Don’t even go home with them.
One of my first questions in the club (way back when) was…What have you read lately?
I recently had someone ask me what it told me about a person besides the genre. So here goes:
That the man opposite me liked to think/explore new things/ideas.
That he was out of college and the associated drama. (The reading list hasn’t changed in eons.)
That he wasn’t afraid to spend time alone. (Always important.)
That ‘the scene’ didn’t encompass all his waking hours and thoughts.
And, if it was a quirky title, something that I hadn’t heard of before – that he didn’t conform to faddish BS. Oprah anyone? (Always high on my list.)
So yes, I like a little more think than twink, a little more bear than beer. Personally I’ve always loved the sexy nerds. They never really had to be sexy, just a nerd, or at least someone who thought beyond next Friday.
Do you ask the men you meet in the club what they’ve read?
What do you get from their answer (if they have one)?
Have you ever asked the question before? Or is it all about the hookup?
Maybe the gay love story you’re seeking needs more questions before the action starts…
H/T to Affinis Apparel for the cool photo.
In 2010, I met writer, Victoria Zackheim, editor of The Other Woman, at a local writer’s conference. I was immediately fascinated by her book of essays and asked if anyone had considered editing an anthology on the subject from the male viewpoint. To Victoria’s knowledge, no one had written a follow up and she immediately gave me her blessings to edit the gay companion to her wonderful book.
When I started writing The Road to London, in the very same gay club mentioned in the novel, I was blessed with having no idea about what I was writing: while dancing away, words just started coming to me… I say blessed, because that may have felt like a rather daunting and, at times, ‘spooky’ experience, not knowing where you are going with a story, having no clue about what will happen to the characters and not having a ‘plan’ for her did not give me any control over her birth, on the other hand it gave me the freedom to follow the novel and not force her to fit in with my intentions. The Road to London wanted her freedom from the start. 
But can we find a time when and a place where LGBTQs were fully equal to the other humans they lived with? In the Western world we often look to ancient Greece and Rome for acceptance of LGBTQs. But when we confront the details, we find something other than acceptance and equality.
So, I finally did it. I took the plunge and came out to visit a few of my fans. It was a pleasant experience. Humorous mostly. The ladies were so gentle, as if I was going to run away if the crowd got too thick. “You okay?” was a constant. And, other than a developing cold that had me running back and forth to the loo (to blow my nose) like a coke head, I was okay. The panels were informative. I got a chance to meet so many of the authors I know only online, and I got a chance to grab a few books too. I wanted more, but no one was manning the tables at times.