Arts & Entertainment
Love in transition
Long-term couple shares story in moving memoir
(Image courtesy Bold Strokes Books)
‘Queerly Beloved: A Love Story Across Genders’
By Diane and Jacob Anderson-Minshall
Bold Strokes Books
$16.95
235 pages
Why do you stay with the one you love?
You can count the ways: he makes you laugh. She’s tender, kind and generous. You love being in his arms. He’s a good dancer. She’s hot.
There a million reasons to love, each as individual as the lovers. But what if your partner changed? What if it was a big change like the one in “Queerly Beloved” by Diane and Jacob Anderson-Minshall?
At first, says Diane Anderson-Minshall, it was “just supposed to be about sex.”
Suzy Minshall was a “hook-up,” a knock-out with long legs and blonde hair — just the type of woman Diane fell for. It didn’t take long for them to move in together or to become the “perfect lesbian couple.”
But Diane always knew that Suzy felt unsettled. She “tried on many things in the search for identity” but aside from a job she fiercely loved and sadly lost, there was something else, something different simmering in Suzy. Diane sensed it months before Suzy did but, though she was terrified of the imagined implications, she let Suzy come to a realization and reason herself.
Suzy wasn’t a lesbian, she was a man. But it was complicated.
As a woman, Suzy was a feminist and was deeply committed to the lesbian community. Diane was founder of and editor for several lesbian publications. It bothered Suzy (Jacob) a lot, during the transition, to think that he might no longer be a part of that which he’d embraced for much of his life.
Still, with the help of the woman he’d married four (or five, depending on who’s telling the story) times, Suzy (Jacob) continued with his transition.
He began with hormones, a name change, and “top surgery.” Diane, though she mourned what was lost, helped with a keen fashion sense and advice not to be “that kind of man.” Jacob spent time re-examining his life, noting that his gender dysphoria had been inherent for a long time, the clues scattered like “breadcrumbs.”
He’d never wanted to be a girl.
“I just wanted to be me,” he says, “in a male body.”
While undoubtedly moving, “Queerly Beloved” has problems.
My biggest irritation here was that authors Diane and Jacob Anderson-Minshall repeat themselves a lot. If the repetition had been cut from this already-short book, it would’ve nearly been a pamphlet. There’s also plenty of time spent on the authors’ personal reasoning with a doth-protest-too-much slant, and very intimate oversharing that comes after adamant vows of not sharing.
And yet, though the irritations made me wince, there’s a decent overall story here. Look harder and you’ll find a deeply personal look at transitioning from the aspect of both the transitioner and the person who’s loved him for most of their lives.
If you’re a sucker for romance, that right there could be enough reason to plunge into this book. Just be aware that “Queerly Beloved” might be one that’s tough to stay with.
Celebrity News
Brazilian police arrest two men who allegedly targeted Lady Gaga concert
Authorities say suspects wanted to target LGBTQ Brazilians
Brazilian police have arrested two people who allegedly sought to detonate explosives at a free Lady Gaga concert that took place on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach on Saturday.
The Associated Press reported Felipe Curi, a spokesperson for the city’s Civil Police, told reporters the men who authorities arrested hours before the concert took place wanted to target LGBTQ Brazilians. Civil Police Chief Luiz Lima said the men posted hate speech and violent content online “aimed at gaining notoriety in order to attract more viewers, more participants — most of them teenagers, many of them children.”
“They were clearly saying that they were planning an attack at Lady Gaga’s concert motivated by sexual orientation,” said Cury, according to the AP.
An estimated 2.5 million people attended the concert.
A Lady Gaga spokesperson told the AP the singer learned about the threats on Sunday from media reports.
“Prior to and during the show, there were no known safety concerns, nor any communication from the police or authorities to Lady Gaga regarding any potential risks,” said the spokesperson. “Her team worked closely with law enforcement throughout the planning and execution of the concert and all parties were confident in the safety measures in place.”
Lady Gaga in an Instagram post thanked her Brazilian fans.
“Nothing could prepare me for the feeling I had during last night’s show — the absolute pride and joy I felt singing for the people of Brazil,” she wrote. “The sight of the crowd during my opening songs took my breath away. Your heart shines so bright, your culture is so vibrant and special, I hope you know how grateful I am to have shared this historical moment with you.”
“An estimated 2.5 million people came to see me sing, the biggest crowd for any woman in history. I wish I could share this feeling with the whole world — I know I can’t, but I can say this — if you lose your way, you can find your way back if you believe in yourself and work hard,” added Lady Gaga. “You can give yourself dignity by rehearsing your passion and your craft, pushing yourself to new heights — you can lift yourself up even if it takes some time. Thank you Rio for waiting for me to come back. Thank you little monsters all over the world. I love you. I will never forget this moment. Paws up little monsters. Obrigada. Love, Mother Monster.”
An estimated 1.6 million people attended Madonna’s free concert on Copacabana Beach last May.
Books
A boy-meets-boy, family-mess story with heat
New book offers a stunning, satisfying love story
‘When the Harvest Comes’
By Denne Michele Norris
c.2025, Random House
$28/304 pages
Happy is the bride the sun shines on.
Of all the clichés that exist about weddings, that’s the one that seems to make you smile the most. Just invoking good weather and bright sunshine feels like a cosmic blessing on the newlyweds and their future. It’s a happy omen for bride and groom or, as in the new book “When the Harvest Comes” by Denne Michele Norris, for groom and groom.
Davis Freeman never thought he could love or be loved like this.
He was wildly, wholeheartedly, mind-and-soul smitten with Everett Caldwell, and life was everything that Davis ever wanted. He was a successful symphony musician in New York. They had an apartment they enjoyed and friends they cherished. Now it was their wedding day, a day Davis had planned with the man he adored, the details almost down to the stitches in their attire. He’d even purchased a gorgeous wedding gown that he’d never risk wearing.
He knew that Everett’s family loved him a lot, but Davis didn’t dare tickle the fates with a white dress on their big day. Everett’s dad, just like Davis’s own father, had considerable reservations about his son marrying another man – although Everett’s father seemed to have come to terms with his son’s bisexuality. Davis’s father, whom Davis called the Reverend, never would. Years ago, father and son had a falling-out that destroyed any chance of peace between Davis and his dad; in fact, the door slammed shut to any reconciliation.
But Davis tried not to think about that. Not on his wedding day. Not, unbeknownst to him, as the Reverend was rushing toward the wedding venue, uninvited but not unrepentant. Not when there was an accident and the Reverend was killed, miles away and during the nuptials.
Davis didn’t know that, of course, as he was marrying the love of his life. Neither did Everett, who had familial problems of his own, including homophobic family members who tried (but failed) to pretend otherwise.
Happy is the groom the sun shines on. But when the storm comes, it can be impossible to remain sunny.
What can be said about “When the Harvest Comes?” It’s a romance with a bit of ghost-pepper-like heat that’s not there for the mere sake of titillation. It’s filled with drama, intrigue, hate, characters you want to just slap, and some in bad need of a hug.
In short, this book is quite stunning.
Author Denne Michele Norris offers a love story that’s everything you want in this genre, including partners you genuinely want to get to know, in situations that are real. This is done by putting readers inside the characters’ minds, letting Davis and Everett themselves explain why they acted as they did, mistakes and all. Don’t be surprised if you have to read the last few pages twice to best enjoy how things end. You won’t be sorry.
If you want a complicated, boy-meets-boy, family-mess kind of book with occasional heat, “When the Harvest Comes” is your book. Truly, this novel shines.
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The Victory Fund held its National Champagne Brunch at the Ritz-Carlton on Sunday, April 27. Speakers included Tim Gunn, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Gov. Wes Moore (D-Md.), Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.), Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) and Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.).
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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