There's Something Queer About That Old, Spooky House...

I can't help it. It's nearly impossible to be a gay man and not try to find a gay slant to nearly everything.

Even the paranormal.

When I first started investigating the supernatural, I still felt quite alone. I was a teenager in a small town, battling my own demons and shame while searching for dead people in the darkness. Actually, that's what drew me further into the world of ghosts and hauntings: they seemed so sad. So misunderstood. So feared and hated for no good reason. They were viewed how I felt I was being viewed. They just needed someone to listen. Like me.

Then came the other investigators. Many were devoutly religious and "of a high moral fiber" (meaning Bible-thumping tyrants). Some were very nice, though, and very accepting. And as time went on, I stumbled across one or two who were 'family'. At least I wasn't the only gay in the village anymore...

I've come to realize that there are many gays and lesbians in the field, scattered across the country (we really are everywhere!) and many were just as shocked to find out they weren't alone.

But that wasn't quite good enough for me. It lead to another question: are there any gay ghosts?

Obviously, there had to be. The world of the dead can't be all straight! Right?

In fact, I was right. I have found stories. I've even been compiling notes for a book on the subject.

So, where are these queer spooks, you say? Just look around the globe and you'll find them. Corpsewood Manor, tucked away in a remote section of Tennessee, is allegedly haunted by a gay couple who were murdered for worshiping Satan (hmm... what better way to rationalize a hate crime than making the victims sound like terrible people). A well-known bar in New Orleans, Cafe Lafitte's in Exile, is rumored to be the favored watering hole of long-dead writers Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote. There's even a haunted gay bar in Italy!

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

To be honest, I'm dying of curiosity to see these places for myself and investigate the spirits which inhabit them. It's not simply because of the gay content. The tales themselves are just plain fascinating to me. Though I will admit, the fact that they involve gay characters does make it more intriguing.

We may not have the right to marry, but we do still have the right to haunt the bastards who've bashed us!