2008 Woodie Awards
Queer author caps off Pride Week
Alexander Richards
Issue date: 4/23/08 Section: News
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Sanchez, a Catholic of German and Cuban heritage, was born in Mexico City in 1957. His family moved to Texas in 1962, where he struggled first with his Mexican heritage in the racially divided South, and then with his sexuality. He is the author of a series of award-winning novels that focus on being a young gay person, and the experience of coming out. Sanchez's works include Rainbow Boys, Rainbow Road, and most recently, The God Box, which highlights the complications of being young, gay and Christian.
Sanchez opened his lecture with a reading from his first novel, Rainbow Boys. The scene, taken from the middle of the story, chronicles the first public outing for two gay friends, one of whom is still very much in the closet.
The action takes place in a movie theater, with an overly-macho film playing in the background. As the protagonist of the movie "makes love to some mysterious babe on a hovercraft speeding across the water," Sanchez's two characters grapple with the attraction they feel to one another. The scene is quite reminiscent of first dates found in other novels, yet with an added element of public fear and homophobia overshadowing the moment.
After the reading, Sanchez related the story of how he came to write his books to the audience. He preceded this portion of his speech by stating that "being yourself can be one of the toughest challenges for us in life, regardless of [sexuality]." Sanchez cited an e-mail he received from a straight suburban mother, who lauded the universality of his books, because even though they focused on the stories of young gay people, "they were really about being true to yourself...which makes the coming out story so universal."
Instead of beginning with the moment he realized he was gay, Sanchez instead explained his struggle with being Mexican in Texas, where "reintegration had only just begun." By the time he reached eighth grade, just as soon as he had felt that he had "successfully" masked his Mexican heritage, he realized that he was gay.
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Jim Westgate '63
posted 5/03/08 @ 11:23 PM EST
Being at Colby from '59 - '63 I wish I had had even an inkling of how to do with my own sexual issues. The pain and search has lasted a life time. The only way I could deal with it was by moving abroad where I've been since '64. (Continued…)
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