Call for Essays: The United States of Queer: Contemporary Narratives of LGBT Minorities

Topic Proposal Submission Deadline: May 9, 2016

Notification of Acceptance: May 23, 2016

Final Essay Submission: July 31, 2016
All final essays submitted should be 6-8 pages double spaced , 12 point Times Roman font.

Essays for: The United States of Queer: Contemporary Narratives of LGBT Minorities.

Proposal Submission Deadline: May 9, 2016

Please send a bio and a topic proposal of 150 words to queersubmissions@gmail.com with the subject title as “My Truth”.
Co-Editors

Jared Bell, PhD
Bobby Huen, PhD

We are two independent scholars and researchers who want to expand the knowledge about minorities in the LGBT community, especially those who have been marginalized by the majority of our community. We are creating a book that would document the struggle, experiences, joys, and obstacles that stood and continue to stand in the way of you living your authentic life.
Email: queersubmissions@gmail.com

Description

This book will be a collection of essays and accompanying analysis and commentaries about what it is like to be marginalized members of the LGBT community. We want 1st person narratives of those who are not mainstream LGBT members. This book seeks to address:
• How and in which context did you discover your LGBT identity?
• What is your experience being a member of the community?
• Do you think your (demographic minority) identity has an impact on your experience within the LGBT community? If so, how?
• Being both a demographic minority and LGBT, where do you see yourself in the larger LGBT community?
• How do you feel about the state of LGBT rights in the United States right now?
• How does your other identities clash with the dominant LGBT community's narrative?

Suggested topics and themes include (but are not limited to) the following:
• Rejection by family and the non-LGBT community
• Reclaiming personal identity
• Rejection of cultural norms
• The obstacles of being gay and minority
• Being a "double minority" in the current LGBT landscape
• Reconciling disparate minority culture
• Cultural expectation vs. reality
• Being "exploited" due to identity.

We are looking for first person narratives from members of the LGBT community who are:

• African American
• Latino American
• Asian American
• Native American
• Queer Women (Lesbians or other)
• Transfolks - FTM/MTF
• Bisexuals
• Elderly Gays and Lesbians
• Sex workers
• Immigrants - legal and undocumented
• HIV-Positive

We would like to hear your personal story, how you feel you fit into the LGBT community in this country, and things you have experienced, both positive and negative, related to your identity as both a demographic minority and being LGBT.
Inquiries
If you have any inquiries about this project, please contact us at queersubmissions@gmail.com .

Note

We value the privacy and confidentiality of our contributors. Please let us know if you wish to use a pseudonym when your narrative. We will take all necessary precautions to ensure the privacy and safety of all participants.