*New LGBTQ Novel Features Asexual Sidekick

[Trix]

Raleigh, NC (OPENPRESS) September 2, 2010 -- LGBTQ suicide prevention activist Stephanie Silberstein’s latest novel, Shades of Gay, will feature an asexual teenager as the protagonist’s best friend, Narrow Path Publishing announced today. The character does not experience sexual attraction but does have strong desires for emotional intimacy.

Silberstein chose to include asexuality to illustrate the difficulties non-heterosexual youth face from a different perspective as well as show that asexuality is normal. “Asexuals face just as much social pressure as other non-heterosexuals, especially in high school,” Silberstein says. “They are expected to be interested in sex, or at the very least be curious about it; otherwise people assume something’s wrong with them. I wanted to include an asexual teen in Shades of Gay to show that asexuals are just like other teens except they don’t experience sexual attraction.”

In addition to an asexual, Shades of Gay features a gay protagonist and his bisexual boyfriend. Silberstein hopes that the book demonstrates that there are a wide variety of sexual orientations and that all are normal. “My protagonist and his friends are all normal teenagers who happen to be non-heterosexual,” Silberstein says. “I hope that youth of all orientations will feel less alone after reading the book.” While the book is targeted towards non-heterosexual youth, she believes their heterosexual peers will identify with the characters as well and hopes they will become willing to befriend LGBT kids as a result.

Shades of Gay will be out by the beginning of October and will be available on Amazon as well as Narrow Path Publishing’s website. 10 percent of profits will go to the Trevor Project, a national organization dedicated to helping suicidal LGBTQ youth. Silberstein had previously announced that Shades of Gay’s cover will be designed by a local Transgender artist, D Gavi Chayim.

For more information, please visit www.narrowpathpublishing.net or www.facebook.com/shadesofgay.

CONTACT:

Stephanie Silberstein

stephanie@narrowpathpublishing.net

[bristrek]

AWESOME!

So, how would one in the UK get ahold of this?

[asexual cake]

This is fantastic news indeed.

Also, looking at the Facebook page, I see that the author has a wordpress blog on whose "blog roll" my own exists. So now I'm curious if I helped in elucidating asexuality/inspiring said character, which is probably something of a presumptuous and egotistical thought, but I'm going to continue to ponder it regardless.

[Euonym]

That sounds fantastic! I want it, but I have to go through my mother to buy books on the internet, and I think the title will throw her off.

I'm sure it did, Pugnacioun! It's not presumption, if it's on the author's website, and also, I would not wish for a more eloquent or relateable speaker on asexuality.

[ExeCUTE]

AWESOME!

So, how would one in the UK get ahold of this?

SECONDED! Also, I tweeted about this, because I'm sad and enthusiastic like that. :redface:

[------]

AWESOME!

So, how would one in the UK get ahold of this?

SECONDED! Also, I tweeted about this, because I'm sad and enthusiastic like that. :redface:

No blog post?

I'm not too interested in the book so I have nothing to say.

[geekgirl]

AWESOME!

So, how would one in the UK get ahold of this?

If it's going to be on Amazon, you can just buy it from there. I get stuff from the US and Canadian Amazon sites all the time. The sites are linked, so if you've got a UK account you can log in to the other sites and use the same card as long as it's one they accept. I think you can use pretty much anything but maestro. Postage costs more though, obviously.

[Crazy Cat Lady]

That's cool! I've actually been wondering if there are any books out there with an asexual character. :)

[asexual cake]

That's cool! I've actually been wondering if there are any books out there with an asexual character. :)

There's also Karen Healey's Guardian of the Dead, which has an asexual teen character. I've only read about the first forty pages, but he apparently is entirely removed from the story half-way through.

[Crazy Cat Lady]

That's cool! I've actually been wondering if there are any books out there with an asexual character. :)

There's also Karen Healey's Guardian of the Dead, which has an asexual teen character. I've only read about the first forty pages, but he apparently is entirely removed from the story half-way through.

Thank you so much, Pugnacioun! I'll look for that one. :)

[Crazy Cat Lady]

There's also Karen Healey's Guardian of the Dead, which has an asexual teen character. I've only read about the first forty pages, but he apparently is entirely removed from the story half-way through.

Thank you so much, Pugnacioun! I'll look for that one. :)

Oooooh, I just looked it up. It sounds really good. Thanks again for the recommendation!

[ExeCUTE]

AWESOME!

So, how would one in the UK get ahold of this?

SECONDED! Also, I tweeted about this, because I'm sad and enthusiastic like that. :redface:

No blog post?

I'm not too interested in the book so I have nothing to say.

There will be.

[+Lee]

Wow, this is awesome!!

When someone finishes reading it, let us know how it is!

[Crazy Cat Lady]

Just wanted to add another book with an asexual character: The World According to Garp by John Irving. Garp's mother appears to be asexual. I've only started the book, but she really appears that way to me. At least so far in the book, she's had sex once, and even that was only for the specific purpose of creating a baby. She really had no interest in men (or women, for that matter) or sex.

Here's a quote from page 15:

"In her autobiography, Jenny [Garp's mother] wrote: 'I wanted a job and I wanted to live alone. That made me a sexual suspect. Then I wanted a baby, but I didn't want to have to share my body or my life to have one. That made me a sexual suspect, too.'"