Small Publisher Won't Accept Work that "Promotes Gay Lifestyle"

[Killarney]

Small Sci-Fi Publisher's guidelines:
http://www.journeybookspublishing.com/?page=shop/disp&pid=page_Submissions&CLSN_793=1180454702793ed6541c53a34dd75a81
"We do not accept work that promotes gay lifestyles."

[Donnachaidh]

1. they also are restrictive in other areas - as is their choice

they only want G and G rated work.

It's probably the reason WHY they are a small publisher.

Are you calling for a boycott? Or did they turn down a submission?

[Killarney]

3. No, I just thought it was odd. No gay characters allowed.

Even if there's no kissing, no nothing.

[theHandpuppet]

4. Are you suggesting there can't be gay characters in "G" rated prose?

Just wondering.

[blondeatlast]

8. Re-read that subject line. She isn't saying that at all.

Many publishers set such restrictions--it's why Thomas Nelson isn't publishing Al Gore's latest, for instance.

[theHandpuppet]

14. Huh?

And just what constitutes promoting a "gay lifestyle"? The very fact that being gay is called a "lifestyle" is insulting. And what does being gay have to do with G and PG ratings? Just what does "promoting a gay lifestyle" mean? Portraying gay characters in a positive light?

First off, I guess someone will have to explain to me what a "gay lifestyle" is. As a gay person myself, I must really be behind the loop. Does it include doing your laundry, like I'm doing right now?

I can't believe some of the rationalizations I'm reading right now defending this bigoted crap.

[Donnachaidh]

36. oh get off it already

It's a small publishing house that regulates what it wishes to print. Reading issues into guidelines is JUST as dangerous as censorship.

[Donnachaidh]

37. thank you blonde -- that's EXACTLY what I said

give you an A for reading comprehension skills :hug:

[Donnachaidh]

34. NOT at all.

These people are a SMALL publishing house. Emphasis on SMALL.

I wanted to point out that they weren't JUST refusing submissions for gay lifestyles, as the original poster seemed to be doing.

I think most people would be VERY surprised at the guidelines set by small publishing houses. Many are very restrictive. And that's one of the reasons they are small publishers.

[theHandpuppet]

2. Wow -- I just visited the website

Not just rules against any hints of gayness, but ths as well:

"ABSOLUTELY NO SEXUAL CONTENT WILL BE ACCEPTED. Profanity is greatly restricted (fewer than two mildly profane words per story please)Mild romantic elements are fine."

Why bother with a genre like science fiction if your view of the universe is so unbelievably restricted?

[jollyreaper2112]

21. yeah, that's strange

I saw homosexual stuff in scifi long before I ever saw it in things approaching mainstream. I guess when it comes to talking about mindbending concepts that question the very concept of what it means to be human, questions of gayness seem to seem rather small. One of the the greatest abilities of the scifi genre is busting through the limits of conventional thought and mores.

[theHandpuppet]

24. Exactly.

I thought the whole concept of the genre was the expansion of one's views of the universe, to explore the limitless possibilities. If not, why bother?

[jollyreaper2112]

43. I remember one letter in an Asimov mag from back in the 80's

The author said he saw no reason to include such graphic descriptions of sex since it was nothing more than a biological function, like going to the bathroom. I remembered thinking then "I don't want to grow up to be that guy."

The thing I dislike about the hypersexualization of everything in the culture is that it puts sex where you weren't intending it. I think of sex like tabasco sauce. Does it spice things up? Absolutely. But you don't want to use it everywhere because there are just some places it doesn't work. Tacos? Yes! Salad? No. Eggs? Yes! Ice cream? No! I think sex in porn is perfectly fince since that's the whole point of it. Sex in pop music gets grating because I mean, come on, how much can you get before the effect is ruined? How many times a day can you jerk off before the damn thing falls off? (teenagers, you aren't allowed to answer.) If I want to look at scantily clad ladies, that's what the internet is for. But if I'm wanting to find a good beer, keep the tits out of it, sell it to me on quality.

[ComerPerro]

26. guess lesbian erotica author Lynne Cheney won't be writing for them anytime soon

[Beelzebud]

5. So? They're a private business right?

[Killarney]

7. What's your point?

There are plenty of private businesses talked about on this board.

[Beelzebud]

9. No, what is your point?

Should they not have the right to decide the content of the books they publish?

[Killarney]

11. Hey, knee-jerk.

Of course they have the right. AND I HAVE THE RIGHT TO TALK ABOUT THEM. I HAVE THE RIGHT TO HAVE AN OPINION OF THEM.

Should I not have an opinion on FoxNews because they have the right to decide the content of their programming? Should I not have an opinion on Walmart?

[Beelzebud]

12. I just don't understand the need to post about it then.

You just posted to point out what a small publishing house won't publish?

Why?

Larry Flynt doesn't publish Holy Bibles either. Should I go create a thread about it?

And by the way, since we're going down this tired road, it's also my right to say "So what".

[Killarney]

15. Question for ya

Do you post "SO WHAT?" on all the hundreds of threads where someone mentions something FoxNews did today? Or Drudge's site? What's the difference between me mentioning a publisher that won't accept gay characters and any of these thousands of threads. Drudge & Faux have the right to determine their content as much as this publisher. So, I'm just wondering if you do this on every thread or if you just decided to pick on me.

[Beelzebud]

16. For starters, that guidline is in with a list of guidlines, and it's about 1 particular book.

They also state that they don't want any profane words, sexual situations, and the stories must be in the "Golden Age" theme of science fiction and no horror, or fantasy will be accepted either.

Sounds to me like they have a book of short stories coming out and want them sticking to a particular theme.

You think this is on the same level as Fox News? Get real. It just sounds to me like they want their book focusing on a certain theme.

[Killarney]

17. What's a theme that doesn't allow gay characters?

I can understand if a publisher wants a G rating. But gay characters can be G rated as much as white characters, black characters, left-handed characters.

Basically, this is bigotry and you're such a hard core libertarian that you can't even see it. Yes, they have the right to be bigoted. But we also have the right to be disgusted by their bigotry.

And I'm disgusted that you're not.

[Beelzebud]

18. What place does sexuality have in a G or PG rated science fiction story?

A small science fiction publishing house wants an anthology book about science fiction. What does a person's sexuality (homo or hetro) have to do with a G rated or PG rated science fiction story?

I'm more disgusted by people that actively look for things to offend them.

[theHandpuppet]

19. I think you answered your own question

"What does a person's sexuality (homo or hetro) have to do with a G rated or PG rated science fiction story?"

It doesn't and it shouldn't. Which is why it was bigoted for the publisher to even bring it up. If you don't want submissions with sexual content and you say as much, shouldn't that cover all the bases? Stating that they don't want submissions "promoting the gay lifestyle" has nothing to do with sex and everything with just being a gay person. There is no such thing as a "gay lifestyle" -- you either are or you aren't and you do your laundry and walk your dog and pay your bills like everyone else.

[Beelzebud]

20. I didn't say sex. I said sexuality.

[theHandpuppet]

23. You really don't get it, do you

Sexuality is just that, whether its heterosexual or homosexual, bisexual, etc. If you ban any and all descriptions which may indicate the sexuality of a character then there's no need to single out gays, is there. Besides, the publisher went even further, banning anything "promoting the gay lifestyle". Just what the hell is that supposd to mean?

[jollyreaper2112]

22. think of the peanuts

Linus and Sally were a quasi-item even though it didn't go much beyond her mooning at him and him trying to flee. Marcie and Peppermint Patty kept it on a far more subtle level. I guess that would be G-rated enough.

[theHandpuppet]

28. Oh, I don't know about that

Then we're encroaching on the "gay lifestyle" thing with Marcie and Peppermint Patty and goddess knows the universe couldn't possibly survive that!

[gollygee]

33. If there are any married people or parents, then there is discussion of people's sexuality

This rule means that talking about someone's mom and dad would be OK for this publisher, but talking about someone's two moms or two dads wouldn't be. Therefore, some discussion of people's sexuality is OK, but other discussion of people's sexuality isn't ok.

[gauguin57]

6. I'll make a note in my Writers Market.

...

[Recursion]

10. They're probably small for a reason

And thank Dog there's a first amendment that lets bigoted idiots like that refuse to publish whatever the hell they want to refuse to publish and go under because they forgot their fellow mouth-breathing troglodytes can't read.

[blondeatlast]

13. Sums it up rather nicely. nt

[ComerPerro]

25. They will definately remain a "small publisher" then, LOL. Fuck em.

[JVS]

27. That is their 1st amendment right, no?

[theHandpuppet]

29. Sure, everyone has the right to be an ignorant bigot

Just like we have the right to tell them to go fuck themselves.

[Donnachaidh]

38. yep -- they sure do

and you might want to review the first amendment rights while you're ranting. Or do you want censorship for some, and not others? :evilgrin:

[theHandpuppet]

39. The only one here practicing censorship is the publisher

And I'm practicing my first amendment right to call them ignorant bigots. I'm glad you find such blatant examples of homophobia and bigotry so damned amusing.

[theHandpuppet]

40. On second thought...

There is one other person talking censorship here and that's you -- by defending it.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

31. Oh, no.

Now if those crazy liberals boycott this important publisher, then their latest page-turner "The Amazing Adventures of Manny Goodman #32: Manny Battles The Crabmen from Hulahoop 14" won't reach the lucrative homophobic sci-fi nerd market.

[JVS]

32. I have a feeling that a boycott is not an effective threat when those planning to boycott...

are not really planning to read "Dick and Jane go to outerspace to talk to the space aliens about Jesus" anyway.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

41. Boycotts won't be terribly effective...

if nobody is buying their crap to begin with.

[Madspirit]

30. Thanks For The Alert

MY people can now make their lives quite miserable.

...and screw whomever implied you can't make a PG or G rated story with gays. What do you think we do...fuck in public...jeez.

...and if the homophobes start crawling all over this thread it will...rightly...get shut down. Keep the homophobia in the CLOSET.
Lee

[jmowreader]

35. They also pay half a cent per word.

Not only homophobic bastards, but cheap ones at that.

[Jed Dilligan]

42. In a way it's nice that they are open about it...

I wish that the big publishers in New York would explicitly state that they aren't interested in publishing anything if it doesn't make the elites in this country feel good about themselves.