Doug Cooper Spencer

A Letter to a Friend: Thoughts on Living As a Gay Man (Volume 1) Doug Cooper Spencer

A Letter to a Friend was written in 1999 by Doug Cooper to his then boyfriend, Gregory Spencer, a year into their relationship. It was during a time when Gregory, having just come out to his family, was being pressured by some family members to reconsider his decision to live as a gay man. What began as a personal letter to Gregory eventually became a manifesto against homophobia and a declaration of liberation from homophobia. Giving thought to homophobic tropes and devices such as the idea of God's condemnation of homosexuality, and the view that declares homosexuality as unnatural, A Letter to a Friend challenges those worn ways of thinking with fresh ideas. A Letter to a Friend offers words and thoughts for anyone who wishes to break the bonds of homophobia, be they same-gender loving, or those who simply are brave enough to take a fresh look at old ideas. A Letter to a Friend implores all of us to take another look at ways of thinking that have held many captive to oppression and bigotry and to move to a spirit that seeks to realize a self-actualized spirit anchored in love.