Imagine if, after fifteen years as a lesbian couple, your partner turned to you and said, “I think I’m really a man.” What would you do? How would you respond? For Diane and Jacob (née Suzy) Anderson-Minshall this isn’t a hypothetical question. It’s what really happened. Eight years later, the couple not only remains together, they still identify as queer, still work in LGBT media, and remain part of the LGBT community. How did their relationship survive a gender transition? The authors explore this question and delve into their relationship to reveal the trials and tribulations they have faced along the way. In doing so, they paint a portrait of love, not only to each other, but to the San Francisco Bay Area, LGBT publishing and the queer community. Queerly Beloved is a love story that flies in the face of expectations and raises questions about the true nature of identity, sexuality, and love.
Queerly Beloved, published by LGBT publishing house Bold Strokes Books comes out May 12.
Diane and Jacob Anderson-Minshall are co-conspirators in life and love. They co-author the Blind Eye mystery series (Blind Curves, Blind Leap, and the Lambda Literary Award finalist Blind Faith). Their story has been the subject of numerous articles (including in The New York Times) and radio shows (like NPR’s Story Corp).
Diane is an award winning journalist and editor. She is the executive editor of The Advocate magazine, and editor in chief of HIV Plus magazine. She penned the erotic-thriller, Punishment With Kisses, and her writing has appeared in dozens of publications and anthologies. She also previously served as editor in chief of Curve magazine. Honored by LA Pride in 2013, this year she’s on a short list for a Maggie Award in leadership for her role at HIV Plus.
Jacob has written for numerous LGBT and feminist publications. For four years, he penned the nationally-syndicated weekly column, TransNation. He later produced and co-hosted the radio show, Gender Blender. His essays have appeared on Advocate.com and been included in anthologies like Men Speak Out: Views on Gender, Sex, and Power(now in its 2nd edition). His short-story, Chinook was featured in the award-winning anthology Portland Queer. Jacob recently served on the board of Lambda Literary Foundation.
The couple previously collaborated in founding Portland, Oregon’s LGBT literary series, QLiterati! and the lesbian magazine Girlfriends.
