BDANR

Queer was laughing at gay jokes your straight friends made when you knew they weren’t funny Playing hetero for friends you knew were toxic but stayed when there was no one else Queer was being someone’s entertainment Being everyone’s Margaret Cho or Wanda Sykes to mask the scars on your flesh Our lives have become everyone’s punchline as we are assaulted on the streets Queer was staring back at the eyes around you whenever you opened your mouth cuz the pitch in your voic

Very sad, heart-wrenching piece. Made with a lot of pain. Thank you for being vulnerable with us and sharing this with us.

You're welcome, and thank you for reading! I'm glad to have feeback on my self-reflecting.

We met at a drag bar and restaurant. You were a dancer. I was a student. You were doing practice sessions with your co-workers, preparing for the next show, and you made it clear you were attracted to me, right then and there. I was flattered by your forwardness and felt my face warm up. I loved how you looked, and loved your outspokenness. You looked so comfortable with yourself, at least on the outside. We met up with your friends in a karaoke joint. One of them would be the first person

I'm hooked! Your narrator reminded me of Wade Watts on Ready Player One. Cyberbullying is not a topic I've done much research on, and I feel like you described it in a straight-forward and impactful way. I'll be sure to continue reading.

Ooh yay! They have Flashpoint, Rebirth, and New 52 at the library! I'll check them out soon :). I hadn't realized how much the Flash was an integral part of these stories. Does the Flash tv show on Netflix somewhat stay true to Flash's story? Have you seen it?

This was so moving. My heart goes out to you Parker Owens :').

This was a very difficult piece to write because of that question. It's an unsettling thought and makes me very fearful sometimes. I do recall reading about James Byrd sometime after his murder (I had been really young when I first heard of the case), but I never knew Bush Jr.'s stance on the crime, which is disturbing to process. Thank you, however, for enlightening me about Steen Fenrich. He is a member of ours I will do my best to remember and honor with love. You're welcome for the poem and thank you very much for sharing :).

This is so true. We're not much different, we as people. Thank you :).

Your comment is heartfelt :). Thank you.

Thank you Parker! I'm very happy that you're continuing to follow my writings. While it can sometimes feel scary, I'm fortunate to have your support and others so that I may continue to share my work and thoughts :).

Yes, you can't win for losing and ideas like this persist to this day. Hearing these things while I was young caused a great deal of distress for me, and I was fortunate to surround myself with good people, and have writing as form of expression, to vent and find contentment with who I am.

What would happen if my life was taken away Shot down without cause to keep blackness at bay Would you march for me? Will you speak my name? Or am I to be forgotten A byproduct of your disdain Does the queerness of my being negate my worth Or do you see it as a reason to move forth Do you not see me as one of your own? Am I another black fag to disown? Am I not allowed to be grieved? Should my killer expect reprieve? We ea

This is the first time I'm hearing of this person. I was so fascinated by the description of the autobiography, I put it on my "For Later" list on my city library's website! Lol, you want to call what he's doing courageous, yet the man only wanted to be true to himself. It's revealing how dressing contrary to our gender expectations creates such an upset with people, then and now. While it wasn't easy, it was nice to perform this to an audience (straight and gay) and push back on this idea that we have to conform to others' ideas on how men and women should express themselves. YES! I wrote this as a call-out to those who claim they're "preferences" aren't without some really messed up ideas on being a man. And while the poem does bring light to the way that society (gay men in this instance) can have this dismissive and sometimes violent reaction to femininity, it was also speaking to mainstream culture's expectations of what a black man is supposed to be. I couldn't tell you how many times it was assumed that I would speak differently, dress differently, or have preferred ways of expressing myself sexually, not because of anything I've said on my dating profiles, but because of stereotypes and erotic fantasies of who black men are, regardless of their sexual preferences. These were not easy to say to an audience, and even sharing these with you all was anxiety provoking. I appreciate you reading and allowing me to make me these risks :).

Thank you! While I had no issue ending on an angry tone, I noticed that my audience responded well to my starting off harshly (Poem 1) and switching to a calmer tone (Poem 2). And I think it worked out. It'd be cool to hear how folks interpreted this contrast. I appreciate your response :).

The Personals: No Room For Black Queens Dating while feminine, black, and queer: NO FEMS. NO QUEENS. NO FAERIES. I want em’ gangsta, straight-acting, ex-cons, hella masculine, preferably married. Wear a snapback, not a crown. Have bass in your voice and cut out the lisp. A limp in your walk, not your wrists. Act like strangers in the day Be your lover in the dark Call it self hate, call it racist. I just wanna f*

I'm midway through it! I'm not really into TV or movies, but I (attempt) to keep up with Jessica Jones. Good story and I really like the characters. Kilgrave is a scary dude! Def one of the more creepier villains I've come across. Once I finish it, I hope to get into Luke Cage! I never knew what Deadpool was like until I watched the movie. Ever since, I've been meaning to read the comics. He's very different from other comic book characters I've come across. Now I know what series to look for, so I appreciate the suggestion :). I was reading Civil War sometime ago. Secret Empire sounds like a good segue, though I'm sure I'll be missing quite a bit lol. I still haven't watched Watchmen, but I think I've seen those comics around in the library. Rebirth sounds really interesting too. I've wanted to introduce myself to the Watchmen comic series, so maybe Rebirth could be a good segue into that? I hardly read comics in chronological order since the library has a limited supply...

What a wild intro! I like lol. I had an old school MP3 back in the day too (maybe around 2010-11)!? It was shaped like a translucent purple lipstick container. But it broke lol. I can relate to your husband lol. I don't think I got my first smartphone until a year and a half ago! I didn't want to do it cuz my friends told me they got too dependent on it. Now I realize what they were talking about *goes on app store* lol. Anybody watch Jessica Jones or read any comics lately that they would recommend?

Thank you BlindAmbition! I'll have to be honest and say I don't remember (or know?) your first name just yet, but you can PM me it if you'd like :). I truly appreciate your affirmation. It's good to be here and the feedback I've received from you and others on here has been heartfelt. It's saddening how crushing this planet can be and how it could drive others to take their lives. If things were better, no one would even have the thought. I'm sorry for your loss and thank you again.

Thank you Defiance19! It really means a lot to hear that you are glad to have read this :).

Thank you for your words, Tim. I read some of your work prior to reading your comment. It's dumbfounding and it still blows my mind what we as human beings do to one another for simply existing. It's unfortunate and I wish things were different. Your comment reminded me of a quote from Zora Neale Hurston, "Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It's beyond me." Thank you for reading :).

Very powerful piece, Aviana: The gift of silence. I've missed reading your work in Live Poets Society. You give us a very important reminder: "Don't be mum in the face of brutality". Thank you for giving us insight on the world and your world as well :).

Thank you for taking the time to read! Your coworker sounds like a strong and beautiful person :). It takes me off guard at times how influential the media is in altering the way we view other human beings. It being such a strong presence in our lives, it's a wonder people don't differentiate the reality from the fiction. Thanks again for your response and your words.

The Queen I’m looking at you, Queen. Your hair dryer in hand You revel in the obscene You dare to make a stand With a dangerous wit Kept in your arsenal It is not a secret You are seen as trouble Taking the world off guard You're seen as a cartoon A true joke, a discard Honorary buffoon You are misunderstood Though you speak deadly truths You stand firm though you could Be attacked for the

I remember really liking this book as a kid. You def reminded me that I should pick it up again! Right now, I'm reading this book called Beijing Comrades, a romance, and unexpectedly, an erotica haha, about two gay men in Beijing, China :).