Dear Reader,
Before I decided to write fiction, I was a psychologist for 25 years. I’ve always been drawn to the process of self-discovery and personal transformation – first as a therapist, and now as a writer. Our culture often makes this process extremely difficult for people on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, and I hope my writing can help.
As I write each post for my blog, I’m drawn to the same underlying themes. My blog includes a body of work on LGBTQ issues, which focus on different aspects of self-discovery, personal transformation and ally support.
Below is a “hit list” of these posts.
Thanks for reading!
Amy
“Imagine”
Written in support of trans students, and to try to help people understand why bathroom issues are so harmful.
https://amykaufmanburk.wordpress.com/2017/02/23/imagine/
“More Bathroom Bills”
A trans ally is fed up with bathroom bills.
https://amykaufmanburk.wordpress.com/2017/02/18/more-bathroom-bills/
“GLSEN 100 Days Of Kindness”
In high school, a friend stopped a bullying incident with one simple question.
https://amykaufmanburk.wordpress.com/2017/01/27/glsen-100-days-of-kindness/
“Amy vs. Chapter 37 — GLSEN No Name Calling Week”
Writing as a form of healing from words used as weapons.
https://amykaufmanburk.wordpress.com/2017/01/17/amy-vs-chapter-37-glsen-no-name-calling-week/
“GLSEN Ally Week — Let’s Open The Conversation”
A 91-year-old woman’s path to becoming an LGBT ally.
https://amykaufmanburk.wordpress.com/2016/09/26/glsen-ally-week-lets-open-the-conversation/
“Use Restroom, Wash Hands, Leave”
Written in response to HB2, signed by North Carolina’s Governor Pat McCrory.
https://amykaufmanburk.wordpress.com/2016/04/07/use-restroom-wash-hands-leave/
“Confused Children (Or Not…)”
In support of same-sex parents.
https://amykaufmanburk.wordpress.com/2015/10/24/confused-children-or-not/
“Rainbow Cake”
A celebration of the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold same-sex marriage.
https://amykaufmanburk.wordpress.com/2015/06/29/rainbow-cake/
“LGBT Pride Month: Yale Has Come A Long Way”
An experience in college that taught me how to be a better ally.
https://amykaufmanburk.wordpress.com/2015/06/17/lgbt-pride-month-yale-has-come-a-long-way/
“LGBT Pride Month: I Wish He Had Told Me”
About a boy I knew when I was in high school, who didn’t feel safe coming out.
https://amykaufmanburk.wordpress.com/2015/06/01/lgbt-pride-month-i-wish-he-had-told-me/
“Huge Mistake”
Written in response to the homophobic Religious Freedom Restoration Act, signed by Indiana’s Governor Mike Pence.
https://amykaufmanburk.wordpress.com/2015/04/02/huge-mistake/
“Same-Sex Parents”
In support of gay dads and lesbian moms — addresses some common concerns and misconceptions.
https://amykaufmanburk.wordpress.com/2015/02/07/same-sex-parents/
“If My Child Came Out As Trans”
To help families handle this situation with togetherness and support.
https://amykaufmanburk.wordpress.com/2015/01/29/if-my-child-came-out-as-trans/
“Heartbeat of AIDS”
About being a psych trainee, in San Francisco, in the early 1980s, trying to figure out why healthy young men were inexplicably dying.
https://amykaufmanburk.wordpress.com/2015/01/22/heartbeat-of-aids/
“Spectrum Of Normal”
A perspective on the LGBTQIA spectrum.
https://amykaufmanburk.wordpress.com/2015/01/03/spectrum-of-normal/
“Everyone Can Be An Ally”
The bullying incident in high school that motivated me to write my first novel.
https://amykaufmanburk.wordpress.com/2013/12/14/everyone-can-be-an-ally/
“Two Weddings And A Novel”
How my first novel was influenced by Gavin Newsom’s legalizing same-sex marriage in San Francisco.
https://amykaufmanburk.wordpress.com/2014/06/20/two-weddings-and-a-novel-2/
“All Love Is Created Equal”
A a child, realizing that gay and straight couples were viewed differently.
https://amykaufmanburk.wordpress.com/2014/05/15/all-love-is-created-equal/
“They Came Out And Gay Fills The Room”
Support for families when a daughter or son comes out, and suddenly all the parents can see is GAY.
https://amykaufmanburk.wordpress.com/2014/03/28/they-came-out-and-gay-fills-the-room/
“When Your Daughter Or Son Comes Out”
Support for families, a model of togetherness.
https://amykaufmanburk.wordpress.com/2014/02/14/when-your-daughter-or-son-comes-out/
“Speak Gay With Pride”
About the homophobic expression “It’s so gay”, and how parents can handle it.
https://amykaufmanburk.wordpress.com/2013/12/14/speak-gay-with-pride/
“Reading Guides for Hollywood High: Achieve The Honorable and Tightwire”
Both of my novels have LGBTQ themes central to the plots. Without the gay and lesbian characters, the stories could not exist. As I wrote the reading guides, I included several questions inviting readers to share their experiences. Understanding diverse perspectives creates a path to acceptance and support. Let’s open the conversation.
____
Amy Kaufman Burk is an author and blogger. Her first novel, Hollywood High: Achieve The Honorable, was written in reaction to seeing gay students bullied in high school, and follows one family’s journey after their daughter comes out. Her second novel, Tightwire, includes a strong friendship between a gay man and a straight man, as well as two women, a couple raising 2 children, who become role model parents to the main character. Amy’s blog has several posts in strong support of LGBTQ+. Check out Amy’s website to find links to her blog and her novels on Amazon.
