Dennis Milam Bensie – LGBT Author

I had the honor to read four chapters from ONE GAY AMERICAN at the Montana Gay Pride Festival Authors Bobbie Zenker, Laramie Dean, and Kay Spang read from their work as well. We marched in the pride parade and did a book signing at the rally held on the high school football field.

You don’t write a book called ONE GAY AMERICAN and expect to not get some flack.

I just refused my first interview to promote my books. The host of a legit book review site sent me a list of questions that I felt were just too ignorant and insulting …and then admitted that she hadn’t read my books.

I am prepared to answer tough questions about my lifestyle. If she had read my books she would have plenty of unflattering things about me to pick apart. Instead, the interviewer went for gay stereotypes.

I thought I was being punked.

Here are her questions:

Hi Dennis, I have a few questions on my mind that need answered.

7. I did not read your book but I know someone, his name is Paul, who would love to read it I’m sure. He just found love, David. I sent them a song on Facebook, “Love is in the Air” Hope this one lasts. What do you do on your days off?

An article I wrote for THE GOOD MEN PROJECT was picked up by THE HUFFINGTON POST. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am about this.

The article is titled “Gay Couples: What We Can All Learn”:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/02/gay-couples-lessons-_n_3374930.html

I just got back from the 2013 Saints and Sinners Literary Festival in New Orleans. It was a life changing weekend. I got to read a chapter from my book ONE GAY AMERICAN at the festival. What an honor it was to spend time at the Hotel Monteleone, a hotel rich with a history of hosting such authors as Tennessee Williams, William Faulkner, Ernest Hemmingway and Truman Capote.

Moments before I left the hotel on the last day, I got word that my short story DENITO was published by a wonderfully quirky zine called This Zine Will Change Your Life.

http://thiszinewillchangeyourlife.blogspot.com/2013/05/denito-by-dennis-milam-bensie.html

DENITO is what I am calling my “online sex worker morality tale”.

I got an email from my publisher at Coffeetown Press that my book ONE GAY AMERICAN was selected as one of four finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards in the GLBT category.

Here is the link with a list of all the winners and finalists:

http://www.indiebookawards.com/2013_winners_and_finalists.php

Very Cool!

My flash fiction short story, CORNSTALKS was finally published yesterday. This story has been around and around and around for over a year. I submitted it 23 times to 23 different places. It was rejected 20 times before being bought by Everyday Fiction. Readers are encouraged to comment and rate stories on the site. Some folks like it, some don’t. 3.4 out of 5 isn’t too shabby.

http://www.everydayfiction.com/cornstalks-by-dennis-milam-bensie/

A few months ago, I took some heat for standing up for gay rights on my hometown Facebook page (Robinson Insider). A few Sullivan, Indiana folks decided a second, “straight only” prom should happen on behalf of their local high school and I voiced my opinion. The debate about the prom was a scapegoat for the bigger issue of same sex marriage.

Currently, it seems Robinson, Illinois is at least divided on gay rights …which is better than it was when I used to left there in the 80′s.

I wrote a blog entry on this page about it last February.

I was recently given an assignment for The Good Men Project to write about someone perhaps changing their opinion about gay marriage.

The pieces all fit together for me to write “A Bully Comes Around”.

I am honored that The Good Men Project chose to publish it.

http://goodmenproject.com/marriage-2/a-bully-comes-around/

check out a article in response to my essay:
http://gint-aras.com/2013/05/07/forgiveness-for-bullies/
and

http://goodmenproject.com/marriage-2/should-we-forgive-apologetic-bullies/

I’m proud to announce that my first-ever requested essay has been published by THE GOOD MEN PROJECT. I was given an assignment of writing no more than 1800 words about the psychological emotional side of not being allowed to marry one’s same-sex partner.

This was an interesting challenge since I am single. There is a lot already written on the subject of gay marriage right now, so I wanted to make sure and put my own stamp on the essay.

I think I managed to write something that is me and still fulfill the request.

http://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/gay-rings-101/

The editor at THE GOOD MEN PROJECT has deemed me their “voice of gay marriage” and quickly gave me another assignment which I am working on as we speak.

Stay Tuned

I woke up to some exciting news.

This fantastic site THE GOOD MEN PROJECT just published a full chapter from ONE GAY AMERICAN. They chose one of the chapters about my mingling in the Seattle Bear community.

http://goodmenproject.com/marriage-2/man-searches-for-husband-in-seattle-bear-scene/

I am negotiating with them right this minute to do an exclusive piece on gay marriage.

Stay tuned!

I am thrilled to share an email I got this evening:

Dear Dennis Milam Bensie,

http://www.everydayfiction.com

I have submitted this particular story to twenty-five online publishers. It had been rejected twenty times. The story is “flash fiction”–under 1,000 words. It is a fictional story based on a real event from my childhood.

The story should come out in May or June.

It is great that people will be reading more of my work.