Rating: 
Summary: A sense of belonging...
Review: We are conditioned for the three-strike rule. When you are gay and disabled, this feat can seemingly be accomplished in two. In a culture bombarded with images of perfection, young gay males have a difficult time forming an image of acceptance. They are expected to meet specific physical criterion for entrance into the gay realm while struggling for simple justification from society at large. When a physical disability enters the equation the odds seem insurmountable. In Johnny In the Spot, Ed Gallagher, a disabled gay man himself, tackles the demons head on. We are drawn into Johnny???s struggle as he defines his role. Gays see themselves and draw comfort from a shared past. Straight society gains insight into the pressures placed on impressionable youth to conform. When Johnny becomes disabled, both cultures are slapped with the realism of truth. We have been conditioned to ???look away??? from differences. The author graphically and intelligently walks us through Johnny???s world. A world we are only a split second away from. As an educator and a gay man, I am keenly aware of the conflicts that young men face. Forced into a role they find unnatural in order to gain approval or in many instances for sheer survival. Ed Gallagher???s novel provides a basis for hope.
Rating:
Summary: A sense of belonging...
Review: We are conditioned for the three-strike rule. When you are gay and disabled, this feat can seemingly be accomplished in two. In a culture bombarded with images of perfection, young gay males have a difficult time forming an image of acceptance. They are expected to meet specific physical criterion for entrance into the gay realm while struggling for simple justification from society at large. When a physical disability enters the equation the odds seem insurmountable. In Johnny In the Spot, Ed Gallagher, a disabled gay man himself, tackles the demons head on. We are drawn into Johnny's struggle as he defines his role. Gays see themselves and draw comfort from a shared past. Straight society gains insight into the pressures placed on impressionable youth to conform. When Johnny becomes disabled, both cultures are slapped with the realism of truth. We have been conditioned to 'look away' from differences. The author graphically and intelligently walks us through Johnny's world. A world we are only a split second away from. As an educator and a gay man, I am keenly aware of the conflicts that young men face. Forced into a role they find unnatural in order to gain approval or in many instances for sheer survival. Ed Gallagher's novel provides a basis for hope.
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