May 18th, 2007
Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys - Among the Others
I contributed a piece to a just-released anthology, Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys: True tales of love, lust, and friendship between straight women and gay men.
The cover features the names a few contributors, including Andrew Solomon and Cindy Chupack, and then in smaller font, “and others.” I’m “others.”
My piece is called, “Like Father, Like Daughter.” You get three guesses as to what it’s about.
Excerpt from “Like Father, Like Daughter,” p. 251:
Having a father come out as gay certainly did influence my sexuality, but not in the way most people assume. I grew up in a community that included my father’s family of choice: a circle of gay men who expanded my me-centered universe with creativity, warmth, and vibrancy. Although many of them did not survive the AIDS epidemic, their influence has followed me into my adult life. Most notably, as my attraction to men began to emerge, I gained my first unconscious lessons on how to respect, appreciate and love men by observing how gay men respect, appreciate and love one another. Nowadays I regularly find myself smiling at a man in his twenties or thirties and enjoying the distinct gay male energy he emanates, even if he doesn’t notice me. Sometimes a gay man’s eyes will meet mine when I’m checking him out and he will give me a look of pity or annoyance, as if to say, “Oh, you clueless girl, get your gaydar fixed.”
Little does he know, my gaydar is finely tuned. I’m not pining over him with my heterosexual desire; I am admiring him with my queer sensibility.
The editors, Tom Dolby and Melissa de la Cruz, have readings coming up with different contributors joining them, depending on the location. Check out the events calender here.