My name is Aaron Jason Silver, I am a very romantic tender-hearted gay
man. yes, I do cry in movies. I studied Spanish and sociology in
college. I live just outside Saugatuck Michigan which is the 6th
largest gay resort in the country. It is a quaint village with a
beautiful location along the shores of Lake Michigan. I have been
an out gay man for over 30 years and have grown up in this area
which has given me a unique opportunity to observe gay culture and
it's many complexities. I have written 4 books but have yet only published one.
I however have a new book that wiill be coming out
probably in Sept/Oct. entitled; "Homosexuality through the ages",
what we haven't been told. It begins by providing the reader with some very interesting and
surprising historical information about homosexuals beginniing with
the ancient greek and roman cultural attitudes in regard to homosexuality and when and why those attitudes changed. I take the reader on the journey homosexuals were on up till contemporary times. I also discuss in detail many historical issues and events that we have never been told or perhaps it is more likely that no one has wanted to tell
the whole story of the extremely unique and interwoven part that
homosexuals played throughout the most incredible dark human
drama in human history, that bieng the development of the Nazi
party and the Holocaust. The whole truth will suely be shocking to most as it
was for me. I do discuss a very serious ongoing issue
concerning Muslim culture that seems that no
other writers or journalists have dared cover. I believe it is
however because of the extreme sensitivity of the issue. I do understand their reticence
because it would likely make their careers as journalists very difficult afterwards. I however believe this issue needs to be known by all. There needs to be international pressure put on many of the Muslim nations to help stop this barbaric behavior. It
is a vicious cycle of a specific form of abuse that is easily
passed from one generation to another and has for 1500 years
without showing any indication of subsiding. I also discuss the issue of the masculinity obsession that has had such an enormous impact on the shaming of gays that have led to the much higher rates of psychiatric disorders within the gay male population and is resonsible for the many barbaric rituals within many cultures of the world not exluding American culture or Muslim culture, although their issues may manifest quite differently. There are however many issues facing contemporary gay culture. I offer my opinion of how and why I believe gay culture
is a very troubled culture, one that is in desperate need of a
redefining of it's priorities and some thought given about core
values. Gay culture is a sexuality or gender based culture. It is
neither an ethnicity, an ideology or a set of belief systems which
makes it very unique as a minority culture. It has had no road map that
other cultures have had to follow through historical generational
narratives. Because of so much shame surrounding gays and gay culture, we have had to secretly find our own way which has been very a very difficult and lonely process that has put enormous pressures on us individually and as a culture. A culture can only be as healthy as it's individual human elements. We have come to be defined solely by our sexual orientation rather than who we are as individual human beings that are far more dimentional. This is largely our fault and only we can fix it. It needs to be understood by the broader heterosexual culture in which
all other oppressed minority cultures live within, that we are
more than our genitals and what we do with them.
Gay culture has developed and earned the
reputation for recreational drugs and sex as our defining factors.
We are capable of so much more. We have disproportuntely as a
people contributed more to the enrichement of humanity all
throughout known history as the greatest artists, poets, writers,
scuptors, actors, musicians etc. We need to redifine ourselves as an incredibly talented and bright culture rather than as a sex culture.
I have always been fascinated by foreign cultures.
Gay culture is a culture too, and a very complex one at that. It is
likely this obsession that has compelled me to travel around 60
countries now. I prefer 3rd world adventure travel because of the
more dramatic cultural contrasts. I find that they better inform me
of new ways of thinking, believing and seeing the world. I have found that
what I have often thought to be a universal truth was in actuality
cultural. I am a single gay man and I hope to someday find someone
that will share my love of travel and be my travel companion
through life and around the world. I was very honored this year to
be 1of 8 people invited world wide by the University Philosophical
Society of Dublin Ireland to take part in a debate about the
effects of Mainstream gay cultue on the civil rights movement. I
also have two other books that will be out in in the fall. One is called "the
Banana Leaf", which is about my wild adventures living in Guatemala
during their civil war that became a pivotal moment in my life. I
have been breeding dogs for 35 years. If anyone
feels they have something in common with me or just want to chat
please feel free to respond. I am a very friendly and outgoing
person and I can talk to most anyone and nothing gives me greater
pleasure. Thanks for reading, Aaron Silver
