B. A. Buttz

Born to Be Damned: Tapestry of a Gay Man B. A. Buttz

Born to Be Damned is a nostalgic trip into one man's past to examine the torment and humiliation he felt as his gay tapestry evolved into reality. Religion, environment, and genetics combined to ensure he fulfilled his destiny as a gay man. Life in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s was easy, the future predictable. America seemed as though it would endure forever. It was the age of innocence; however, certain social ills existed and were never discussed. Teenage pregnancy was a moral issue, and young pregnant girls often disappeared for nine months only to return as though nothing had happened. The shame was too great to bear. Being gay was a religious damnation punishable by everlasting death. No one discussed sexual orientation and gay people found themselves desolated, frustrated, and isolated. Suicide was often seen as the only way out. The focus of this book is to educate society about the genetic birthright of sexual orientation and to dispel many of the gay myths that permeate our society today. This exhilarating story is intended for gay or straight readers who are trying to come to terms with their own sexuality or who have painful childhood memories overshadowing their lives. Read, connect, and find yourself in this moving story of courage and fortitude. Follow the life of a small Midwestern boy who struggles with his sexual orientation and tries to find his place in a world of hatred, prejudice, and misunderstanding. Added to the misery of a confused sexual orientation is the boy's mother who ruthlessly strips her son of masculinity and the father he loved so dearly. In addition, learn how the boy's name became a life-long curse he had to fight daily to preserve his sanity. You won't believe how he suffered from a choice he never made for himself. Enter the world of one tormented soul who led two lives as a means of physical and emotional survival. Let the righteous hurl the first stone to stamp out the