All About Pretty Boys

Growing up gay always comes with a set of unique problems, especially in small towns like Ashford, North Carolina. Homophobia and harassment at the hands of parents, peers, teachers, and residents were only tips of icebergs, and for years Jeffrey Booth encountered and endured such issues alone until it took an irreparable toll on him; his life. Pretty Boys is the beginning to a series of books chronicling the lives of four ordinary young high school boys whose worlds are disrupted after the death of their respective friend, classmate, lover, and neighbor, whose death begins a tumultuous search for the truth about his passing and the events that led to it. Considered a local tragedy, the only thing that is certain to almost everyone in town is Jeffrey’s sexuality brought on his circumstances.

             A coming of age novel, Pretty Boys focuses on many of the issues individuals in the gay community face daily at the hands of strangers, friends and family alike and the consequences they can produce. Issues of bullying, homophobia, violence, coming out, and learning self-acceptance and love are prevalent throughout the novel as the four protagonists each deal with their grief and the growth that follows. Soon they are faced with making the decision whether to allow Jeffrey to become a cautionary tale for the small quiet town, or to allow his passing to actually stand for something.

Pretty Boys features a variety of distinct characters who showcase the range within LGBT communities and the differences we each encounter growing up and dealing with our own sexuality. Terry the town’s newest resident, August the ostentatious socialite, Darrin the most popular kid in his class, and Demi the breakout star of the basketball team each are at different stages of realizing their sexuality. For some of us, we realize and embrace our uniqueness early in life, while others may take years to realize and accept. Ultimately there is a character for every reader, gay or straight, to relate to as the characters embark on their individual and collective journeys.

          Pretty Boys was originally featured on www.wattpad.com to help garner attention and an audience, but upon completion was removed for sales and distribution. The novel was self-published through www.lulu.com, and is also featured on Amazon.com and on Amazon kindle.

Breaking the Bond

The bond between a father and a child is a bond that is difficult to understand. Whereas a mother has 9 months to bond with a child and build a connection from conception, fathers must work a little harder at it. It is like a stranger meeting someone else’s child for the first time and accepting the responsibility to be their provider. The intent is there, but the bond must be forged. It is a difficult bond to understand and one that must be built over time with hard work and dedication. This was the case with Danny and Jason.

Danny had great dreams for Jason from the moment his son was born, and there was hardly ever an occasion where you would see one without the other. He planned to instill in him all the things a man should be and teach him important lessons such as never pick a battle but never run from a fight, treat women with respect but never be their doormat, repay all his debts, never make a promise he couldn’t keep and above all else be a man of his word. Unfortunately for Danny, the father's dreams are often unrealized by the child. His son, Jason, was a quiet and meek child. Short and thin in stature, he couldn’t catch a ball when it was thrown to him and had horrible hand-to-eye coordination. When he was ten, where most boys his age were outside running and tackling each other in a game of football, Jason spent his time indoors drawing, coloring, and keeping to himself. The only friends he cared to have were his two younger sisters.

Danny tried his best to understand his son but at times it became frustrating seeing him not fit in with the other boys around the neighborhood. He reached the height of his frustration one summer day when he convinced Jason to go outside with him to throw a baseball back and forth. Every ball he threw Jason missed or let slip away in such a way that to Danny it seemed like Jason wasn’t even trying.

“Come on Jason concentrate!” Danny yelled sternly.

“I’m trying!” Jason shouted back on the verge of tears.

“Stop that crying boy!” Danny snapped. “Now we gonna stay out here until you catch at least one ball.” Angrily, Danny pulled back, tightening his grip on the ball and releasing it nearly full forcefully striking Jason in the chin. No sooner than he released the ball did Danny realize what he had done and rushed to comfort his son. Quickly rushing him into the house and examining the bruise. After that day he never asked Jason to play baseball again.

The next time Danny’s anger caught him off guard and caused him to hurt his son occurred when Jason was twelve. Coming home from work he found Jason playing dress-up with the girls, wearing clip-on earrings and makeup smeared across his face. It was all fun for Jason, making it harder for him to understand when Danny whopped him uncontrollably. After that night Jason made sure to never let his father catch him playing dress-up ever again.

When Jason was fifteen he had a best friend by the name of Glover, whom he did everything with. Danny was ecstatic to see his son bond with another male and have a genuine friend. He encouraged the two to always be together until one night when Glover was sleeping over and Danny caught the two closely sleeping together in the same bed. Danny kicked Glover out of the house, telling him never to come back, and once again whopped Jason. Jason swore to never spend the night with another male ever again.

Once Jason turned eighteen, he moved out of his parent’s house and went away to school. When he was twenty-two he moved back home, worked to save money, and buy his own house. At twenty-five, he met a girl, dated her for six months, and by twenty-six he was married with his first child on the way.

Danny couldn’t be more proud of Jason, never knowing that his son dressed in women’s clothing and slept with men at night but lacked the courage to tell his father. To this day Jason still cannot catch a baseball.

Preference VS Closed Minded

It really has been a while since I have written anything.  So much has been going on but that’s a topic for another time. Now it’s time to get back on track. In one of the various groups that I am in all types of debates and arguments occur, usually following a thought provoking conversation.

Why is it that if a person says they wouldn't date/have sex w/ an HIV+ guy they are seen as being "close minded"?

I had to admit this was a pretty interesting question so why not dive right in? I responded ‘I don't find it being close minded I just consider it being limited. Anyone who would turn down a person who is sweet, loving, successful and everything else you could ask for in a mate definitely is cheating himself out of love.

I stand by my position believing that love is so hard to come by and so many people dream about having it and craving it that no one should ever reject it. But then I had to think about what was truly being said. Why is it that having a strong preference for or against something is something that can be called closed minded? I guess in a sense closed minded is the equivalent of not being open to all things/chances so I understand that aspect. People have preferences against obese individuals, members of different races and religions so why is it such an insult not to want to date a HIV+ person?

Is it that homosexuals have fallen into the mindset of believing the stigma that having HIV is a death sentence? It seems some have but for all the wrong reasons:

“Well, the chances are that most men have dated someone that was HIV+ and didn't know it or had sex with someone that was. So if you'd do it not knowing, why would it change knowing that he was?”

“People have the right not to want to have sex with a person who discloses their HIV status and that is the reason for disclosing to give the other person a choice I would never be upset with a person who didn't want to have sex with me it's their choice.”

“...Me personally, I think that it is naive and closed minded!! My reason: I wanna know who all asks the guy before you suck his dick, before you bend over or bend dey ass over or before you go to that sex party or have a 3some, before you meet them off BGC, A4A, tagged, grindr, and ask to have sex with them do you ask if THEY ARE HIV+..now HONESTLY ask yourself that question before I get all types of response..the majority will say no...YEs its a choice to not have sex with someone who is and trust me it is a scary feeling but how can you possibly say you have a choice when half the time you don't know if you are taking the chance to come in contact with someone who really is? I mean seriously, some dudes kill me when they say oh, nah I'm not fucking him or letting him fuck me cause he told me he POZ...dumb ass be happy he told yo ass he was instead of lying #grownmanstatus(get on it) sn: I am HIV NEGATIVE!!!”

I stand by my position in believing everyone deserves to be loved regardless of any barrier. My final thoughts on the situation are that it is closed minded, but more importantly we only feel so negative towards it because of the dark connotation attached to it.