From time to time, I'm going to be posting short essays on this blog about historical events affecting the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and affiliated community. The purpose is to show some snapshots in time of where our community has been and how through time we've gained acceptance, found hope, and created a shared identity.

Not all the stories I'm sharing are happy ones, but I think you'll see even during trying times, people with alternative sexualities learned, grew, and took steps to make things better for the next generation. History is a messy subject so not all that's presented will show a clean model of advancement.

I encourage people to make comments and discuss these topics on the blog. I'll be posting a link in the Promising Authors forum, but NO, and I mean, NO political discussions can occur there. Please be respectful because we all have our own ideas and reactions to these events. Be an example of how we are open to diverse thoughts and ideas.

Another reason I'm doing this is to give writers historical events that may influence or even prompt characters or scenes. Much of our shared history is quite fascinating. I encourage you to consider setting a story in another era or using the topics to enliven your characters.

That being said, I will post my first essay this Tuesday. It's called "Unchained Melody."

I hope you'll join me in reliving a vibrant, sometimes trying, history of the GLBT community.