Relationship dynamics/Where will gay fiction go?

I once spoke with a gay author who read some excerpts from "Bright", and politely informed me about how gay readers are tiring of gay fiction being mostly about gay erotica and indiscriminate gay "encounters". He did not like the way the characters "Monty" and "Walter" seemed to fall all over each within a day or 2 of meeting, and admittedly stopped reading my excerpts when he came to the first kiss scene in the dugout.

The thing is, "being gay" is still a matter of controversy in the world. I completely realize that gay people are tired of their orientation being "sensationalized" and put thru a microscope, but the very words "gay" and "homosexual" and "lesbian" are not only about identity, they are about sexuality. How can a film be a "gay" film if it's not about their sexual identity in some capacity? You don't have to show sex scenes or erotica, but the very word "gay" in film or in literature carries that sexual identity with it. I think that once the world decides that gay people are "just like anyone else" and that their sexual lives are no more or less interesting than the rest of the world's, maybe "gay" fiction will read like anything else.

"Bright" is a different story than "Crush." Crush was about the aftermath of sexual, physical and emotional abuse, and the consequence of mistrust, fear of intimacy and vulnerability, and recovery from self hate in children.

In Bright, neither of the 2 principals suffers from "fear" of sex. Neither of them has to tackle the issue of distrust or fear of each other. They both fear other people, but from the start, Monty and Walter are so comfortable with each other that they almost immediately become intimate.

In Crush, it took 16 years, albeit because they were physically separated too, but really, Tammy and Jamie were so traumatized and so afraid of homophobic ridicule that it impeded them being together. Crush is proof that I don't write stories about gay men just jumping each other's bones 5 mins. after they meet LOL.

I don't want to spoil Bright too much yet, but the fact is, M and W are different people than T and J. Their story is different and their reactions to what's happening are different. This story will not be so much about sexual abuse/molestation and child abuse (although there is an incident of rape and a history of one of the characters being spanked quite often by his parents) as much as it is about spiritual abuse, the abuse that occurs within fanatically religious homes.

The other themes of Bright are suicide/suicidal behavior, insecurity and doubt in each other's love, and jealousy and covetousness. Yes, there is erotica, and yes, M&W really do hook up soon in comparison with T&J, but a huge part of the story is how powerful their sexual connection is, and how they love each other so much it both thrills and scares them, and how some people keep searching for happiness when it is right there in front of them. The 2 are immediately bound when Monty nearly dies after crashing into the river.

In response to my friend's remarks, I have made the decision to write at least one more gay fiction novel. I have been watching and reading a lot of material about the kidnapping cases of Jaycee Dugard, Adam Walsh, Etan Patz, and Polly Klaas. If I'm to prove that not only are gay people "regular" people like all of us, but that bad things happen to them too. The premise is, a married gay couple's son is kidnapped. There's no place for erotica in a story like this, and I think it would make an excellent story for anyone seeking gay fiction that isn't about sex. It will be a few years before this one comes to fruition, but I'm sure it will be a good one :)