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A review by adamskiboy528491
Mama's Boy by Dustin Lance Black
4.0
A promise is sacred. Academy-Award winning screenwriter [a:Dustin Lance Black|1618522|Dustin Lance Black|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1235982293p2/1618522.jpg] wrote the 2008 film Milk, created the 2017 eight-part docudrama miniseries When We Rise and helped overturn California's anti-gay marriage Proposition 8, with his play 8. But as an LGBTQ+ activist, he has unlikely origins. Raised in a military, Mormon household outside San Antonio, Texas, Black always found inspiration in his plucky, determined mother. Defying challenging expectations, Roseanna raised Black and his brothers (Marcus and Todd), built a career, escaped two abusive husbands, and eventually moved the family to a new life in Northern California. While Black struggled to come to terms with his sexuality–something antithetical to his mother's religious views, she (while remaining true to the title), remained his source of strength and his guiding light. At age 6, Black realised he liked boys instead of girls. Knowing he would not be accepted in the church if this became common knowledge he kept to himself. Lance tells his story of life in a closet and eventually coming out.
The LGBT Community is a mostly informal alliance encompassing those who to varying degrees are sexually oriented toward same-sex individuals and those whose gender identity does not fully match the sex of their birth. While there were likely minor movements and alliances since the sexual revolution of the '60s, a formal nationwide association did not manifest until 1985, when the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) was formed as a response sensationalist AIDS-related news coverage. The notion of an alliance became quickly popular among gay and lesbian individuals, with BBSes of the like forming on a budding internet. LGBT as a term is a broad umbrella abbreviation that stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender. It implicitly covers a broader variety of individuals along with sexual orientation and gender identity on a grander scale. While initially conceived as a political alliance, it has evolved to refer to the various communities who face similar societal and political challenges related to their orientation and identity. Terms like "LGBT community" and "LGBT youth" are standard in political discourse.
Seeing how it's about people with a different sexual preference, the book doesn't dive into too much detail about the history of the LGBT community, even though I kind of wanted that coming from a talented writer and activist, it's worth taking a breather and understanding the life Black was raised in. Above all, this autobiography of his is a challenging read. While it is heartwarming to read about the accomplishes, accolades and overall love that Black received over the decades, it's just a heartbreaking look at where the author came from, what he's been through, and what makes him who he is. I hadn't realised all that he has fought for and accomplished in his life until now.
The LGBT Community is a mostly informal alliance encompassing those who to varying degrees are sexually oriented toward same-sex individuals and those whose gender identity does not fully match the sex of their birth. While there were likely minor movements and alliances since the sexual revolution of the '60s, a formal nationwide association did not manifest until 1985, when the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) was formed as a response sensationalist AIDS-related news coverage. The notion of an alliance became quickly popular among gay and lesbian individuals, with BBSes of the like forming on a budding internet. LGBT as a term is a broad umbrella abbreviation that stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender. It implicitly covers a broader variety of individuals along with sexual orientation and gender identity on a grander scale. While initially conceived as a political alliance, it has evolved to refer to the various communities who face similar societal and political challenges related to their orientation and identity. Terms like "LGBT community" and "LGBT youth" are standard in political discourse.
Seeing how it's about people with a different sexual preference, the book doesn't dive into too much detail about the history of the LGBT community, even though I kind of wanted that coming from a talented writer and activist, it's worth taking a breather and understanding the life Black was raised in. Above all, this autobiography of his is a challenging read. While it is heartwarming to read about the accomplishes, accolades and overall love that Black received over the decades, it's just a heartbreaking look at where the author came from, what he's been through, and what makes him who he is. I hadn't realised all that he has fought for and accomplished in his life until now.