Trans Woman Missing! Gay Love in Islamic Persia. Gimme Queer Sports Heroes!
Prism & Pen Weekly Digest 14 July 2024
By James Finn and Kaylin Hamilton
James here, thanking Kaylin for putting the Digest together while I recuperate from a serious illness. This week, our writers focus on transgender identity, persecution of trans humans, a pioneering lesbian wedding on the Greek island where “lesbian” was born, and on gay lives and history — including a fascinating gay love story from medieval Persia … that Islam has perverted into a tale glorifying submission, obedience, slavery, and torture.
Want queer sports heroes for yourself and your kids? James Porter explores why that’s so difficult, while James Patrick Nelson reconnects with his first queer kiss.
Also, American novelist John Peyton Cooke turns his powerful fiction pen to dystopia as he ponders Project 2025 and the American right’s obsession with hurting queer people. Scroll down for his frightening short story and more outstanding P&P fiction!
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* Discover P&P Diversity in Three Stories *
Did My Gender-Neutral Boyhood Help or Hinder My Trans Identity?
For every set of parents who let their children figure themselves out, there’s another with far more traditional values. A father who takes one look at his quiet, effeminate son and thinks I need to toughen him up and stat, or a mother who scolds her boyish daughter for crying out as she’s forced into dresses and frills.
I am aware and grateful for the privilege of having space — it got me through my childhood. At the same time, it allowed me to wallow in the complacency of refusing to view myself as a man.
Instead of poking the wound that was my gender to push me towards a salve, I could let it fester. Each year I spent ignoring the issue was paid for by adding another layer of repression to strangle my insides — a debt I continue to pay now.
The First Wedding in Lesvos Since Greece Legalised Same-Sex Marriage
As the birthplace of the poet Sappho, Eressos has been a place of pilgrimage for queer women since the 1970s; there’s a sizeable permanent community here, while hundreds, sometimes thousands of lesbians head to the island every year on “roots” trips.
This coastal town has hosted its fair share of ceremonies, unofficially held by friends over the decades, but this wedding ceremony — the first on the island of Lesvos since Greece legalised same-sex marriage in February — was seismically important.
How This Gay Love Story in Medieval Persia Got Tainted By Religion
In Islam, according to Malfuzat, the concept of servitude is likened to the relationship between a man and a woman, but also to the relationship of men and God — united in love for one another, in a bond fortified by the spiritual pleasure derived from it.
The Sufis, who belong to a body of religious practices in Islam, say that a person who is able to experience something akin to this pleasure may find it more satisfying than all the other pleasures in the world.
In fact, Sufism adopted the story of Mahmud of Ghazni and his slave Malik Ayaz as an example of this superior connection.
Unfortunately, religious interpretations of their relationship, and the part slavery itself played in their story, make it hard to construct a pure and positive picture of their love in our times.
* This Week’s Essays & Creative Non Fiction *
This Older Gay Man’s Legacy of Giving
I have been retired for over 30 years, since I was 50 years old and the State of Illinois offered an early retirement option. Since then, I have been more than active as an educator, speaker, lecturer, story teller, writer, poet, photographer, blogger, artist, jeweler, book binder, actor, opera supernumerary, museum curator, flea circus ringmaster, Dementia/ Alzheimer’s advocate, caregiver partner for my life partner Gregory Maire (RIP), and role model for the LGBTQIA+ Community.
These descriptors can be summarized into four main categories that talk to who I am: 1) a nurturer, 2) a collector, 3) a writer/poet, 4) and a philanthropist. Actually the last three end up being part of the first. I’ll explain.
What If “Pride” Were Every Day Everywhere All Over America?
The thought occurred to me…
What if the script were flipped, and we were the privileged ones? That is, what if we (the Pride month people) were the dominant entity in society and Christianity just had to be satisfied with a Christianity month?
What if this were a Pride nation instead of a Christian nation? What if the radically judgemental variety of Christians just had to deal with rainbows everywhere all the time?
What if?
This Old Gay Man Took in a Stray Cat Then Almost Died: What I Learned
“He’s vomiting probable arterial blood. I can barely get a pulse! You want me to push epi now or wait?”
I couldn’t hear the static-crackled reply as the paramedic fussed with my IV with one hand and held a bag under my mouth with the other.
I opened my eyes. His kind face swam in and out. How could he stand my smell?
“No, doc,” I whispered. “Not blood. Ate cherries.”
I barely heard his reply over the screaming siren: “Let me be the judge of that, buddy. But you’re in good hands.”
“Am I going to be okay? Like, am I gonna …” I let the word “die” strangle in my throat.
His reply, “We’re taking the best care of you we can,” lessened my fear. Some.
The War on Transgender Women
In mid-November 2022, the world population was estimated by the United Nations to have exceeded eight billion people.
The number of men and women in the world is roughly equal, 50.4% are male and 49.6% are women.
Nearly 89,000 women and girls were killed intentionally in 2022 across the globe. Fifty-five per cent (48,800) of all female homicides are committed by family members or intimate partners.
During their lifetime, 1 in 3 women, around 736 million, are subjected to physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner or sexual violence from a non-partner — a number that has remained largely unchanged over the past decade.
The First PRIDE DAY in My Indiana Town
Well, we really didn’t celebrate Pride Month much in my town. Don’t get me wrong. There are a bunch of LGBTQ+ folks in my town. Several are quite open about it. I think (could be wrong) there are three churches that are truly open and affirming — not just in name, or to change folks. I am sure that many people did go to the major city nearby for the parade and other festivities. But here? I did wear my rainbow pin. Some others did too. Maybe you need to understand a bit about my town.
This Gay Cis Male Continues to Grow
Some people think the proliferation of labels is harmful and more confusing than it is worth. I used to think that. But in the long run, it has brought to light a greater awareness, acknowledgement, and acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ Community’s gender and sexual differences.
The Queer Boy Next Door, Twenty Years After Our First Kiss
As a kid who wanted to make a life in the theatre, I longed for New York City. I longed to escape the anonymity of an endless stretch of highways, and to go to a place where my life was right outside the front door, and people were literally rubbing shoulders in the streets.
But when I first went back to LA a few years ago, I realized all that youthful yearning I thought was about geography — cobblestones, snowfall and the bright lights of Broadway — was really about autonomy and freedom.
The New Netflix Miniseries “Eric” Hit Me All Over
The Netflix trailer I watched mentioned a case of a missing child in New York City in the 1980’s. I was interested enough to begin the first episode.
My husband and I were on vacation and had plenty of time. He became more and more interested as the first episode continued.
We have now just finished the last episode and I am filled with emotions.
This miniseries is a must see, especially if you enjoy a good crime drama and have had any interest in poverty, homelessness, racism, HIV/AIDS, anti-gay bigotry, police corruption, addiction, and the human experience.
How Transphobia ‘Crowded Out’ Real Feminist Issues in the UK Election
The gender-critical obsession with single-sex spaces also harms cisgender women because it distracts from the real causes of sexual violence against women, cis or trans: cisgender men, or rather, the way cisgender men are socialised in a society that perpetuates rape culture and misogyny; a problem made worse by wholly inadequate criminal justice system responses to sexual violence.
It also distracts from wider discussion of other issues which impact women, like unequal pay, a lack of childcare, healthcare disparities, and so much more.
Can a Robot Have a Gender?
If computer programs were to develop sentience in the future, would they have genders? If so, would this mean that gender is not exclusive to humans?
We can take the question a step further: If sentient computer programs could indeed have genders, would they need to possess a physical body? Could this body be artificial or would it need to be organic, like a typical human body linked to computer programs?
If a disembodied computer program could have a gender, what does that imply for our typically body-linked concepts of human gender? Should we change how we discuss gender to focus less on body?
The More I Think About Attraction, the More of a Spectrum it Appears
I am still working things out, but as each day passes, I am more secure and certain of being demisexual. The days of self-doubt have largely gone thanks to processing so much of my past and being mindful of my thoughts and feelings of attraction in the present.
One of the questions Holly asked was: “Have you ever been attracted to a man?” Holly wondered if my demisexuality was gender blind. Essentially, if a man pushed my buttons in the same way women push my buttons, could it trigger romantic and sexual attraction in me?
It was a fair question.
On Transgender Dignity and a Missing Transgender Tourist in the Bahamas
I was reviewing different news feeds yesterday and ran across a sad article about an American mother whose daughter went missing a month ago in the Bahamas. The daughter, Taylor Casey, was on a month-long yoga retreat.
Local police, friends and family have combined efforts to try and find Taylor, who was last seen on June 19. The local chief of police, however, has been relieved of duty and placed on unpaid leave, based on claims he failed to properly investigate Taylor’s disappearance.
I Need A Hero — A Queer (Sports) Hero
We all need someone to look up to. Someone to admire, maybe even emulate.
Growing up I looked up to the superheroes in comics — do-gooders with superhuman strength to conquer the negative forces of evil in the world. In those stories, good always wins out in the end.
Even celebrities and sports figures capture our admiration, as long as they are straight. When you’re queer it’s a little harder to find those heroes among us.
My Spanish Ex Helped Me Embrace Body Positivity by Visiting Nude Beaches
Picture this: me, a typical Joe, always rocking long surfer shorts and growing up feeling a bit self-conscious. I was over in Spain to get some honey from my Spanish bear, and after a few days in Madrid, we decided to head to Sitges. It’s a picturesque, gay-friendly town close to Barcelona. We arrived on a Thursday evening and partied late into the night, first at Bears Bar, then at one of the clubs that stay open until the early morning.
The next day, we were both exhausted, so we decided to have a beach day.
* Fiction Shorts *
Latte Love: A Lesbian Coffee Shop Encounter
I’m about a paragraph in when a girl with tattoos and strawberry blond hair approaches my table.
“Anyone sitting here?” she asks.
Not yet invested enough in what I’m writing for this to startle me out of reverie, I merely look up and respond that no one is.
She beams me back a polite thank you smile and seats herself in the burgundy chair at the other end of the table.
Though curious about her, I keep my focus on my writing, only catching occasional glimpses of her eyeing the pet sketch ad beside my computer.
The Gay Detective: Quick — Send in the Clowns!
Bread and circuses — Emperor Nero used them to placate the Romans. Kept everyone happy while he fiddled the taxes. Harry figured if our current mayor fed a few city councilors to the lions it’d entertain our ratepayers.
Though, judging by the screaming and headlong rush for the exits, the sight of three big cats fighting over the lion tamer’s mangled remains wasn’t entertaining this elegant, black-tie gathering. Nor liable to raise funds for the event sponsors’ charity, either.
“Alas” (A Queer Cautionary Tale)
The cell, if you wanted to call it that, was not that bad. Peter had certainly expected worse. Walls freshly painted a tasteful cool white. Comfortable single mattress on hospital bed, variety of disused hook-ups — inputs and outputs — electrical, ethereal, tubular — ports for the connecting of devices, gauges, the slow egress of gasses, and whatnot — all laid in rows of carelessly skewed stainless steel plates lined up the wall either side of the bed. Part of the hospital set-up, though all rooms in the Jimmy Jay Buckhorn Pavilion had since been requisitioned by the Legitimately Elected Government “for processing of convicted perverts.”
* Fiction Series *
The Medellan Conspiracy
An unexpected secret of the Society of Sevens is revealed, and more unexpected surprises bring new tensions between Aria’naa and Med’nor.
Ardyn braced himself before asking. “What’s happened?”
“As you know, this star cruiser is our newest model, equipped with the latest in scanning technology that we’ve been developing on Aria’naa,” Laeyral replied. “After what happened the other day, Commander Aeluin ordered us to run a full spectrum scan of Med’nor, something we never did before.”
That made Ardyn’s ears perk up. “Did you find something?”
“Indeed, we did,” an Athla’naa from behind them replied. “I’m Commander Aeluin. I’ve heard so much about you both, and I wanted to meet the future ambassadors to Aria’naa personally.”
Read Episode 81: Unexpected
Read Episode 82: Dilemma
Her Witch, Her Demon
“I hear witches have the sweetest blood. I wanna see what all the fuss is about.” And just like that, the charm behind Jet’s beautiful smile morphed into something else. Something far more sinister. Meredith sucked in her breath. When she took another step back, Jet took a step forward. “Playing hard to get, little witch?”
Meredith balled her fist. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Stop playing dumb.” He laughed, yet his green eyes held no amusement. “Why the fuck did you follow me here, little witch?”
This fucking asshole. She breathed in and out slowly. Stay calm, Huang. “I didn’t come here to get bitten.”
That’s it for this week, y’all! Happy reading! And happy writing to all of you who help Prism & Pen shine a beacon of love and humanity during these frightening times. Keep those stories coming. The world needs you now more than ever!
❤️❤️
Jim
