Arts & Entertainment
Books: Hot gay page turners
Spring book release schedule chock full of LGBT content
‘Decadence’ by Eric Jerome Dickey, ‘Gypsy Boy on the Run’ by Mikey Walsh and ‘Prairie Silence’ by Melanie Hoffert, just three of many gay-themed books slated for release in the coming months. (Photos courtesy the publishers)
The spring publishing season is full of gay reads, especially if you like memoirs.
Mikey Walsh gifts us with a sequel to last year’s “Gypsy Boy” (one of my favorite books of 2012) with his new book “Gypsy Boy on the Run.” This book picks up where the first book left off — Walsh has just escaped his father’s abuse and the Romany culture in which he grew up — and off we go. Which is great, since the first book practically begged for an update. His being gay is a major reason he was shunned by his culture of origin.
What would you do if you hailed from a place where you being gay was the farthest thing from your neighbors’ minds? In “Prairie Silence,” author Melanie Hoffert tackles that, coming from her home state of North Dakota. This is a beautiful book, almost bucolic, and filled with a quiet sense of calm and crops.
“Letters from the Closet: Ten Years of Correspondence That Changed My Life” by Amy Hollingsworth is a bit of a unusual memoir: it’s about a teacher who was not “out,” his favorite student and letters that he wrote to her that she kept until his death, years later. It’s a powerful story of secrets that aren’t so secret, from a Christian writer.
Speaking of church, “Banished: Surviving My Years in the Westboro Baptist Church” by Lauren Drain is the true story of the organization and a little girl whose father got so caught up in his examination of the church that he moved his family to Kansas and into the fold. It’s also the story of a girl who examines her conscience and realizes that her former beliefs were wrong. Controversial? You betcha, but oh-so-interesting, too.
“Plane Queer” by Phil Tiemeyer is a book about male flight attendants from the 1920s to about a decade ago, their work in a female-dominated career, the discrimination they faced and how AIDS has tied into their area of the industry. There’s a lot to learn here (because — did you know this? — they were in the forefront of an important civil rights law), so this book isn’t just a scandal-filled, juicy read.
Local gay author Garrett Peck continues his historical explorations with “The Smithsonian Castle and the Seneca Quarry.” This is somewhat of a sequel to Peck’s last book and explains how some of D.C.’s best-loved sites are tied together in an unlikely way.
California-based gay author and pop culture historian Mike Pingel is out with another tidbit-crammed page turner. “Betty White Rules the World” traces the legend’s career from “Life With Elizabeth,” “Mary Tyler Moore,” “The Golden Girls,” “Hot in Cleveland” and more. As with previous books on everything from “Wonder Woman” to “Charlie’s Angels,” Pingel keeps the pace moving — pullout boxes and mini-chapters are well-chocked with interesting factoids that keep the pace moving.
So you’re clamoring for a novel. Just a good story, that’s all you want.
And then you want “The Beauty of Men Never Dies” by David Leddick.
Blending fiction with memoir, this book is about aging and falling in love later in life. It’s a whirlwind trip from America to Europe, from one fabulous job to another, and from love lost to love gained. How much is true and how much is not? I’m not saying. Read the book.
Gay author Brent Hartinger will release “The Elephant of Surprise” from Buddha Kitty Books on March 31. It’s the fourth book in the “Geography Club” series, the first entry of which has been adapted into a film starring Scott Bakula and Nikki Blonsky. In “Elephant,” Russel and his friends Min and Gunnar laugh about a phenomenon referenced in the title — the tendency of life to never turn out as expected. Russel becomes involved with Wade, a hot-but-homeless activist, just as his old flame Kevin returns to his front burner. And Min is learning surprising things about her girlfriend Leah. Hartinger, a former Blade contributor, has earned kudos for his well-crafted depictions of gay teen life.
Finally, if you just want something fun, hedonistic and so hot you’ll need oven mitts, then look for “Decadence” by Eric Jerome Dickey this spring. Nia Simone Bijou (she of 2008’s “Pleasure”) is back and looking to hone her “gifts” of love by stepping into a pleasure palace for awhile.
History
Julius’ Bar ‘sip-in’ laid groundwork for Stonewall
Tuesday marked 60 years since four gay activists held protest
While Stonewall is widely considered the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ rights movement in the U.S., a lesser-known protest inside a Greenwich Village bar three years earlier helped lay critical groundwork for what would follow.
Tuesday marked 60 years since the Julius’ Bar “sip in.”
On April 21, 1966, four gay rights activists — Dick Leitsch, Craig Rodwell, John Timmons, and later Randy Wicker — walked into Julius’ Bar and staged what would become known as a “sip-in” to challenge state liquor regulations on serving alcoholic beverages to gay men — with a drink.
Modeled after the sit-ins that challenged racial segregation across the American South, the protest was designed to confront discriminatory practices targeting LGBTQ patrons in public spaces.
At the time, the Mattachine Society — one of the country’s earliest gay rights groups — was actively pushing back against policies enforced by the New York State Liquor Authority. One of those policies could have resulted in the loss of liquor licenses for serving known or suspected gay men and lesbians. The participants had visited multiple establishments, openly identified themselves as homosexual, and requested a drink — with the anticipation of being denied.
Their final stop was Julius’, where reporters and a photographer had gathered to document the moment. When Leitsch declared their identity, the bartender covered their glasses and refused service, reportedly saying, “I think it’s against the law.” The next day, the New York Times ran a story with the headline, “3 Deviates Invite Exclusion by Bars,” cementing the moment in the public record.
Though initially framed with disrespect — the term “sip-in” itself was coined as a play on civil rights protests — the action marked a turning point. It brought national attention to the systemic discrimination LGBTQ people faced and helped catalyze changes in how liquor laws were enforced. In the years that followed, the protest contributed to the emergence of licensed, more openly gay-friendly bars, which became central social and organizing spaces for LGBTQ communities.
The Washington Blade originally covered when the bar was officially added to the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places in 2016.
Today, historians and advocates increasingly recognize the “sip-in” as a key pre-Stonewall milestone. According to the New York City LGBTQ Historic Sites Project, the protest not only increased visibility of the early LGBTQ rights movement but also exposed widespread surveillance and entrapment tactics used against the community.
Marking the 60th anniversary of the event, commemorations have taken place in New York and across the country. Reflecting on its enduring legacy, Amanda Davis, executive director of the NYC LGBTQ Historic Sites Project, spoke about the event.
“Julius’ Bar is a place you can visit and viscerally connect with history,” said Davis. “We’re thrilled to have solidarity locations across the country join us in commemorating the ‘sip-in’’s 60th anniversary and the queer community’s First Amendment right to peaceably assemble.”
For current stewards of the historic bar, the responsibility of preserving that legacy remains front of mind.
“It’s a privilege and a responsibility to be the steward of a place so important to American and LGBTQ history,” said current owner of Julius’ Bar, Helen Buford. “The events of the 1966 Sip-In here at Julius’ resonated across the country and inspired countless others to stand proud for their rights.”
The timing couldn’t have come at a more important moment, Kymn Goldstein, executive director of the June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives, explained.
“At a time when our community faces renewed challenges, coming together in resilience and solidarity reminds us of the power in our collective resistance,” Goldstein said.
The American Civil Liberties Union, an organization dedicated to defending rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution, is currently tracking 519 anti-LGBTQ bills across the U.S. The majority are targeted at restricting transgender rights — particularly related to gender-affirming care, sports participation, and the use of public bathrooms.
Some additional groups and bars that held their own “sip-in” as solidarity events to uplift this historic milestone are from across the country include:
Alice Austen House at Steiny’s Pub, Staten Island, N.Y.
Bellows Falls Pride Committee at PK’s Irish Pub, Bellows Falls, Vt.
Brick Road Coffee, Mesa, Ariz.
Brick Road Coffee, Tempe, Ariz.
Dick Leitsch’s Family at Old Louisville Brewery, Louisville, Ky.
The Faerie Playhouse & LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana at Le Cabaret, New Orleans
Harlem Pride & John Reddick at L’Artista Italian Kitchen & Bar, New York
JOYR!DE KiKi at Loafers Cocktail Bar, New York
Matthew Lawrence & Jason Tranchida / Headmaster at Deadbeats Bar, Providence, R.I.
Mazer Lesbian Archives at Alana’s Coffee, Los Angeles
New Hope Celebrates at The Club Room, New Hope, Pa.
Queer Memory Project at the University of Evansville Multicultural Student Commons / Ridgway University Center, Evansville, Ind.
Sandy Jack’s Bar, Brooklyn, N.Y.
St. Louis LGBT History Project at Just John Club, St. Louis
The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund National Champagne Brunch was held at Salamander Washington DC on Sunday, April 19. Gov. Andy Beshear (D-Ky.) was presented with the Allyship Award.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The umbrella LGBTQ sports organization Team D.C. held its annual Night of Champions Gala at the Georgetown Marriott on Saturday, April 18. Team D.C. presented scholarships to local student athletes and presented awards to Adam Peck, Manuel Montelongo (a.k.a. Mari Con Carne), Dr. Sara Varghai, Dan Martin and the Centaur Motorcycle Club. Sean Bartel was posthumously honored with the Most Valuable Person Award.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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