When Celebrities Brag About Going to Florida to Perform; Florida's GOP Threatens Disney's Governmental Privileges, President of Disney Entertainment Wants More Gay Characters, Ryan Field Books

When Celebrities Brag About Going to Florida to Perform

This is why I don't like the idea of giving straight allies too much control over LGBTQIA issues. You can't trust all straight people. Some are so steeped in their straight privilege they don't get what it's like to be marginalized. 

With that said, there is a straight woman performer I follow on social media and she recently bragged and boasted about her next performances in Florida. She claims to be a huge ally of the LGBTQIA community. So clearly, I was a little stunned when I read her post about Florida. 

Now I totally understand that she has to work, and I totally understand that she's not prepared to boycott Florida like so many others. But she's supposed to be an ally, and she could at least mention the hideous Governor and the awful don't say gay bill. I also know she's not shy about posting political opinions.  But she clearly didn't care enough to say anything.  

And that's wrong. You can't be a clueless part-time ally of the LGBTQIA community and expect to be taken seriously. You're either a full-time ally, or you're not. The last things we need right now with the way the GOP is going are disingenuous allies. 

As a side note, this same celebrity also claims that COVID is over. I'm not joking. That's what she said on social media, in writing. 

Florida's GOP Threatens Disney's Governmental Privileges

Here's more with the ongoing story about the don't say gay bill in Florida. 

Now the GOP is allegedly threatening Disney's "governmental privileges." And I had no idea what this meant until I read the article. I had no idea that in some instances Disney has the power to act as its own government.  Apparently, it was a deal made in 1967 in order to attract Disney to Florida. At the time Florida had a much better reputation with the world than it has now. 

Florida Rep. Spencer Roach tweeted Wednesday that meetings have been convened to “discuss a repeal” of the Reedy Creek Improvement District agreement that “allows Disney to act as its own government.”

Here's more. Disney is really taking a huge beating with all this. On the one hand, they've alienated the LGBTQIA crowd because they didn't act soon enough. And on the other hand, after they came out against the don't say gay bill Florida's most vicious anti-LGBTQIA conservatives are after them. It's as though they can't win in either direction. 

But that's the problem with trying to remain neutral. If you're in a high-profile position, as the CEO of Disney, you simply must take a stand in one direction or the other. 

I'm sure there's more to come. 

President of Disney Entertainment Wants More Gay Characters

In what appears to be a response to the don't say gay bill in Florida, the President of entertainment at Disney wants more gay characters. I think it shows the outrage people have against Florida's Governor, too. 

 Karey Burke, president of Disney’s General Entertainment Content, announced on a company-wide Zoom call Monday that as “the mother of two queer children”—one transgender and one pansexual, she elaborated—she intends to drastically ramp up queer visibility within the Magic Kingdom...

Here's the rest. I actually don't think most people who go to Disney will have an issue with this. My straight brother and his wife go there at least 4 times a year. They have a timeshare there. And I know they would support this, just like most other straight people who have LGBQIA people in their lives. It's really only the worst of the MAGA crowd that would have issues. 

 Amazon link

  Ring My Bells

Amazon E-book or Paperback

The Wizard of Pride

The Straight Pride Parade



 Don't Be Afraid of Virginia's Woolf




Once Upon a Castle by Ryan Field

A Different Kind of Southern Love Story




What readers are saying about "Uncertainty"

Amazon

"A wonderful story that I loved. The characters were well developed and strong. Gus: A sweet young man. Doing something for all the wrong reasons. Craig: his boyfriend, he'll go along with anything Gus say. Henry: Gus father a no nonsense man, who's husband died last year. I enjoyed this story."



What readers said about "Altered Parts"
"Best Gay Novel In Years. This story will stay with you and you will feel you know every character and the beauty of their home in the mountains of North Carolina."
In paperback or e-book. #gayromance #Wednesday

Altered Parts

How Language Has Changed For Gay Men, My New Twitter Author Page @RyanFieldAuthor, Ryan Field Books

 How Language Has Changed For Gay Men

When I first came out in the 90s things for gay men were a little different. I'm not talking about anything involving equal rights. I'm just talking about how things were for gay men within the gay community. Our language and the terms and phrases we used back then have changed...evolved...and there are certain things we would have said back then that we don't dare say now. 

For one thing, gay men often referred to each other in a campy way with feminine pronouns. "Hey, she's not well," or "Look at her tonight," were things we often said and never thought twice about it. In a campy way, we often referred to one another as "sisters." In fact, one guy I knew was called "Baby Sister." I don't know any gay man who speaks this way nowadays, and I certainly don't. 

This article to which I'm linking now is interesting because it discusses the evolution of LGBTQ language. For example, they discuss how the word "Queer" has changed over the years. No one I knew in the 90s would ever have used that word unless it was in a campy way or as a pejorative. 

According to Attig, “queer” as an umbrella term doesn’t necessarily resonate with everyone, but using the term as a more general idea or belief system is more on par with the reclamation of once-offensive language.

Here's more. It goes into more detail and it's interesting. I still haven't embraced the word "Queer" as a way for me to identify yet. But I don't have any problem with those who do. But it took me a while to reach that point of acceptance. I know some gay men who actually resent the word, and what it meant to gay men years ago. And they have every right to feel that way. Back then gay men weren't called "Queer." They were referred to "as a Queer." And from what I gather, that word is still a pejorative in many places to this very day. 

My New Twitter Author Page @RyanFieldAuthor

When I first started to use Twitter in 2008, it was new, and not many people understood how it worked or where it was going. We often joked about it. In fact, I only used it haphazardly back then. I didn't take it very seriously. But over the years I built up a following that's a mixed-up match of everyone, from authors to political people to amateur comedians, and I recently decided that I would prefer to have an author page that's focused on my books, my works in other books, and LGBTQ publishing content. 

So I started a new Twitter account @RyanFieldAuthor. I still have my old account @ryanfield and I'm going to leave that alone for now. I still have a lot of friends and contacts there that I don't want to lose. But I will be more focused on the author account. I probably won't have as many followers there as I've had with the other account, but that's okay. I'm more interested in content now than I am in followers. 

If you have a Twitter account and you would like to follow me, you can find me here...  @RyanFieldAuthor The old account will remain the same for now. 

 Amazon link

  Ring My Bells

Amazon E-book or Paperback

The Wizard of Pride

The Straight Pride Parade



 Don't Be Afraid of Virginia's Woolf




Once Upon a Castle by Ryan Field

A Different Kind of Southern Love Story




What readers are saying about "Uncertainty"

Amazon

"A wonderful story that I loved. The characters were well developed and strong. Gus: A sweet young man. Doing something for all the wrong reasons. Craig: his boyfriend, he'll go along with anything Gus say. Henry: Gus father a no nonsense man, who's husband died last year. I enjoyed this story."



What readers said about "Altered Parts"
"Best Gay Novel In Years. This story will stay with you and you will feel you know every character and the beauty of their home in the mountains of North Carolina."
In paperback or e-book. #gayromance #Wednesday

Altered Parts

 

Don't Say Gay In Ohio: Gay Ohio Teacher Gives Pride Bracelets to Students and Loses His Job, Ryan Field Books

Don't Say Gay In Ohio: Gay Ohio Teacher Gives Pride Bracelets to Students and Loses His Job

Here's one from the great state of Ohio. And I'm really not pointing any fingers at Ohio. Just like in Florida, homophobia and Anti-Gay hate can happen in any state in the US. I've seen it too many times. It just so happens that this time it was Ohio.

The teacher's name is Jay Bowman and he's been a teacher for 30 years. All he did was "distribute" Pride bracelets to students who were curious about them. This is another good example of don't say gay, but this time in Ohio. 

This is part of the ridiculous statement released by the ridiculous school district. 

It is important for you to know that our Board policies restrict staff from discussing with students certain subjects, including political, religious and personal beliefs. This past week, we received reports with specific concerns about possible violations of those policies by a substitute teacher in the district. 

Here's more. I don't understand how a Pride bracelet falls under any of these categories. LGBTQ issues are not political, religious, or even personal "beliefs." And they know it. They just want to show their straight white supremacy once again. 

 Amazon link

  Ring My Bells

Amazon E-book or Paperback

The Wizard of Pride

The Straight Pride Parade



 Don't Be Afraid of Virginia's Woolf




Once Upon a Castle by Ryan Field

A Different Kind of Southern Love Story




What readers are saying about "Uncertainty"

Amazon

"A wonderful story that I loved. The characters were well developed and strong. Gus: A sweet young man. Doing something for all the wrong reasons. Craig: his boyfriend, he'll go along with anything Gus say. Henry: Gus father a no nonsense man, who's husband died last year. I enjoyed this story."



What readers said about "Altered Parts"
"Best Gay Novel In Years. This story will stay with you and you will feel you know every character and the beauty of their home in the mountains of North Carolina."
In paperback or e-book. #gayromance #Wednesday

Altered Parts

DeSantis Signs Don't Say Gay Bill In Florida, Ryan Field Books

DeSantis Signs Don't Say Gay Bill In Florida

I know DeSantis believes he's working his MAGA base with this bill, but I think it's going to backfire. They claim there's nothing in the bill that says, "don't say gay," but if that were the case why would they need a bill like this? Oh, make no mistake about it, they are letting us know they are in control and we are not their equals. This is white supremacy at its best. 

But only for now. The numbers of LGBTQ people rise each day, and they will continue to rise as more and more of us come out of the closet. There are still so many of us in the closet for various reasons that it's not possible to count all the LGBTQ people in the US, not to mention around the world. These conservative straights have no idea what's coming in the future. And we're not going to forget how we were treated. 

This is where DeSantis shows his ignorance. He thinks gay people are indoctrinated. How sad is that? Just like DeSantis knew he was straight at 3 years old, I knew I was gay. No one had to indoctrinate me. This is so stupid it's almost painful to read. I wonder if he really believes this, or if he's just pandering to that dumb MAGA base.  

"We will make sure that parents can send their kids to school to get an education, not an indoctrination," DeSantis said before signing the bill Monday.

Here's more.  I hope Florida makes sure they vote him out of office in the next election. 

 Amazon link

  Ring My Bells

Amazon E-book or Paperback

The Wizard of Pride

The Straight Pride Parade



 Don't Be Afraid of Virginia's Woolf




Once Upon a Castle by Ryan Field

A Different Kind of Southern Love Story




What readers are saying about "Uncertainty"

Amazon

"A wonderful story that I loved. The characters were well developed and strong. Gus: A sweet young man. Doing something for all the wrong reasons. Craig: his boyfriend, he'll go along with anything Gus say. Henry: Gus father a no nonsense man, who's husband died last year. I enjoyed this story."



What readers said about "Altered Parts"
"Best Gay Novel In Years. This story will stay with you and you will feel you know every character and the beauty of their home in the mountains of North Carolina."
In paperback or e-book. #gayromance #Wednesday

Altered Parts

The Three Hollywood Dumb-Dumbs At the Oscars Saying Gay, How a Major League Umpire Came Out As Gay, Ryan Field Books

 The Three Hollywood Dumb-Dumbs At the Oscars Saying Gay

There were three Hollywood dumb-dumbs at the Oscars that decided to make political jokes at the expense of equal rights and the millions of LGBTQIA people who actually live in Florida. 

First, no one who's LGBTQIA supports the don't say gay bill. I've been posting about it since it all started and I despise it. But not to the point where I would make LGBTQIA people who live and work in Florida feel terrible. I know just as many people, straight and gay, in Florida who don't support this awful bill. 

With that said, the idiots of Hollywood did it again. 

“We’re going to have a great night tonight,” said the openly gay Sykes. “And for you people in Florida, we’re going to have a gay night.”

Here's more. I think most gay people want to be treated as equals. I also think most gay people oppose this bill. But these three do NOT represent us very well. We can do better. 

I'd like to know why they mentioned nothing about the cultural appropriation of gay men in the film "The Power of the Dog," a film with gay content written by a straight white woman. They might have looked a little smarter if they had. 

How a Major League Umpire Came Out As Gay

Once again, I never get tired of hearing these stories. 

Umpire Dale Scott wrote a book and he describes how he came out as gay. He came out as gay in 2014 and I think this is the first time he's talking about it on this level. 

This is from his book:

One of those nights, Derryl Cousins and I were sitting at a table off to the side. Out of the blue, Derryl said, “Scotty, I know you have a different lifestyle than most of us. I just want you to know I think you’re a great guy, and I would walk on the field with you any day. So it’s not an issue.”

Here's more. I'm sure you can find it on Amazon, in digital and print, and in all other places where books are sold. And there is a link to Amazon at the link I gave above. 

 Amazon link

  Ring My Bells

Amazon E-book or Paperback

The Wizard of Pride

The Straight Pride Parade



 Don't Be Afraid of Virginia's Woolf




Once Upon a Castle by Ryan Field

A Different Kind of Southern Love Story




What readers are saying about "Uncertainty"

Amazon

"A wonderful story that I loved. The characters were well developed and strong. Gus: A sweet young man. Doing something for all the wrong reasons. Craig: his boyfriend, he'll go along with anything Gus say. Henry: Gus father a no nonsense man, who's husband died last year. I enjoyed this story."



What readers said about "Altered Parts"
"Best Gay Novel In Years. This story will stay with you and you will feel you know every character and the beauty of their home in the mountains of North Carolina."
In paperback or e-book. #gayromance #Wednesday

Altered Parts

Republicans Furious We're Calling it the "Don't Say Gay" Bill, Ryan Field Books

Republicans Furious We're Calling it the "Don't Say Gay" Bill

Republicans can be as furious as they want, but the truth is the truth. This new bill in Florida silences LGBTQI people and kids. But more than that, it singles us out in a way that doesn't really make sense. And I think they did it on purpose without realizing there would be so much backlash. We didn't really have to be singled out this way. They didn't need this bill. The Republicans did this to make a point. I've checked the bill out myself and it seems pointless. I also think this will be the ruination of DeSantis in Florida. I may live in Palm Springs, CA, but I'm in touch with a lot of gay men in huge gay enclaves in Florida. It's not just gay people against this bill. 

According to Republicans...

Republican officials and right-wing commentators deny that the bill is anti-gay and insist that it will neither discriminate against queer and trans students nor prohibit normal, age-appropriate discussion of LGBTQ culture and history. 

Here's more. Well, if that's the case why did they need a bill in the first place. I think it's pretty safe to say that as long as this bill exists we're going to refer to it as the don't say gay bill. And if the homophobes don't like it that's just too bad. You decided to single us out with the bill, we didn't do that to you.

 Amazon link

  Ring My Bells

Amazon E-book or Paperback

The Wizard of Pride

The Straight Pride Parade



 Don't Be Afraid of Virginia's Woolf




Once Upon a Castle by Ryan Field

A Different Kind of Southern Love Story




What readers are saying about "Uncertainty"

Amazon

"A wonderful story that I loved. The characters were well developed and strong. Gus: A sweet young man. Doing something for all the wrong reasons. Craig: his boyfriend, he'll go along with anything Gus say. Henry: Gus father a no nonsense man, who's husband died last year. I enjoyed this story."



What readers said about "Altered Parts"
"Best Gay Novel In Years. This story will stay with you and you will feel you know every character and the beauty of their home in the mountains of North Carolina."
In paperback or e-book. #gayromance #Wednesday

Altered Parts

What Is Actually Inside Florida's Don't Say Gay Bill, Ryan Field Books

 What Is Actually Inside Florida's Don't Say Gay Bill

I've posted a lot about how people feel over this "don't say gay" bill in Florida, but I don't think I've linked to anything specific that defines the law in simple terms. And that's partly because there are no simple terms. It's a confusing bill. So I found this article and I figured I would share.

First, it's called the Parental Rights In Education Bill. That's the actual name. 

Two, it states that classroom instructions with regard to gender identity and sexual orientation cannot be taught in kindergarten to 3rd grade. But who would teach about sex at that young age? A moron? You would teach more about gay culture and identity, not actual sex. 

Three, nothing in Florida is really clear with regard to state standards and what's age-appropriate. And Florida is going to have to update its standards. This is where the complications begin. 

 LGBTQ advocacy organizations say these bills are reminiscent of the "no promo homo" laws of the 1990s that barred educators from discussing LGBTQ topics in school classrooms.

Here's more. To me, it sounds like a bill that's been contrived to satisfy the most conservative MAGA bases. Those MAGA people are the ones who despise anyone LGBTQIA. What's even worse is that they are usually too stupid to understand things like Transgender. 

This is the weird part. Some who support this bill are now saying this bill won't stop people from talking casually about LGBTQIA topics in schools. But that doesn't make sense. 

I'm sure there will be more to come. But read this article above because it's simple and it explains everything. 

Amazon link

  Ring My Bells

Amazon E-book or Paperback

The Wizard of Pride

The Straight Pride Parade



 Don't Be Afraid of Virginia's Woolf




Once Upon a Castle by Ryan Field

A Different Kind of Southern Love Story




What readers are saying about "Uncertainty"

Amazon

"A wonderful story that I loved. The characters were well developed and strong. Gus: A sweet young man. Doing something for all the wrong reasons. Craig: his boyfriend, he'll go along with anything Gus say. Henry: Gus father a no nonsense man, who's husband died last year. I enjoyed this story."



What readers said about "Altered Parts"
"Best Gay Novel In Years. This story will stay with you and you will feel you know every character and the beauty of their home in the mountains of North Carolina."
In paperback or e-book. #gayromance #Wednesday

Altered Parts