Book Idea

L.Jenkins

Mentioned this in the Off Topic thread. Read a book during the year called 'Coming out: The Irish Gay Experience' and quite enjoyed it. Essentially it was a compilation of experiences written by your average everyday Irish person from right across the LGBT spetrum.

I ran the idea to put together another past a person I know from one of the organisations in the Country and she loved it. She had previously discussed the idea with someone, but it fell by the way side.

How would you feel about contributing to such a book and what are your feelings on the idea? I'd love to help put it together and any proceeds would of course go to assisting LGBT groups around the Country.

Meesared

That sounds like a cool idea

L.Jenkins

I'll just clarify what it's all about. The idea is to gather peoples experience of being LGB or T. It can be your life experience and how you came to identify as who you are, your struggles or your general experience. Since the previous book was written, alot has changed. For example, civil partnership and gende recognition as well as some attitudes.

We all understand people may not be out but would love to contribute. Annominity is essential for everybodies well being, but the intention is to highlight experiences to inspire and give people an all round idea of what life is like for us at the moment.

When all is put together and everyone is happy, then it will be send to print and any proceeds or profits will go only to LGBT organisations and projects. It won't benefit me or anyone else financially, but groups who need it.

Annasopra

That's the Glenn O Brien book isn't it? my favourite bit is the ladies and gents basketball. The lesbian and gay visions of Ireland from 1996 is very interesting too although it's mostly activists. I like this idea. I was only just thinking in the last day or so that it would be interesting to update that 1996 book.

CdeC

that is a great idea. Could be a good source of info for young people going through tough times with being gay

baby and crumble

I have to say I always thought that collecting lifestories of LGBT Irish people might be my next project after finishing my Phd (which is in lifestories and disability)

I'd love to write something or help out, but sdadly this year is a no-no for me. Great idea though.

deirdre_dub

A definite maybe from me.

L.Jenkins

Glad to see people love the idea

allydylan

love the idea, i'm not a writer so i'll leave ye to it, but let me read it when ye;re done

plein de force

i'd do it
pretty short life experiece thus far, nearly 19 is all. still a baby

L.Jenkins

allydylan wrote: »

love the idea, i'm not a writer so i'll leave ye to it, but let me read it when ye;re done

Well I'm hoping by this time next year if it all goes well, it could be available to buy I'll get you a copy either way.

plein de force wrote: »

i'd do it
pretty short life experiece thus far, nearly 19 is all. still a baby

Well, all contributions would be welcome, from young and old. It would make good reading to have experiences from right across the board.

WonderWoman!

It would be cool to get different experiences

plein de force

ItsThatManAgain wrote: »

Well I'm hoping by this time next year if it all goes well, it could be available to buy I'll get you a copy either way.



Well, all contributions would be welcome, from young and old. It would make good reading to have experiences from right across the board.

well then count me in

Links234

I'd love to contribute.

rainbow kirby

plein de force wrote: »

i'd do it
pretty short life experiece thus far, nearly 19 is all. still a baby

Actually contributions from people around your age could be quite interesting, given that 1993 was the year of decriminalization.

jaffacakesyum

I'm not out so can't contribute but it's a great idea and can't wait to see the finished result

L.Jenkins

For those who would like but feel they can't contribute because they are not out. Your privacy will be repected, details changed and annominity given if you would actually like to provide something.

WonderWoman!

I would contribute ..but I like my privacy too much

Freiheit

What exactly are you looking for? how would you propose it be published? self publication or try to persuade a publishing firm?. It's a good idea,just seeking clarification.

plein de force

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Actually contributions from people around your age could be quite interesting, given that 1993 was the year of decriminalization.

never thought of it that way, strange to think as early as a year after i was born it was decriminalised :eek:

so as people are interested itsthatmanagain PM me when and if youre setting the wheels in motion

Annasopra

WonderWoman! wrote: »

I would contribute ..but I like my privacy too much

The irony of Glen O Briens book is that Glen O Brien is in fact a pseudonym and that the majority of contributors didn't in fact identify themselves

http://bonhom.ie/2007/04/bootboy-coming-out-irish-gay

L.Jenkins

Freiheit wrote: »

What exactly are you looking for? how would you propose it be published? self publication or try to persuade a publishing firm?. It's a good idea,just seeking clarification.

I'm hoping to self publish through origingalwriting.ie. Would I'd hope for is personal life experience and the book would hopefully provide a comparison between today and the book released in1996. I'll be providing my own piece but under another name to what I use.

harar

ooooh i want to do it... like really really really

Killer_banana

I'd like to contribute. My story is fairly boring though.

L.Jenkins

Killer_banana wrote: »

I'd like to contribute. My story is fairly boring though.

I'm sure someone could relate to your input

As for the book. I'm going to try and get submissions together soon, but I'm going to try and get a few groups to advertise it and they may want to provide an outline for it first. So anyone who want to can get writing :P but hold off on submissions for awhile until I can get things going.

I was thinking of keeping to the original and splitting the book into 2 parts, the 1st consisting of personal experiences and part 2 consisting of small submission from groups and organisations that have recently sprung up around the country. Mango you might appriciate the fact that I might try and get my hands on the Garda who initially got things going with respect to having Gardai deal confidentially with LGBT issues. It would be great to see how things have come along since then.

AvaKinder

I think this is a really really fantastic idea, and I wish you the best of luck with it. Can't wait to read it. I'm not much of a writer, but I'm sure you'll be inundated with excellent submissions.

allydylan

Killer_banana wrote: »

I'd like to contribute. My story is fairly boring though.

i said pretty much the exact same thing :P

ok so tell me if i'm wrong, what time of information do you want? comming out stories or what, sorry i'm a little confused

TylerIE

ItsThatManAgain wrote: »

I was thinking of keeping to the original and splitting the book into 2 parts, the 1st consisting of personal experiences and part 2 consisting of small submission from groups and organisations that have recently sprung up around the country. Mango you might appriciate the fact that I might try and get my hands on the Garda who initially got things going with respect to having Gardai deal confidentially with LGBT issues. It would be great to see how things have come along since then.

Great to see the possibility of a 2012 version! Fair play for taking it on.

Were the Gardai mentioned in the first one or?

L.Jenkins

allydylan wrote: »

i said pretty much the exact same thing :P

ok so tell me if i'm wrong, what time of information do you want? comming out stories or what, sorry i'm a little confused

It's really anything from your experience. Whether it be coming out or how new laws would affect you and what life is like for you growing while identifing within the entire LGBT spectrum.

lst wrote: »

Great to see the possibility of a 2012 version! Fair play for taking it on.

Were the Gardai mentioned in the first one or?

A Garda was mentioned in the first book. I forget his name, but he was the first Garda assigned to provide a helpline for members of the LGBT community to report crime against themselves or others in a confidential manner.

allydylan

ItsThatManAgain wrote: »

It's really anything from your experience. Whether it be coming out or how new laws would affect you and what life is like for you growing while identifing within the entire LGBT spectrum.


oh ok, sorry i just could get my head around what it was you wanted to do exactly
i wouldn't mind contributing either

dreamer_ire

I think it would be interesting to also explore the differences north and south as well as having a mix of urban and rural stories.

Fair play to you for taking it on, I remember the original one and think it could be very interesting to see the changes that we have experienced.

Happy to help out if you need it.

L.Jenkins

Just an update on what's going on now. I've spoken to Vanessa Lacey, development worker with TENI (teni.ie). The good people at TENI are going to help out and more than I expected with such things as editing of submission and funding for publishing.

They feel it's alittle ambitious, but would like if something has been sent to a publisher in November/December and hoping to have it published not long after. I'm only passing on what I know so far and have yet to wait and find out more. So anyone interested in providing a written submission can pm me if you all like.

Don't worry, I'll be providing further updates as I get it and no one will be left in the lurch.

L.Jenkins

I'm just bumping this to see if there is any further support for the idea and to if anyone else wants to contribute.

LegacyUser

Im very interested in taking part,
have you a email I can contact you on???

L.Jenkins

I prefer not to give my email out on a public forum.

Annasopra

ItsThatManAgain wrote: »

I prefer not to give my email out on a public forum.

Perhaps you could set up a new email address just for this book

L.Jenkins

I like your thinking mango. So it's damo300@gmail.com for anyone really.

L.Jenkins

Sorry for the bump guys. Had to be done.

Provided my own short and sweet version of my own experience

wonderfulname

Have you had many/any submissions? I've been keeping an eye on this thread, its all very interesting, delighted to see you actually going out and turning your idea into reality, best of luck.
I'll give my considerations to submitting something, have to mull over whether I have anything to add worth putting pen to paper over.

L.Jenkins

Haven't had much interest yet, but TENI has taken my idea and are going with it which is great.

wonderfulname

Get the word out there! Maybe go through the resource sticky here for other forums you could ask in/organisations you could use to find people? Have you considered writing to some known names for submissions? It might drum up some extra interest in the finished product.

L.Jenkins

I like your thinking wonderful.

LegacyUser

Are you strictly looking for people who are out to share their submissions? I'm 17 and not out. (Hence the guest name, to cover all the bases. :P)