Wisns middle school featur 'This Book is Gay' library, stirrg onle outrage | WLUK

Contents:

• BT GAY ROMANCE MAFIA/YAKUZA/ORGANIZED CRIME
• TEEN SET ABLAZE, LEFT FOR DEAD AFTER MEETG MAN FROM GAY DATG SE
• GAYNGSTER
• EVIL TWKS AND GAY GANGSTERS: WHY WE NEED TO REMEMBER HISTORY’S HORRID HOMOSEXUALS
• GANGSTER TWS RONNIE AND REGGIE KRAY 'HAD SECRET GAY SEX WH EACH OTHER'
• WISNS MIDDLE SCHOOL FEATUR 'THIS BOOK IS GAY' LIBRARY, STIRRG ONLE OUTRAGE
• INSI A PRISON CELL FOR GAY FORMER GANG MEMBERS EL SALVADOR
• DJ PREMIER SPEAKS ON GU'S DEATH, GAY RUMORS AND GANG STARR'S LEGACY

BT GAY ROMANCE MAFIA/YAKUZA/ORGANIZED CRIME

There are many stereotyp of and assumptns about street gangs, jt as there are many stereotyp and assumptns about gay men. In movi and televisn, some of the most regnizable gay characters have been portrayed as effemate or weak; they’re “fashnistas” or “gay bt iends. This obv ntradictn was one of the ma reasons I was drawn to the subject of gay gang members.

TEEN SET ABLAZE, LEFT FOR DEAD AFTER MEETG MAN FROM GAY DATG SE

For my book “The Gang’s All Queer, ” I terviewed and spent time wh 48 gay or bisexual male gang members. All were between the ag of 18 and 28; the majory were men of lor; and all lived or near Columb, Oh, which has been referred to as a “Midwtern gay mec.

The experience, which took place over the urse of more than two years, allowed me to explore the tensns they felt between gang life and gay manhood. Some of the gang members were gangs ma up of primarily gay, lbian or bisexual people.

GAYNGSTER

Others were the only gay man (or one of a few) an otherwise “straight” gang. Then there were what I ll “hybrid” gangs, which featured a mix of straight, gay, lbian and bisexual members, but wh straight people still the majory.

Bee even the ia of a gay man beg a gang fli the face of nventnal thought, the gang members I spoke wh had to nstantly rist or subvert a range of stereotyp and expectatns.

EVIL TWKS AND GAY GANGSTERS: WHY WE NEED TO REMEMBER HISTORY’S HORRID HOMOSEXUALS

I was openly gay – part of the “fay, ” as some of them put – and bee I was a stunt nductg rearch for a book, they were nfint that I stood a better chance of accurately reprentg them than any “straight novelist” or journalist.

The gay men straight gangs I spoke wh knew precisely what was expected of them: be willg to fight wh rival gangs, monstrate toughns, date or have sex wh women and be fancially pennt. Beg openly gay uld threaten their stat as well as their safety. Would the stat of the gang be promised, wh other gangs seeg them as “soft” for havg openly gay guys ?

So most stayed the closet, ntug to project heterosexualy, while discreetly meetg other gay men unrground gay scen or over the ter. He hadn’t known the others were gay, and they didn’t know about him, eher. In “hybrid” gangs (those wh a sizable mory of gay, lbian or bisexual people) or all-gay gangs, the men I terviewed were held to many of the same standards.

GANGSTER TWS RONNIE AND REGGIE KRAY 'HAD SECRET GAY SEX WH EACH OTHER'

Men gay gangs were expected to be able to build a public reputatn as a gay man – what they lled beg “known.

” Beg “known” means you’re able to achieve many mascule ials – makg money, beg taken serly, gag stat, lookg good – but as an openly gay man.

This meant they need to clash wh rival gay crews, so they valued toughns and fightg prows.

WISNS MIDDLE SCHOOL FEATUR 'THIS BOOK IS GAY' LIBRARY, STIRRG ONLE OUTRAGE

Men gay gangs pecially exprsed genue and heartfelt nnectns to their fellow gang members. Some would also patrol each other’s masculy, sultg other gay men who were flamboyant or feme. Cght between not wantg themselv or others to be prsured to act mascule all the time, but also not wantg to be read as visibly gay or weak (which uld ve challeng), ristance to beg seen as a “punk” or a phover was cril.

INSI A PRISON CELL FOR GAY FORMER GANG MEMBERS EL SALVADOR

It all seemed to e om a sire to upend damagg cultural stereotyp of gay men as weak, of black men as “adbeats” and offenrs, and of gang members as vlent thugs.

One of the most pellg fdgs of my study was what happened when the gay gang members were risively lled “fag” or “faggot” by straight men bars, on b, schools or on the streets. Some fought back even if they weren’t openly gay.

But was important to them to be able to nstct an inty as a man who wasn’t gog to be msed wh – a man who also happened to be gay. ” They were also willg to fend others rid as “fags” public, even though this uld signal that they were gay themselv. The ebacks challenge many of the assumptns ma about gay men – that they lack nerve, that they’re unwillg to physilly fight.

DJ PREMIER SPEAKS ON GU'S DEATH, GAY RUMORS AND GANG STARR'S LEGACY

It also munited a belief that was clearly nonnegotiable: a fundamental right to not be bothered simply for beg gay. Bt Gay Romance Mafia/Yakuza/Organized Crime (197 books).