The Velvet Rage: Overcoming the Pain of Growing Up Gay in a Straight Man's World
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.46 (661 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0738210617 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 224 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2016-02-02 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
From Publishers Weekly With a title that plays on Janet Jackson's epochal 1997 LP The Velvet Rope, and its anatomy of unmet desire, therapist Downs's book describes the paradigmatic ways in which early childhood molds the future lives of gay men: scorned on the playground, disrespected by Dad, loved only by Mom until their first sex with men. While many gay readers will fail to recognize themselves here, others will find Downs's logic warming and even generous. . Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. Through this mechanism of rejection, gay men feel unlovable, correspondingly angry and, he says, driven to heights of creativity and "fabulousness"—in addition to shopping addiction and obsessions with fat, muscle and penis size—in a bid to distract themselves from their inner shame. For Downs, the only thing that will bring an end to this spiral of torment is, finally, "validation," which produces "authenticity." Downs i
"Must Read for Every Gay Man" according to Jordan Martin. Amazing book with a lot of insight on the ways growing up in a "straight man's" world affects gay men from childhood into adulthood. I would highly recommend for any gay man or anyone who want to better understand the experience of gay men in America. Dece. Mr F. said Interesting Points. Hits on interesting points which you may or may not agree with.. "Five Stars" according to Palm Springs Beelee. This is a very well written book
The gay male world today is characterized by seductive beauty, artful creativity, flamboyant sexuality, and, encouragingly, unprecedented acceptability in society. Offering profoundly beneficial strategies to stop the insidious cycle of avoidance and self-defeating behavior, The Velvet Rage is an empowering book that will influence the public discourse on gay culture, and positively change the lives of gay men who read it.. Drawing on contemporary psychological research, the author's own journey to be free of anger and of shame, as well as the stories of many of his friends and clients, The Velvet Rage outlines the three distinct stages to emotional well-being for gay men. Yet despite the progress of the recent past, gay men still find themselves asking, "Are we really better off? " The inevitable byproduct of growing up gay in a straight world continues to be the internalization of shame, a shame gay men may strive to obscure with a fa? ade of beauty, creativity, or material success