This book is written as a love letter to his son, who has come out to him as Gay. The father, who is Gay also, is telling him what Gay Pride and a good Gay Life is all about in his opinion. He does this from his perspective as an active member of ActUp at one time as well as other HIV and other more general LGBTQ concerns.
His son, he acknowledges, is a lot younger and has grown up in a time where it seemed that the Gay Rights Movement had succeeded. But, as he points out, the reality is that there is still reason for concern, especially during the era of trump, who, by the way, came to his wedding to his husband and seemed supportive, and then became one of those most dangerous to the LGBTQ community once he got into the White House.
We are in trouble again, assuming that we were ever out of trouble. And the time to become active is not over, and he cautions his son that he also needs to pay attention and claim his gayness, including the political implications.
I think I heard about this book a bit ago. I will add it to my list.
I wanted to let you know that I finished “A Woman is No Man” a few weeks ago.
What a great sad story.
Wow, one of the best things about blogging is getting others to check out books that you found interesting. Thanks.
It really matters on who recommends the book. I have read a few from posters on here and actually have enjoyed the recommendations.
About your book…..”A Women is No Man”….I had Iraqi friends in High School and one who was so amazing had to run away because her father was going to kill her for dating a Mexican. Marriages are still arranged within their community. I was home one day and she called me and asked if I could come pick her up because her parents locked her in her room and she said she thinks her father was going to kill her. No one was home with me and the only car in the driveway was a stick shift. At that time …I could not drive a stick shift. She said she was going to call a few more people. She finally called me back and managed to crawl out the window and she did not return to school…she had run away. I ran into her a few years later. She married her then boyfriend and she was walking with her daughter. Her whole family had disowned her. One of her cousins who I also went to school with came into my work place and asked me if I ever run into his cousin to tell her he misses her and that he loves her. Because of what she did…..everyone was not allowed to talk to her. They still had their strict rules that they lived by.
But I do have Iraqi friends who don’t follow those strict rules.
AND….I learned that year how to drive a stick shift.
That is certainly a horribly bad situation. The culture is not kind to women for sure but it is the culture, not the mere fact of being ethnically from that area of the world which is a point that you made. You know the Amish in this country don’t kill but they do shun anybody that leaves the community which strikes me as being cruel as well.