Jason Howard Green

Jason Howard Green

Friday, September 6, 2013

Glenn Bean Interviews Craig Stewart about Words Never Spoken



I thoroughly  enjoyed this video of Craig Stewart being interviewed by Glenn Bean.  Bean does a fantastic job with teasing questions that expose us to some of the content of the book and leave us wanting to know more about this writer and his story.  I don't know anything about Craig Stewart but it sounds as if he has lived an interesting life, but then again haven't we all.  Interesting lives maybe commonplace but being able to manifest that life into a story worthy of print is not.

In the brief interview Stewart talks candidly about trouble he allowed himself to get into when he was younger. I must admit it takes a courageous person to put their dirty laundry out there for everyone to see. Bragging about your accomplishments is very easy to do.  Being able to disclose those secrets that you would rather no one else in the world know, now that takes courage.

As an HIV/ AIDS activist, I love the part of the interview where they discuss his relationship with a HIV positive person.  Craig's position on dating someone that is HIV positive is one that is shared by many people.  He never imagined he could be with someone that was positive  However when he learned that the person he was seriously dating had sero-converted and could no longer claim HIV negative status, Craig had to make some serious decisions.  What he chose was to stay with the person he felt he was falling for and to get himself educated on this disease.  I have to commend him for this stand and for taking this action.

 The dialogue between these two individuals makes me want to go out and pick up a copy of this book.  The only thing I disagree with them on is their opinion of "unconditional love."  At one point in the conversation Stewart makes the statement "a woman's love is the closest you'll ever come to unconditional love."  Maybe that has been his reality but I has not been mine.  My father loved me unconditionally.  My husband loves me flaws and all.  And at our wedding, when his father got up to give his toast he spoke very openly and honestly about his unconditional love for his gay son.

Hearing this comment makes me wonder if subconsciously this thinking has settled into the minds of other black gay men.  Do we think that love between two men can't happen on an permanent, unconditional level? If we believe that men can't love us unconditionally, are our behaviors done with the expectation that a loving, committed relationship is not an option?  I won't delve to much into this topic because it is such a minimum part of this great interview.  Overall this conversation is a fantastic one.

I'm looking forward to some down time when I can enjoy a copy of Words Never Spoken.  And I always like to encourage people to support other LGBT people of colors, so please pick up your copy of this book as well.  You can purchase your copy here.