David Inside Out – My Take on a Few Issues by Lee Bantle (and mine, Lauren)
Why does Sean fight so hard against his gay feelings? After all, it’s 2009.
Even though Sean is not a profile in courage, I still care about him. As you aptly said in your review, Lauren, you honestly felt for all the characters, no matter how they were managing their lives. Ideally, the reader has compassion for Sean, while still realizing that he is a cautionary tale.
What is it about David that lets him reverse his jersey – to go inside out?
His mother, for one. (Boring, but true.) She’ll love him no matter who he is. And David discovers happily that there is a healthy gay community out there. His visit to the gay and lesbian bookstore and some chats on the GLBTQ hotline give him support and hope. But in the end, he’s just someone who wants to know who he is. And he has the guts to go for it.
I definitely agree with Lee on this one on all points. David hates the idea at first but it was a little easier for him to accept who he is because had people that would love him no matter what: his mom and friends would understand and see him as the same David they always loved. He had that and it made things that much easier for him.
What effect does the battle over gay marriage have on gay teens?
A profound effect. This fight is over a basic and essential human right. Who can we love?
In 44 states, gays and lesbians cannot get married even though under the Constitution, marriage is a fundamental right. For some people, yes. Not for others. Gay teens know this. And even if any given teenager might be thinking – why worry about marriage now, I’m not even getting regular sex – it’s really not that simple.
Gay and lesbian people will not have true equality until we can love and marry whomever we want – in all 50 states.
I think it would have a great effect as well. I mean, it’s their future! Not everyone gets married, no, but having the right should be there if they want it. To some people, what’s the point of going out and falling in love if you can’t one day show that love in the final, ultimate act? It shouldn’t be that way. Marriage should be allowed for everyone no matter what sexuality.
Contest-
Enter: Leave a comment with your thoughts on the ABOVE questions.
Open To: U.S. and Canada!
Prize: 3 copies of David Inside Out so 3 winners.
Ends: June 29th
EXTRA ENTRIES-
+1 if you are a follower or become one now.
+1 if you blog about this somewhere (blog, myspace, twitter, facebook, email, etc.)
This book sounds amazing, and these questions are great as well. I love any gay related books, and people who fight for gay rights because it affects me personally. I love the author's answers and wholeheartedly agree with them. The book sounds great and I'd love to add it to my shelf of GLBT literature.
+1 follower
+1 linked to contest on sidebar at my blog
Briana
getanzt@gmail.com
no need to enter me; just posted on win a book.
While it would be hard for me to comment on the first two questions, since they have to do with the book itself and I have yet to read it (hence, entering this contest), I really like the answers given for the third question. Legalizing gay marraige will normalize homosexuality in a way no amount of talking can. If we can normalize homosexuality in society, this will have a huge impact on gay teens. It will hopefully lead to less of what was covered in Question 1. Honestly, I think this normalization is what scares the anti-family people so badly. They don't want homosexuals treated equally.
On an unrelated note, I'm thinking about reading this book for my GLBT challenge.
I'm a follower, too! 🙂
Amanda
amandagignac[at]gmail[dot]com
I think it is horrible that some people have to hide who they are for the fear of what others might think. Everyone on this earth has the right to be who they are and should not have to live a lie. I have some gay friends and it's ridiculous what they have to go through. My thought is, I was born straight. I never had to convince myself to like guys. I was born that way. How can anyone say that it's a choice? I never made a choice and I highly doubt that anyone else who is straight made a decision to be that way.
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This sounds like an interesting book. Great questions! I don't understand why some people are so against gay marriage; it's not all that different from the interracial marriages people were against not that long ago (and still are against in some places). I figure, if you're in love and want to legally commit to that person then you should have the right to do that. And I don't believe it's a "choice" – who chooses to make their life more difficult than it already is?
melacan at hotmail dot com
By the way, I follow you already.
Great interview. Things are changing but it's still not enough. I wish we could just snap our fingers and… poof. But the world doesn't work like that.
These are very good questions, and great answers. The world is changing, though not nearly fast enough. I fully believe that there will be equal rights for everyone someday. I'm one of the people who has committed to not getting married until everyone else in the country has the same rights to marry who they love.
tiffanyak1986(at)hotmail(dot)com
As a travel agent I have a decent gay clientele base and most of them have longer lasting and healthier relationships than straight friends. I totally agree with gay marriage and the rights for them to get insurance and benefits. Hopefully that will change for their community in the future.
msboatgal at aol.com
already a follower
msboatgal at aol.com
I havent read the book so I can only answer the third question. If gay marriage is allowed in all the states then people are more likely to accept it. If people are openly accepting gay marriage rights the teens would feel more free to come out of the closet because homosexuals are more accepted.
Oh and I follow =)
Mandy,
bratdownstairs@yahoo.com
I think if you can find someone to love you and that you love you should have the right to marry. In this time it is hard to find people who truely treat each other well. If you find that person you should be able to be happy no matter what sex they are. Please include me in your giveaway.
Thanks
Carlene
iluvreading(at)verizon.net
I am a follower.
Thanks
Carlene
iluvreading(at)verizon.net
this book sounds really great.
i love stories like this.
life is so challenging for us.
the people who don't completely follow the status quo.
just reading this interview has been inspirational for me.
+1 because i'm now following you.
+1 i'm going to go blog about this right now.
~robby
I would love to read this book. And because I haven't yet, I can only comment on #3.
Discrimination against GLBT people is one of the few forms of legalized–as opposed to just social–discrimination left in our society. That negativity doesn't help anyone, gay or straight, teen or adult. The fact is that there have always been committed same-sex couples in long-term relationships, and all they're asking for is the same legal rights as male-female couples.
For the first question, elaborating on the answer, I think discrimination against gay, queer, transgender, and other such should be recognized as illegal – just as it is illegal to discriminate due to age, gender, or race. It should be recognized as a hate crime when someone is assaulted due to being gay, queer, or transgender. It is 2009 and people should be able to come out of the closet without feeling – or being – threatened in any manner. But until steps are made that is impossible.
Personally, I think it's pathetic that people descriminate against people who have different sexual preferences than their own. It's as bad as racism and needs to be declared as something illegal. I also find it horrible that people who want to be different fight to get themselves in the open. Society prevents them from doing so, which makes me upset. One of my cloests friends is openly bisexual, and I'm completely happy for her to admit that, but other people look at her and cannot understand what it means to want to be happy. That's all they want and people refuse to see that. I think that the battle to get same sex marriages approved is only putting more pressure on the people who want them, but not always in a good way. Small steps need to be taken in order to make this a reality, but in order to change people's way of thinking, you must truly give them something close to home to think about. It's a difficult task, one that may never end.
Thank you for posting this. It's something that should be discussed more often.
barbrafl737 (at) yahoo (dot) com
At times like this, reading things like that, I am especially proud to be Canadian.
I'm already a follower and I posted about it here: http://bookcontestlinks.blogspot.com/2009/06/june-21st-2009.html
I've never read a book like this. Please count me in.
mj.coward[at]gmail.com
Interested in new reading material
larsen(dot)joey(at)gmail(dot)com
While it's tue it's 2009, different states (and whithin the states I'd imagine) are in very different places on gay rights…One palce I lived, in the high school for sure it was really no big deal but then somewhere else it was still super controversial and not at all okay with most people, sadly.
book.splotATgmailDOTcom
+1 for following
I have always liked and agreed with the saying that love knows no gender. People, no matter what gender, should be able to love and marry freely. The right to marry should be about love, not conditions society has placed on it.
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+ Blogged about this book here: http://bang.livejournal.com/558236.html
supleslie@gmail.com
This book sounds amazing! I have 2 teen boys who've been brought up to respect peoples choices in terms of sexuality. I think that by allowing gay marriage world-wide, we would be creating a new generation of people who would be more open-minded and accepting of differences. I think it would also have a positive effect on adolescent depression. If kids don't feel wrong about themselves, it lessens the stress of life.
I'd love to be entered for this giveaway- and I am now subscribed through google reader.
shiloki[at]gmail[dot]com
Sounds really good count me in I am a follower
4Sage@optonline.ney
As a big supporter of gay rights, this book sounds like a really good read.
flayla14(at)yahoo(dot)com
This books sounds great and the questions asked were really, really good. Nice job and thanks for the contest.
+ 1 for following
+ 1 for linking this contest on I Am Nonfiction.
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Laina pretty much said what I was going to. I just hope the social equality catches up to the legal equality here.
ikkinlala AT yahoo DOT ca
as a friend to the LGBT community i enjoy reading books that support gay rights! i think that books like this help can people that do not really understand, to understand. but i think that the battle over gay marriage puts a certain level of strain on gay teens. those who do want to get married and those who dont have to worry about being accepted in a world where different is not usually seen as special. i think it puts a lot of unnessecary stress upon them. y shouldnt you be able to marry who you love?
+1 follower
Interesting interview! I really hope that gays can have equal rights as homosexuals one day.
I am a follower, and I posted this on my sidebar (http://towerofbooks.wordpress.com).
This book looks awesome, I'd love to read it.
Added link to sidebar:
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lovinfitch(at)aol(dot)com
There are so many parallels between the gay rights movement and the civil rights movement, especially when it comes to gay marriage. When will people learn that there is no "separate but equal?"
I'm already a follower.
paradoxrevealed (at) aim (dot) com