LGBTQ Stories On Tap!
Comedy, poetry, murder and more
From knights in shining armor, to masked balls and parties that end with bras on gay men’s heads, we’ve got a… diverse set of tales for you this week at the LGBTQ Fiction Project. Reach into our grab bag and pull out a story!
Psssst! No Medium account? Click the underlined text links. They’re free.
The First Knight
We begin with a sonnet! Esther Spurrill-Jones, our poet in residence, tells a story in verse, of love and subverted expectations, of shining knights and maidens fair. But is all as it really seems?
The sun was hot upon the dusty ground
Where knights in metal dress contended for
The hand of maiden fair. One would be crowned
Her prince. And yet, the princess did abhor
Dull competition and these games of war.
Le Bal Masqué
Last week, the murder mystery crafted by David Wade Chambers and Court Atchinson began to bring story lines together. Motive and opportunity point in a solid direction. This week? One suspect attends a glittering reception that feels to him like a grotesque masked ball. We know he’s committed fraud on an audacious scale, but is he also the murderer?
For Dr. Jeffrey McLaren, the evening began full of glory and promise. Two TV crews were in attendance, reporters from as far away as Kansas City, a Smithsonian writer. Most of the Chisholm faculty were there, and various Dine City dignitaries: the mayor in a powder-blue tux and his wife with what appeared to be a deceased cockatoo on her skull. The gallery doors opened at eight to a large, enthusiastic crowd.
Beard Science
What happens when a closeted gay man of 40 downs too many Jaeger bombs at his surprise birthday party in the company of his Tinder “girlfriend?” Given neil chapman penned this comic romp, you know the results are going to be explosive! Beard Science, you ask? Ah, think of that 80s classic, Weird Science, but throw a drag queen into the mix. I shall say no more!
Both had adopted the same Klimt-scream pose as they turned to look each other in the eye. Suddenly aware of her nakedness, Jules let out a little shriek and pulled the duvet up around her neck. Oscar attempted to pull the duvet back, suddenly aware of his own embarrassment. He was wearing his emergency boxers. Penises wearing Santa hats.
What’s it like to be a trans teen at a conservative religious school? Let Valentine Wiggin show you! She’s brought Viktor Takahashi to life, a serious, thoughtful adolescent torn apart by dysphoria and family rejection. But what else is happening? Could this tale of horror be plumbing the supernatural?
The mysterious, malicious notes kept piling up. Since none of the nurses had similar handwriting, Dr. Romanova invited a hospital chaplain to speak with me about matters of faith and the supernatural. She said that she knew about the odd events that seemed to follow me everywhere I went and that she talked to Dr. Gusev about what I had seen at school.
Can You Stand the Rain?
Laying the Foundation
Two chapters of Survival await your reading pleasure this week! BFoundAPen has created a fascinating, nuanced cast of characters in this serialized novel that features a young trans man struggling to make in the white-collar world. Jayson is determined to succeed despite obstacles that would anyone back. If it weren’t hard enough to be trans, he’s Black with a criminal record. But he also has Bria, a woman who loves him and stands by him. This week, she starts to come to life!
Then I got groceries and took Bria out to a fancy dinner — before Reese and Taeko went to that strip club.” There’s no point in keeping anything from my investor.
Amusement fills his voice.“Look at you, boy! Putting that college head to use. Let me ask you something else.”
“Yea?”
“Is she the one?”
Those are our stories this week!
We’re busy scribbling away at more as we work on our Winning theme challenge. We hope you join us this weekend for a read or three!
And remember, we’re always looking for more authentic queer tales. Interested in joining us? Write to me: jamesfinnwrites@gmail.com
See ya next Friday!
— Jim
Esther Spurrill-Jones, BFoundAPen, Zayn Singh, Gloria Bates, Kathy Lee Tolleth, Brian Pelletier, Fred Shirley, Alex David Bevan, Ikedi Oghenetega, neil chapman, David Wade Chambers, Artemis Shishir, Sean Stephane Martin, Gabriela Penelope Carolus, Lois Shearing, Valentine Wiggin, b.henriques, Carl Rebeiro 🏳️🌈,🏳️🌈 Rodney Frazier, Simon Z.
