My Queer World Looks Like THIS!

A Prism & Pen writers prompt

Once upon a time when I lived in New York City, my world looked queer as fuck. My friend circle included one straight woman, my next door neighbor and Absolutely Fabulous party co-conspirator Blossom. My coworkers were all lesbian, gay, or trans. Lenny and I threw frequent dinner parties, and our guests (other than Blossom) were almost always queer.

Then I moved to Montreal, and my friend circle grew more mixed, simply because I no longer lived in a gayborhood. My new partner and I formed a fast friendship with a cis/straight married couple across the street. We made other straight friends too, but our dinner guests were still mostly queer.

Then I moved to Detroit, and the script flipped. I made a couple gay friends, but most of my friends were straight, including very close friends, which was new for me. Running with a pack of cis/straight friends felt weird — nice, but it took some getting used to. I sometimes made funny errors by forgetting my straight friends didn’t know gay culture. Once, a friend even thought I was flirting with him when I called him “sweetie darling!”

(If you don’t why that’s funny, see the Absolutely Fabulous reference above. If you still don’t know why it’s funny, check out this link and be prepared to laugh for hours. If you don’t know why gay men adore this silly British comedy featuring almost zero gay people, join the club. It’s one of the universe’s unsolved but delightful mysteries.)

What does your friend circle look like? What does your queer world look like?

Our P&P writing prompt for the next two weeks is, My Queer World Looks Like THIS. Whether you’re trans, bi, lesbian, gay, pan, non-binary, asexual or any other flavor of queer, how does that shape what your personal world looks and feels like?

Do you have mostly queer friends, mostly not, or a diverse mix? Do you live in a gayborhood? How does that feel? Are you (like me now) in a conservative rural area where queer people are scarcer than hen’s teeth? How does that impact your social life?

And, hey, family members, friends, and allies? What about you? Does your world intersect with queer communities and loved friends? How does that feel for you?

For all of you, are you HAPPY with your queer world now, or do you crave improvement?

Quills out, editorial support available

Remember, you don’t have to submit stories to P&P based on our prompts. You can submit stories about anything in the LGBTQ universe, whenever you like. Please do!

If you don’t think of yourself as a writer, don’t let that stop you. P&P editors can work with you to make your writing look sharp and professional. Don’t let lack of experience hold you back.

You tell your stories, we’ll help you share them.

Please send in your essays, poems, short fiction, memoir, or history. Don’t forget film, TV, and art reviews.

If you’ve not yet written for P&P, here are our submissions guidelines and procedures:

Prompt stories so far

Esther Spurrill-Jones, BFoundAPen, Kathy Lee Tolleth, Brian Pelletier, Fred Shirley, Ikedi Oghenetega, neil chapman, David Wade Chambers, Artemis Shishir, alto, Sean Stephane Martin, Gabriela Penelope Carolus, Lois Shearing, b.henriques, Carl Rebeiro 🏳️‍🌈, Rodney Frazier, Simon, Carl Rebeiro, Brian Fehler, Deneishia Jacobpito, Chris Hedges, Kathy Lee Tolleth, Brian Pelletier, Alex David Bevan, Ikedi Oghenetega, David Wade Chambers, Sean Stephane Martin, Gabriela Penelope Carolus, Lois Shearing, Valentine Wiggin, b.henriques, Carl Rebeiro, Rodney Frazier, Simon Z. Brian Fehler, Cassie Brighter, Deneishia Jacobpito, James Patrick Nelson, Brigid Maloney, Gabriela, Presley Thomas, Evan McCoy, Loren Olson, Ken Wilson, Chandler Myer, NaNa’sworld, Arabelle J., Liam Heitmann-Ryce, Prickly Pam, Dawn McGrath, Jonathan | sex & theology, Tabitha Lowndes, Emma Nwosisi, Melissa Speed, Dr. Thomas J. West, Till Kaeslin, Dave Smurthwaite, Ellie Rebecca, Zoey Milford, Edris Quinn C., Dennett, Michael Constable, Jim Martens, Stephen Foster, Kravitz M. Kristen Nadel, William Kuhn, Denisa Bogdan, MSci, Rafaela Mempin, Tre L. Loadholt, theoaknotes, Rachel Brindell, Elle Fredine, Jess Darnell, Emma Holiday, Gabe Evaristo, Joshua Mackey, Steve Alexander, Stevie Wilkinson, Andy Killoran, Nick Bundarin, ElMehdi El Azhary, Bradley Wester, Stella Luna (they/she?), Chuy G. Gonzalez, MS, Aaron W. Marrs, Tima Loku, Cam, The Transgender Therapist, Sean Bennett, Ty Bo Yule, Alessia Autumn, Allen R. Marquez, Spencer James, Mary-Ellen Maynard, Gaby Spadaro, Elena Joy Thurston, Mina Krane, Jason Masters, Jeff Harvey, Laurence Best, Don Stouder, J. S. Richards, Fiona Feng, Yvonne Borgquist, Sarah McManus MSc, Annabelle Rose, Laura Silverstein, LCSW, Kyla Sawyer, Ellen Caminiti, rowen maeve, Rafaela Mempin, Punch Drunk Cola, Jeff Poole, Mrs. Capricious, Justine L, Patsy Fergusson, John Westphalen, Curtis Harding, Phoenix Huber, Val Servino, Jadon-Maurice Forbes, Molly Martin, Henry Lee Butler, Grey Alexander Crawford, Les Campbell, Casira Copes, Niki Madore, Shachee Swadia, Chevanne Scordinsky, Reis Asher, Jahleel Wasser, Jaimie Brickey, Doody Richards, Patrick Paul, James Fox Jeffries, Alexander Petrovnia, Elaine D Walsh, ƒ Michael Wells, Jack Herlocker, Lindsay Soberano-Wilson, Don Orr Martin, Jackson Banks, Martin Friend, Coby Bronze, Cate Talley, Damian Delune, Emilly Olivares, Sree Jaya, Sogen Ohata, David Arias, Kayla Vokolek, G. L. Balend, Anthony Eichy Eichberger, Shanker Mahadev, Jenna McRae, Jay Rose Ana, Kevin M. Casin, Linda Caroll, Unzip It, Judy McCord, Eric Beach, Dr Jeff Livingston, Topher Bigelow, Christopher Kelly, Joseph Coco, Jordan Michael Becker, syys, Mike Rosebush, PhD, Eilís O’Keeffe, Meghan McKie, Rand Bishop, Ryan Doskocil, Jacob Green, JULIAN GRACIANO NUNEZ, Marcus Davensky, Rebecca Herz, Alexander Tan, X.S., Ken Scout, Kitty Whitemore, Ellison O., Ed Guzzo, KP_the_writer, Judah Leblang, Arthur Keith, Jess Whitehall, Takoda Leighton-Patterson, S. Armstrong, Elena, Dunollie, Rita Malone, Nicole Stewart, Amanda Laughtland, Stephanie Moga, Tyler Albertario, Na.tasha Tr.oop, Suzanna Alastair, Lorelei Weldon, Victoria Stagg Elliott, Staten Blogging, Jaimie Hileman, Roo Benjamin, I. J., Helianthos, Brynn Tannehill, Lari, Amelia Harlow, Mary DeVries, Alyssa Ferguson, Anna, Casey Lawrence, Meagon Nolasco, spoorti, Antoni(a) Ceballos, A. T. Steel, Logan Silkwood, E. Katherine Kottaras, Eugene Pierson, David Moreton, Joanna Miles, Fay Wylde, Mila Bea, Elliott Jacob, Gerald Sturgill, Kim Barrett. Jenny Starr✨, Alex Mell-Taylor, Jonny Masters, Collin McGuinness, Ryan J. Mills, Kyle Palmer, Teresa Wymore, Dan Thomas, Lisa B-L, Lex Laursmith, Skye Mo’ipulelehua Kahoali’i, Mona S Gable, Josie Quinn, Aris Jace, David Milley, Kitty Williams, Josep Ferrer, June Thomas, Steve K, Jennifer Roth-Burnette, Amae, Danni Michaeli, Kai Stowers, Sieran Lane, Michelle Marie Warner, John A. Giurin, Michael Horvich, aleXander hirka, Tyger Songbird, Michelle Paquette, Karyn Marie, Grayson Bell, Laura Albrecht, Simon May, Antonia Ceballos,