Book Donations Needed

A very dear friend of mine has been working for over a year to setup a "safe house" - activity center for gay and lesbian teens in her area. They've finally gotten a house where the teens can gather during various scheduled and supervised hours and now need to supply the home with supportive books and magazines about the gay lifestyle.

So if any of you have any books/magazines hanging around the house that has to do with butch/femme, lesbian, gay, transgendered, or bisexual topics etc. and don't want them and would like to donate them, please email me at webmaster at gaydicks4you dot com and I'll provide a snail address for you to mail them to. Please put book donation in the subject header.

These can include fictional, nonfiction, biographical and poetic writings by gay and lesbian authors as well. Obviously, nothing pornographic here please.

Thanks!!

so my copies of The Joy of Gay Sex would be innappropriate, then?

all kidding aside, I may have a bunch of old stuff from my college days.... I'll see what I can scare up.

Wow, what a wonderful idea. We are so sheltered here in LA with such a huge GLBT community, we don't have to worry about these things because we already have them. I'll see what I can do. I'm sure I've got something I can donate, although most of my gay books are leather themed, heh heh. :)

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Originally posted by Ounique
I'll see what I can do. I'm sure I've got something I can donate, although most of my gay books are leather themed, heh heh. :)

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yeah, and most of the pages stick together.

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Originally posted by Jasun
yeah, and most of the pages stick together.

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And your point is? :5ymca:

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Originally posted by Jasun
so my copies of The Joy of Gay Sex would be innappropriate, then?

all kidding aside, I may have a bunch of old stuff from my college days.... I'll see what I can scare up.

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Actually, that's more of a guide and not pornographic per se ... so I think it would be acceptable - the supervisors can put some explicit material back and give it out as they see fit I reckon.

Cool... and let's not forget that I studied Human Sexuality in college, and I still have most of my textbooks.

So...

Cool.. I'll see what I can do.

J

Ohhh I can send all my Xodus mags.

Because at some point within the last 2 years, I apparently subscribed to Xodus Magazine, which is like a rag geared towards young gay men. And they all just sit around my apartment collecting dust because ever since I started getting National Geographic, nothing else gets read in my home.

So I could send those over. :D

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Originally posted by BDBionic
Ohhh I can send all my Xodus mags.

Because at some point within the last 2 years, I apparently subscribed to Xodus Magazine, which is like a rag geared towards young gay men. And they all just sit around my apartment collecting dust because ever since I started getting National Geographic, nothing else gets read in my home.

So I could send those over. :D

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Awesome! Just a reminder to black out or remove your mailing label if they're on em!

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Originally posted by Ounique
Wow, what a wonderful idea. We are so sheltered here in LA with such a huge GLBT community, we don't have to worry about these things because we already have them. I'll see what I can do. I'm sure I've got something I can donate, although most of my gay books are leather themed, heh heh. :)

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Yea, it's nice that some areas like California have support already in place, but this center is in Dubuque Iowa ... so it's a big deal to have it succeed!

I just spoke to the woman who set this all up, and she's about in tears to hear that so many are willing to help. I also found out that anyone wanting to offer a cash donation is cool too, as they have to pay rent, utilities, etc. to run the center.

Am getting off my butt and going thru my book shelves, pulling off a lot of the books I bought from QPBC over the past years. Think I also have some 'non-porno' movies on VHS too. Figure someone in the group must have access to a vcr & tv. Not sure if I still have my copy of Orlando any more, I may have given that away already. Oh well, there's always Salmonberries with k.d.Lang.

Cass

Awesome!! I have some stuff I can send. Do you think they could use a vcr? What else do they need?

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Originally posted by Buck Angel
Awesome!! I have some stuff I can send. Do you think they could use a vcr? What else do they need?

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I'll see what else they are needing -- I'm sure she hasn't even thought about movies or music or just general stuff like games etc. I know I have a slew of vhs tapes they can have - not gay per se, just good entertainment. It's a house, so a bit more "homey" in feel than a hall like recreation center.

She did mention that two of the teens appear in an aids commmercial that airs on VH1 ... so these kids are aware and actively participating in aids awareness for their community and the planet in general.

Here's a list of the movies I'll be sending in, besides the 13 books that I've manage to cull from just one set of bookselves.

The Crying Game (still in it's plastic shrinkwrap)
Salmonberries w/k.d.lang
Suzanne Westenhoefer - an HBO Comedy Special
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar
Northern Exposure - The Cecily Episode
Orlando
Desert Hearts
The Celluloid Closet

Cass

Damn.. time to clean out the closets here ;)

Regards,

Lee

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What else do they need?

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A follow up email says that they had a tv donated to them, and that one boy brought in his vcr for them to use, but he's going off to college and taking it with him shortly. They would be very grateful for:

games
books
magazines
movies
vcr
dvd player (external for on a tv)
cd players

Also, she has one boy interested in the leather scene and she can not find a leather club of any type in their area. If you know of one near Dubuque Iowa, or possibly even some good instructional/support sites a teen could access, I'd be happy to pass along some website links.

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Originally posted by Bec
Also, she has one boy interested in the leather scene and she can not find a leather club of any type in their area. If you know of one near Dubuque Iowa, or possibly even some good instructional/support sites a teen could access, I'd be happy to pass along some website links.

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I have an excellent book that I would like to donate. It's called "The Ties That Bind" by Guy Baldwin. I know you said that books with adult themes might not be accepted but this book is not erotic fiction, it is a collection of essays that Guy used to do for Drummer magazine all about leather relationships, self-awareness and many other issues. I give a copy to every person I know who is just getting into the scene. It was invaluable to me. :)

i dont really have any books of that nature...

altho i do have two complete collections of XY magazine that i add to each month...

awesome idea tho. every town needs a place like that

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Originally posted by Ounique
I have an excellent book that I would like to donate. It's called "The Ties That Bind" by Guy Baldwin. I know you said that books with adult themes might not be accepted but this book is not erotic fiction, it is a collection of essays that Guy used to do for Drummer magazine all about leather relationships, self-awareness and many other issues. I give a copy to every person I know who is just getting into the scene. It was invaluable to me. :)

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That sounds perfect Don, thanks so much!!

A few snippets from the gal heading up the center:

"Bec, I just got back from the center and told them about you and that you were going to put the word out and hopefully we would get some donations of books and magazines ....I did not say anything about the possiblity of a vcr or anything like that, thought I would wait... but these kids, I wish you could have seen the look in their faces about the books/magazines and possiblity of music cds. They were so excited! I got tears in my eyes down there, and then I come home and read your email and now the tears are falling like raindrops. Thank you does not even seem to be anywhere near adequate for how I feel with what you have done...there is no word to describe the deep, very deep appreciation. I wish I was there to give you and your friends a big hug in 3D."

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You're making a difference folks ... and I also thank you from the bottom of my heart.

can you email me your snail mail address at

jasunmark at jasunmark dot com?

thanks

You have mail.

And I'd like to share one more thing about this center:

The idea for the center was birthed after my friend's teenaged son had a dear friend of his nearly beaten to death because he's gay. The thought of even one more life lost due to homophobia, anger or suicide because of fear and confusion is unbearable. Centers like this are a true safe haven for those lucky enough to have them available.

If you can't offer support to this one, do check your area for similar centers, perhaps donate personal time with the kids ...and make a difference in someone's life.

Hey Bec,

Sound like a great cause! I am sure PrideBucks isn't alone at wanting to make a donation but don't have any books...could you post where we could get a gift certificate to Amazon or Barnes and Noble if that would work?

Thanks!

Harlan

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Originally posted by Harlan
Hey Bec,

Sound like a great cause! I am sure PrideBucks isn't alone at wanting to make a donation but don't have any books...could you post where we could get a gift certificate to Amazon or Barnes and Noble if that would work?

Thanks!

Harlan

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Ah! An excellent way to round out for items that aren't donated! Great idea Harlan!

Amazon Gift Certificates

Glad you like idea Bec.

Who shoudl the gift certificate be made out to and what email address should it be sent to...or is snail mail better?

I definately don't want to post the woman's name or address online, anyone wanting it can write me at webmaster at gaydicks4you dot com for more information ... or find me on icq 324131348

I just dropped two boxes of books off at the post office, enroute to these kids who need 'em. Initially I thought I'd be able to fill one small box, but when I stopped pulling stuff off my shelves I had to find two bigger boxes to get it all packed up! Even at media rates it still cost close to $20 to mail 'em all! Sheesh, books are heavy suckers! Anyhow... am feeling good and a little self-righteous right now... lol, funny how helping folks out makes ya feel like a goody two-shoes!!!

Cass

I'll check my shelves as well...

such a sweet thing you are doing for them Bec... (smile...)

~Bell

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Initially I thought I'd be able to fill one small box, but when I stopped pulling stuff off my shelves I had to find two bigger boxes to get it all packed up!

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LOL ... sounds like us here. I had one box sitting on the couch, and after about 20 minutes it was overflowing ... and now we're up to two and that was just from stuff I could easily lay my hands on! I haven't even gotten to the vhs tapes yet!

If I sent all the stuff I'd LIKE to send -- we'd need a small uhaul! I knew Che and I had a lot of books, music, movies and material that would be suitable, just never realized we both owned dupe copies of just about every lesbian book in print!

Lordy -- I hope that house has lots and lots of bookshelves!

And I can totally relate to the feel good feeling ... at least for a little while I know I surfaced up and out of my own little world to touch the lives of others.

Cass, I just had to remark on your sig. I'm saving that one. How true, how true. :)