Former Member

I’ve liked nearly everything else that either of you has written separately, so unless you’re collaborating on a were-tale in poetic form, I should be thrilled! ;–) So I guess Sam, Zampa, Shade, and straw-bale construction won’t be making appearances. :–(

You’re welcome! ;–)

…And everyone thinks Americans are rude and uncivilized! ;–)

;–)

I agree that both share responsibility. It took both of them to get into this situation. But Melissa is wanting to wash her hands of this, apparently willing to sign over all rights. But I don’t think Link is mature enough to be raising a child even with all the help he will inevitably receive from his family. The twins haven’t magically become responsible young adults between the books. (This is an area where it was to my great advantage, never having had sex with a woman in my life. I kissed a few, but never went further. Absolutely no exploration.)

I’m late. I got back from Thanksgiving a couple hours ago (three hours on BART and Caltrain down to the home of Apple Inc and back). And yet I still got my comment in before @Wesley8890! ;–) I was a little shocked by Link’s behavior in the first part of the story. Did Kyle & Blu forget to teach someone that boys having heterosex need to use condoms for more than one reason? Like father, like son? I support a woman’s right to choose. I don’t think it’s fair to expect a teenager should be forced to put high school on hold just because an irresponsible boy decides that he wants to raise the child. There are stresses on the mother’s body. There are hormone changes. It involves much more than just raising a child from birth. She doesn’t have a reset button to return things back to the way they were before she got pregnant. The parents and the bio-parents-to-be should have a meeting to discus the situation calmly. There are times when it’s best for everyone involved for the pregnancy to be terminated. All the facts need to be thought through. There is no one right answer and since I am not the one carrying the child, neither I, nor any legislators should have a voice in the decision. Only qualified medical personnel should offer an outside opinion. I know this won’t change what Link believes, but I just have to say it.

So did @Dodger end up with a Tom, a Nathan, an Alex, a Conner, or a Fran? ;–)

In a different store I worked for, a promotional discount department store, there was a straight guy who worked in the Receiving Department (one of the departments with the highest percentage of men in a store that was overwhelmingly staffed by women). He noticed a shirt that he liked when it went on clearance and bought it. It happened to be a women’s shirt, but the only way you could tell was that the buttons were on the opposite side. His coworkers used to mercilessly tease him about it whenever he wore it. I wouldn’t say he was the most Progressive or intellectual person in the world, but he repeatedly told everyone that he didn’t care who it was designed for, he liked it and he was going to wear it. Most of us never noticed the buttons. I only became aware of it because others were talking about it. There was another guy who wore Angelflights (very form-fitting young men's slacks – a popular disco look) to work who was presumed to be Gay. He was a seasonal worker and wasn’t kept after the holidays. I don’t know how he identified and I never really spoke to him (I worked in the Toy Department at the time). I also knew that one of the women who worked in Receiving several years later identified as Lesbian. We were Out to each other. She wore men’s clothes ‘because they were better made and lasted longer.’ But her family belonged to one of the cultish religions that knocks on your door trying to recruit new members – the one that doesn’t celebrate birthdays or holidays. They’re also very homophobic and shun anyone who they know to be LGBTQ, so she was Closeted to everyone else. I’m sure her appearance led many to make assumptions about her orientation anyway.

He also lacks the vocabulary to identify what he feels.

I suppose Malcolm could be a cross-dresser, but I know slightly more about Transgender than cross-dressing.

I’m hoping that Fran’s virtual tour begins to cure Aaron of his lack of empathy. When I worked for a computer store, a mass email was sent out to all employees explaining that one of the managers was taking some time off and we were instructed to call her by her new name when she returned. The company delivery driver expressed his confusion (he also delivered to that manager’s store). I tried to explain the situation to him. I’m not sure he really understood, but his reaction wasn’t Transphobic, more puzzled. Even in the SF Bay Area, I think there are people who are still adjusting to Lesbians and Gays. Transamerica, Transparent, and Orange is the New Black have helped to educate many people, but there is a huge segment of the population who remain uneducated on the topic. Transwomen of Color continue to be murdered in the US, especially in certain parts of the country. Transpeople have a very difficult time getting employment. In desperation, many turn to sex work to survive. Many health insurance plans do not cover gender confirmation surgery. For many transpeople, passing is the ideal situation. There are more Transgender people than we realize because many try to blend in and disappear. This is not a new phenomenon. Long before gender confirmation surgery became a reality, some Transgender people’s biggest secret was only discovered after they died. I hope Malcolm finds the courage to be herself at work. That would be a great F-U to those Malcolm feels would disrespect him. But it doesn’t sound like Malcolm s ready to do that yet. Many companies have Progressive policies that would prevent harassment and discrimination against Transgender people. There is the suggestion that Malcolm and Aaron work for such a company. HR knew that Aaron is Gay and wondered why he hadn’t brought his partner.

I found this birthday too! Happy Birthday, Dodger! It’s probably your day wherever you are, @Dodger!

Obviously, you are a California Gray were-whale! Once endangered, now making a comeback. ;–)

Jeremy transitions into a pink were-dolphin… ;–)

I’m sure within the context of the tale of Camp Refuge Elias’ guardianship isn’t significant enough to devote half a dozen chapters detailing Elias’ struggles with multiple fosterings, so compressing the legal aspect is a good thing. It gets us closer to a Mafia-run restaurant operating a food concession inside the Camp Grounds. (The Don made an offer Greg couldn't refuse.) ;–) What? That isn’t it either? I notice you didn’t harpoon my were-dolphin suggestion… Elias transitions into Flipper! ;–)

Kinda like Burt Ward playing Dick Grayson/Robin, Batman’s ward on the Sixties TV show… ;–)

@Timothy M. Actually, lol, it's your stated aversion to poetry that made me suspect it was you

The actor????

And in the next W.A.R. book, Tyler Is Not a Zero, Tyler admits to himself that he actually does more than just like getting his dick sucked. Tyler has to come to terms with his sexuality without the support of Aiden, Dustin, Brett, Billy, or Ms Winston. But he has trouble figuring out where he fits. ;–)

I was referring to an email conversation Ivor and I had about the origin of his screen name. ;–)

His description said nothing about writing! ;–)

Kinky Boots – the Musical is going to be shown on Great Performances this weekend. KQED will be showing it on Friday evening 9-11:30pm. I saw it at Frameline this past June and might watch it again! I cannot imagine too many high schools allowing Kinky Boots to be done. I’m guessing that it would be difficult to get the appropriate boots for the show. But it’s a cute story. I hope lots of closeted LGBTQ+s of all ages see the PBS presentation!

I figured that the boys would be able to find schools near each other so they could attend the schools most appropriate for their majors. Does Matty realize how much of a sacrifice being the spouse of a minister is? Having been a PK, I know what it’s like to have a minister as my father. It is very difficult on the entire family. There are unrealistic expectations imposed on people who did not choose to go into the ministry. This causes many to rebel due to the pressure to conform to the higher standards. Of course there are plenty of examples of children who should never have followed in their preacher fathers’ footsteps (I’m looking at you Bernice!). Needless to say, I would have counseled Eddie to pursue a different career! ;–)