Description
Those Others is the story of Michael, a Tennessee teenager who is in Washington DC working for a U. S. Senator in 1965, and comes to terms with his sexuality. The Washington Post printed 5 articles that year about homosexuality, and he reads them, but these articles leave him confused. Only through taking part in the civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery and listening to leaders including Martin Luther King, Jr and Bayard Rustin does he begin to understand the truth about himself and equality and justice.Those Others is also a love story, as Michael learns how to love after having his first sexual experience with a stranger on the mall near the Washington monument.Those Others is a historical novel, encompassing events such as the Selma to Montgomery March and the first gay rights protest in DC. In Alabama there are descriptive scenes that take place along the route from Selma to Montgomery. Historical figures such as Martin Luther King, Bayard Rustin, and Viola Luizzo are also part of the book.The five articles from the Washington Post, as well as the speech delivered by Martin Luther King Jr in Montgomery, are (with permission) reprinted in the book. Reading the articles gives quite a bit of insight into how current rhetoric, both for and against LGBT equality, came about. My uncle was a psychologist in DC during the 1960's and he saved the articles and gave them to me 2 years ago. This story was developed around those articles.