Books

Reviews...

• Living In Sin, John Shelby Spong.
• Homosexuality, A History, Colin Spencer.
• Everyday Passions, Dorothy McRae-McMahon.
• Like People in History, Felice Picano.
• My Child is Gay, edited by Bryce McDougall.
• Holding the Man, Timothy Conigrave.
• Finding Out, Paul Freeman.

As time goes by and I find other inspirational books, I'll add these to the reviews below.

"Living In Sin? A Bishop Rethinks Human Sexuality", by Bishop John Shelby Spong, is the first book that I ever read that helped me to come to terms with the views expressed by some of the more vocal elements of the Christian Church. To read a book by a Christian Bishop where he expresses his hope to one day see and bless same sex marriages is a powerful affirmation of equality for all people regardless of sexuality. I read this book when I was 17 and still reasonably confused about being gay, even though I was at least acknowledging to myself and to some others that I was gay. You could say it was one of those eye-opening experiences for me, however. If you want to read a good argument written by a Bishop as to why the Church has got it wrong (or why those elements of the Church has got it wrong), this is a must. Spong explains why areas of the Bible which have been used by fundamentalists for some time to denounce homosexuality don't really denounce homosexuality at all. He shows why any absolute statement in the Bible needs to be taken with a few grains of salt on the grounds of those other absolute statements which are now rather embarressing to the church ... the seeming approval of slavery, subjugation of women, and so on. John Spong obviously has a lot of love for his Church. He loves it enough to act as a reformer rather than throwing his hands in the air in disgust and moving to another Church or forming a new Church. I've heard interviews with him that have left me with a profound sense of rightness ... he is passionate in his regard that all people must be treated equally and it is this refusal to do so which is poisoning Christianity. Parts of the book are a bit of a heavy read ... there are portions of it that are aimed more at an academic evaluation of Christianity, but it is still a very worthwhile read. Author: John Shelby Spong ISBN: 0060675071 Publisher: Harper Collins Type: Non Fiction/Religious

"Homosexuality: A History" is one of those encompassing volumes that covers all the ages with respect to homosexuality. Make no doubt, this is not a fictional work - it's a history book, so if history isn't your style, this book probably isn't either. At the same time, if you want to get an idea of who was gay before you were, of how homosexuality has been accepted (and not accepted) through the ages, if you want some long ranging perspective on who you are, this is a book to read. Some of the topics covered by this book include: marriage, stonewall, historical figures of note, historical perceptions, homosexuality in the animal kingdom, religious opinion throughout history, and how varying ancient societies (such as the Greeks, Romans, Indians, etc), perceived homosexuality and what part it played in those societies. Probably one of the more fascinating components for me was the explanation of why condemnation became so strong at times --- usually it was at times following plagues and major wars where the government and Church felt that it was necessary to enforce a rigorous population explosion in order to re-establish a viable work-force (and army). I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Being someone who relishes learning, I found a history about 'myself' was very interesting. Further, since history is typically taught from a blinkered heterosexual point of view, it was more than a bit of relief to find a book that gave the other side of the story. Author: Colin Spencer ISBN: 1857021436 Publisher: Fourth Estate - London Type: Non Fiction/History

The Reverend Dorothy McRae-McMahon is a truly inspriational woman. If I had to assemble a list of gays and lesbians throughout history who are 'heros', then Dorothy would certainly be very close to, if not at the top of the list. This is her story. It is more than just about being a lesbian, because as we know, life is more than being just one thing. It is about her being a Minister, an Australian, a mother, a Christian, a wife, a partner, a person. It is about her, and ultimately, us. At a time when the Uniting Church of Australia was undergoing a rigorous debate on whether to ordain gays and lesbians, Dorothy, who had been out to select friends, colleagues and family for some time, decided to out herself in the debate. You see, Dorothy was not just an 'ordinary priest', but the Head of the Mission, a highly respected position in the Church. She hoped that by bringing herself into the spotlight she might help the debate along. Due to the friction involved in the debate, the decision was made to delay a vote until all groups had had time to assimilate the report presented in the assembly. Unfortunately, a group of the more homophobic elements of the Church orchestrated a hate campaign against Dorothy and flooded the Mission with hate mail, hate phone calls and in general made work very difficult for all there. As a testament to just how strong a person she is, Dorothy decided to step down. Not because she had been cowed, or defated, but for the simple reason that by stepping down she freed the staff of the Mission to do their real work: help people. It was my great privelege to hear Dorothy speak at a small gathering about her book and her life. She spoke with such passion about all aspects of her life, and showed such vigour that I could only think of a simple description from a fantasy book that I had once read. I would equally apply it to her: Some people walk wholly in darkness, and others wholly in light. There are a special few however who walk the line between light and dark, carrying a torch to guide others. After the formal part of the session was over, Dorothy began book-signing. My partner, Darren and I got a copy signed, and while she was signing it, I was able to express to her how important I thought she was. I told her that as someone who had come from the country, where the only predomninant gay and lesbian images seen is the footage of the annual Mardi Gras, her example was a shining light to others. In areas where bigotry is entrenched, stereotypical Mardi Gras images don't help. 'Ordinary people', well-respected community leaders announcing themselves to be gay/lesbian - that's where the young and confused get their inspiration from. That's why I consider Dorothy to be one of my heroes. I know I haven't talked a lot about the book - I've talked more about her, but hopefully, by giving you an insight into Dorothy, you'll understand why the book is so good. Author: Dorothy McRae-McMahon ISBN: 0733306675 Publisher: ABC Books Type: Non Fiction/Autobiographical/Religious

On the front cover of the book, Edmund White is quoted as saying, "The big novel we've all been waiting for - the gay Gone With The Wind". For this reason I almost didn't buy the book ... having never been interested in Gone with the Wind, I certainly wasn't tempted by a gay version of it. But the cover design got the best of me and knowing that a novel like Gone With The Wind, being unmitigated tripe could be written in 150 pages (as opposed to the 512 pages of this book - a very nice half K), I succumbed and purchased it. It's one of the best gay books that I've read as yet. Edmund White has a far better quote on the back of the book, calling it "the heroic and funny saga of the last three decades by someone who saw everything and forgot nothing." Indeed, that's precisely what this book is. The central character, Roger, has lived a very turbulant life and has much to go. His cousin, Alistair, has lived an even more turbulant and wild life and has very little to go. The book is told primarily as a series of memories of Roger, often taking a hundred pages or more before returning to the present. After each memory, you come away with a much better insight into the lives and loves of both men. This is a reasonably sweeping story, but an engrossing and personable one which makes it difficult to read slowly. If you want a grand, yet very human story about the lives of people over the last thirty or forty years, then this is definately a book to read. Author: Felice Picano ISBN: 0349108382 Publisher: Abacus Type: Fiction

This is one of the most emotional books that I've read, and the reason for that is that I could imagine my parents voices in many things that I read. You see, this book is a compilation of descriptions written by parents about how they reacted when they found out their child, or in some cases, children, were gay, lesbian or bisexual. Some of the stories are sad, some funny, and many are uplifting. If you're planning on coming out to your parents, I'd recommend reading this first ... it will give you the full scope of responses. Some parents reacted with utter calm, some described how they now regret deeply how they reacted, but most importantly, they tell how they reacted. Understanding the emotions behind the reactions of these parents might help you to understand the reactions of your own. If you are a parent, and your child has come out to you - maybe you don't know how to cope, or you feel alone. This book is a good read for you if this is the case. Probably among the most remarkable stories are those that come from deeply religious parents. Some parents due to religion had a difficult time accepting the nature of their child, but more often than not, many of the religious parents found that while they could accept their children, others in their church couldn't. It is truly uplifting to see parents, when faced with the choice between Church and Children choose their children. Many state that their passion for God has not dimmed, but they have been able to see the blatent hypocracy and blind hate in many who stopped talking to them for the sheer fact that they didn't disown their children. If you are a parent and want to understand your non-heterosexual child, or if you, as a non-heterosexual want an insight into your parents, then this is surely a must read. Edited By: Bryce McDougall ISBN: 1864486589 Publisher: Allen & Unwin Type: Non Fiction/Biographical Compilation

I still find this a difficult book to think about without getting a little emotional. Timothy Conigrave, Australian playwrite and actor, found the strength and courage to write this book, which was published after his death. The book is a remarkable story ... remarkable in that it is the story of two very normal men leading very normal lives. A very Australian story, this book has sometimes been accused of being 'simply written', but if so, that is the charm and wonder behind this book. It pulls no punches, hides nothing, and in doing so, shows two ordinary, wonderful lives tragically cut short by AIDS. I normally avoid AIDS related stories. Yet Holding the Man is a story I would recommend to everyone ... for a true insight into the trials and happiness of everyday people, this cannot be bypassed. An easy, yet wonderfully emotional and powerful read. Edited By: Timothy Conigrave ISBN: 0140257845 Publisher: Penguin Type: Non Fiction/Autobiographical

OK, I have to admit it: I don't have the average Australian's passion for sport. I grew up in an extremely sporting family. I watched my brother play cricket each weekend of summer from age dot to probably around 12 or so. To me, the word "weekend" was synonymous with "audio/visual sports overload" - every paper was turned to the sports section, the only time the channel on the TV was changed was for an update on some other sport being shown, and the radio, well, I would have welcomed "Harper Valley PTA" over a static filled Racing Channel. I've always found sport far too blokey ... even the womens sport was a little beyond me. I can safely admit that the only sport I would actually enjoy sitting down to watch (that didn't involve naked men wrestling!) would be golf ... women's. Therefore, when the rumours started to surface that Ian Roberts, the blokiest bloke of them all, might be gay, I had to ask myself "who is Ian Roberts?". The thought of a well respected first grade Rugby League player being gay had me intrigued and skeptical. I started reading a little bit more of the sporting sections of papers, seeing if there were any further hints and learning more about this Ian Roberts character. By the time this book came out, I'd seen enough things on the Gay Rugby Player to not think "oh wow, he's gay!", but I had started to form a bit of a respect for him. Here was a man in one of the toughest sports of all (sorry U.S. readers, but grid-iron is for wusses compared to Rugby League) who was proud enough of himself to dare anyone to say anthing about him being gay. Not only that, just like Dorothy McRae-McMahon, Ian's coming out is a wonderful boost for the self-respect of many young gays and lesbians, and a great way of reinforcing to the community that gays and lesbians are not just femmes and butches. When I bought the book, I thought it would be a rather dry run combination of his football successes and his being gay. I was a litle bit ashamed of how shallow I was about that though as I read the book and saw the remarkable life that Ian has led. This book opens with letters written to Ian after he came out which alternatively thanked him or condemned him. I'm going to quote one of them, because it said so well what I felt. "In one fell swoop you have given tens of thousands of young kids a role model, a reason to feel good about themselves, a reason to respect themselves, a reason to be safe." Edited By: Paul Freeman ISBN: 009183361 Publisher: Random House Type: Non Fiction/Biographical