(Forwarded) Call for submissions:
Kicked Out is a new anthology, which uniquely seeks to tell the tales of former queer youth and current queer youth who were forced to leave home because of their sexuality and/or gender identity. This anthology will tell our collective stories of survival, weaving together descriptions of abuse, and homelessness with poignant accounts of the ways in which queer community centers offered sanctuary, and the power and importance of creating our own chosen families in the face of losing everything we have ever known. Kicked Out offers advice and wisdom to the queer youth of today from those who have been in their shoes.
Additionally, it provides the opportunity for readers to get a glimpse into the world of those queer youth who as a result of circumstance have to leave home, while simultaneously shattering the stereotypes of who queer youth are, and what they have the potential to become.
Kicked Out is a collection of stories of those of us who have survived the experiences of having to leave home as minors as a result of our gender and/or sexual identities; and it tells the tales of our queer survival. These are the stories of overcoming obstacles, not simply surviving but thriving in the face of seemingly insurmountable adversity. Kicked Out will explore the diversity of our experiences across lines race, class, gender, sexuality, ability, and geographic region celebrating our differences, and showcases the ways in which they have contributed to our unique experiences.
Possible topics include but are not limited to:
How being forced to leave home as a minor continues to impact your adult life
What happened to you when you left home and how you survived
Words of wisdom for today’s homeless queer youth-what you wished someone had told you
Survival through the creation of “chosen family”
Challenges of dealing with CPS or other agencies
Success through adversity- overcoming a troubled past
Submissions should be between 1,500 and 2,500 words in length and previously unpublished. Submit your piece via e-mail in .doc format to KickedOutAnthology@gmail.com. Multiple submissions per contributor are welcome. Please include a short biography and contact information with your submission. Submissions must be received no later than March 1, 2008; contributors are encouraged to submit early. Rights revert to the authors upon publication. Contributors whose work appears in the anthology will receive TBA free copy(ies) as well as ongoing royalties. Visit us online at www.myspace.com/kickedoutanthology
“Kicked Out” Call for Submissions: Edited by: Sassafras Lowrey*
Publisher: Homofactus Press
Deadline: March 1, 2008
*Sassafras Lowrey is a high femme writer, artist, and activist. Ze was forced to leave home as a teenager after suffering physical violence after coming out as queer. Sassafras found hir way to queer youth organizations and movements, which quite literally saved hir life. As an adult ze has never forgotten the impact those groups had on hir life and has volunteered regularly with the queer youth of today. Sassafras lives with hir partner, two cats and a dog in New York City.
Hir first book “GSA to Marriage: Stories of a Life Lived Queerly” is scheduled for release Summer 2008.
