Loving in Fear Returns to Library
Watermark Magazine, June 2004
W Joanna Cassidy
Does your boss know you have a partner of the same sex? Can you keep pictures of your partner on your desk? Do you avoid saying where you went on the weekend because it may reveal something about you? Do you hesitate to participate in family conversations? Are you afraid to hold your partner's hand in public? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then you know what it means to love in fear.
In honor of Gay and Lesbian History Month, Loving in Fear II will be held June 12 at 2:30 PM in the John F. Germany Library, 900 N. Ashley. The event is a free public reading featuring three local authors and moderated by Apple Love of Flirt.
The founder of Loving in Fear, Steven Reigns, is a published poet and author and an avid reader who has logged lots of library time. He says he has attended stimulating events for other minority groups, e.g. readings during Black History Month event, but noticed that there was nothing for the local GLBT community. Inquiries fell on deaf ears, and when he submitted his own proposal he was told that library-sponsored events must be booked two years in advance.
Reigns persevered, and learned that he could produce an event at the library as long as it was free and open to the public. So he scheduled the first Loving in Fear author reading last June – hosted but not sponsored by the library. The name came from a Canadian anthology Reigns admired (yes, he got permission), and more than 100 attended despite torrential afternoon rains. Many begged Reigns to do it again. "It was a wonderfully mixed crowd -- heterosexual, homosexual, racially diverse and definitely open to the public," Reigns said.
The library continues to balk at sponsoring, but Reigns is hopeful they will eventually embrace Loving in Fear. Official involvement would mean publicity and promotion throughout the library system.
Authors participating in this year's Loving in Fear seminar include David K. Johnson (The Lavender Scare), Kimberly A. Hanna (Hypoxia Zone), and Reigns himself (Your Dead Body is My Welcome Mat).
Johnson is a history professor at the University of South Florida. His book deals with persecution of gays during the Cold War and McCarthy periods. Hanna will read from her current novel-in-progress. Stage Works is producing her play, Hypoxia Zone, in July.
Reigns will also read from current work, a powerful collection of poems. He captivated audiences at last year's St. Pete Pride with a moving reading of his poem about coming out and emotional abuse by family. Reigns was recently named Literary Director for The Center of Tampa Bay. Supporting positive growth within the GLBT community is something of a mission for him. "As artists create, they help create community," Reigns said. "It's an important extension of being an artist."
He hopes Loving in Fear will create dialogue, heighten awareness and support growth within the GLBT community. With tongue only partly in check, he also says it's a great – and safe -- way to meet like-minded people outside the bar.
Tomes & Treasure will sell the authors' books at Loving in Fear, and a percentage of the profit will go to The Center. After the readings, the authors will be available for autographs and discussion. For more information, visit www.stevenreigns.com.