in a way, but I wasn't sure why until you started talking about gender identity more. Now it all makes sense.

Either way, your books have been a big inspiration for me, and I wanted to express that. Thank you.

[riverrocks]

I have a friend who transitioned in his 60s who said to me recently that he wished that someone had told him in his 40s that it's never too late, so he was making a point of telling me.

I'm up at the other end of the Mississippi, and my dance towards transition is a little different than yours (I've been relatively socially transitioned for a while now and there is a large possibility that my disability may keep me from medically transitioning) but a lot of what you've been sharing lately about this is resonating with me. Thank you for that. It helps to feel a little less alone.

[elvistears]

Woah, I'd forgotten about Jodie's "sex change". When I watched SOAP for the first time in the 90s I was pretty impressed by what a decent gay character he was. In fact, I think I gotta rewatch now.

I used to wag school when gay people were on Ricki Lake. Even that seemed awesome to a 14 year old. Also hardout identified with Frankie in the Member of the Wedding. It also blew my mind to watch PeeWees Playhouse again as an adult cos hotdamn that show was queer to the max.

[newdance]

It also blew my mind to watch PeeWees Playhouse again as an adult cos hotdamn that show was queer to the max.

Glad I'm not the only one who sees that. My house-mate doesn't really, save fore a few isolated lines and scenes - but he also seems under the impression that the marginalisation of effete men in the gay community is "totes" a new thing. @_@

[lokilokust]

i still remember the sleepless nights i got from seeing 'cruising' as a kid and being convinced that if i came out i was pretty much going to get murdered.

[dragonsally]

Doc, has anyone sent you the link to this article that appeared in Melbourne's Age newspaper yesterday?

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/what-are-you-consigned-to-a-box-with-the-gender-question-20110517-1erct.html