Gay Literature and a Review

[Donald Schneider]

Hi,

I’m a male who is neither gay nor anti-gay. Quite simply, what legal activities people partake in are none of my business and affects me not in the slightest. That’s my only position on the subject: live and let live. A person’s sexual orientation would not influence my opinion of the person in the slightest regarding any irrelevant matter such as employment or residency opportunities.

I am appreciative to the moderators for the opportunity to post here. My purpose of doing so is that some people enjoy literature, and that is quite irrespective of such matters as sexual orientation. I’m a businessman who writes fiction and nonfiction as a hobby. I wrote a short story entitled “Pride’s Prison” which is a thinly-veiled personal memoir of my days in Catholic parochial school when I endured horrendous bullying due to a then undiagnosed mild case of Tourette’s Syndrome (“TS” and ADHD. I have established an anti-school bullying website centered on the story, which I had hopes might one day become the Uncle Tom’s Cabin of the anti-school bullying cause.

Since the focus of my website is school bullying and not TS, perhaps some here might appreciate reading it as the specific reason why a child is being bullied in school is irrelevant to my story’s message. In short, if a kid is being tormented in school then I don’t give a damn whether it is because of some emotional problem such as TS, a physical or intellectual abnormality, or sexual orientation (actual or perceived). I simply want it to stop.

Additionally, the beginning of my story is framed as it is—a child abduction in broad daylight—as social commentary. For you younger folks here, it might come as a shock to read how radically societal matters have changed; roughly beginning in 1968, a truly watershed year.

However, the reason I am posting today is that at my website I also write literary reviews, mostly of short internet literature. I usually review an internet publication (a “zine” as well as a featured story from each. I have written thirty-eight thus far. These reviews are totally unrelated to the special interest topics of my personal website. (I guess I should actually have two separate websites, separating the two. However, at this point that would be a lot of work to effect.)

My latest review is of a short story entitled “Stay,” by Angela Kroeger, a librarian from Nebraska who has written novels regarding lesbianism. This particular story, however, involves gay men. Ms. Kroeger also writes fantasy stories and ”Stay” is a hybrid piece incorporating fantasy with gay themes.

The free access zine it appeared in is called Crossed Genres. It’s a paying market that offers fantasy and science fiction pieces. It is published monthly and each issue has a theme which must be incorporated into all stories and articles within that particular issue. One of the monthly themes was: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer, in which this short story appeared.

If any would be interested in reading my review of the piece and Crossed Genres, the link to my website can be found in my profile; or you can insert--"Donald Schneider" Tourette's--into a search engine and my website should be the first hit. Once at the Welcome Page, look on the left (above the hit counter) for the button link entitled "New Lit Review" and click. It has a red star next to it. Unfortunately, I'm too new here to post URLs.

At the end of the review, I link to the story at the zine. Some might be interested in reading other stories from the zine, particularly the issue in which this story was published. Despite my perception that the editorship of the publication is liberally inclined politically, the publication is reasonably tasteful. Profanity is relatively sparse compared to many other publications I have reviewed, and I encountered no sexually explicit material; though, as noted within my review, “Stay” has aspects that will upset certain types of readers.

My story and website are entirely free access with no ads or solicitations for donations.

Thanks to all.

Cordially,

Don Schneider

[jjsouth]

Hello Donald
An interesting read, Donald.
Is your site achieving your aims and influence? I would like to think so, but in the light of prevailing American arrogance towards gay men and bullying issues, I doubt it.
I am an author and volunteer ex-counsellor, having assisted some 180 gay Australian guys. Some had ADHD, many had endured bullying, which is categorised as a legal offense. On all occasions, the parents, police and schools acted, expelling the culprits and warning the students. While police charges of assault were deferred, hefty compensation payments occurred.
In my opinion, until America legislates hard bullying sentences, and the police officers and all school staff are charged with applying the responsibility of ensuring safe environments on and off school property, bullying shall remain an increasingly dangerous social disease in your country.
Sarcastically, America sure has its priorities right - spending hundreds of millions in non win-able military theatres, and propping up corrupt regimes at the expense of addressing heart-wrenching homeland issues. The six recent bullying-caused deaths equate to 15% of US combat fatalities in Afghanistan in September. Yet does the issue have ~6% of the military budget spent in that wasted effort to arrest bullying and provide safe schooling?
Until the crime of bullying is addressed with might, instead outpourings of hot air from the Oval Office down, the issue will remain a threat to parents and students.
Just my random thoughts.
Kindly
Justin South