To an anonymous helper: Thank You

I am testing the adage, "It is better to give than to receive." And I am having a lot of fun! After the long solitary winter of writing, I'm now giving away Straight Into Gay America to anyone who will have it. Just sign up at www.straightintogayamerica.com and the pages start coming, A-Page-A-Day, delivered to your email.

In the first week of the giveaway 208 people signed up. Yesterday, one of those pages must have struck a chord with one of those readers. She or he forwarded must have forwarded that page to over 500 people. I know because my website got an extra 450 visits yesterday. And A-Page-A-Day subscriptions increased by 44 yesterday.

In one day, my readership jumped by 20%. All because of one single person who said, yes, I'll share this page, this story, this hope.

If you're reading this, I hope you'll visit www.straightintogayamerica.com and join the fun on the journey to LGBT equal rights. Sign up for the giveaway. Then start giving it away.

To whoever this one person is. I thank you very much. If you're reading this, please drop me a note and tell me what you did.

Kind regards,
Lars Clausen

Imperfect

The proof came back from the printer. I found a few errors and had to decide whether to take the extra week to get new files sent in, or to go with the minor imperfections. Given our rush to get this book out, I decided to accept the small mistakes. Most people won't see these little flaws, but I know they're there.

Which brings me to realizing how much I want perfection, and how easy it would be to choose inaction as I wait for perfection to arrive. I feel the tension of moving ahead without having every single bit of the journey mapped out.

Perfection paralysis. Tempting. I'd better keep coming out and facing my instincts, which are always somewhere out ahead of administration, in that enticing land of imperfection.

A Blog Interview by Jeshua

Jeshua asked some good questions, and posted this on his blog. Check out this singing, song-writing, activist, man of hope, www.jeshuaerickson.com

Thought you'd enjoy the interview:

“Straight into Gay America” June 9, 2006 on 11:26 am

Recently I interviewed my friend, Lars Clausen, about his new book, “Straight into Gay America.” Clausen, who holds the Guiness Book World Record for the longest unicycle tour (9136 miles), is no stranger to defying the odds. An ordained ELCA minister, he’s dared to pursue a remarkable ministry of advocacy for LGBT folks. As soon as I heard Lars was done with his book, I pre-ordered it. I’m excited for it to arrive soon! Thanks, Lars, for taking the time to answer a few of my questions about your ministry and your new book!

What is it about the theme of your latest book, “Straight into Gay America,” that appeals to you the most?

When PFLAG director Jody Huckaby wrote the foreword to “Straight Into Gay America,” he called this book a bridge across the divide between straight and gay. That’s the most satisfyind description of my project that I’ve yet heard. I headed Straight Into Gay America last summer because equal rights for LGBT people is one of the most polarizing issues in our religious and political communities. I chose to tour by unicycle because almost everyone loves a unicycle and find me non-threatening. People opened up and told me stories all during the 1,000 miles of my tour. Hearing those stories last summer and now sharing them with this book is the reason for the ride. I’m hopeful that these voices will be a useful part of the journey toward equal rights.

What advantages/disadvantages do you think a straight person has as he or she seeks to add his or her voice to this movement?

One of the people I met, Sara, used to be married to a man. Now she’s married to a woman. She’s always spoken out for LGBT equal rights, but now that she’s married to a woman she feels silenced. People accuse her of selfish interest.

People look at me and ask why I care about LGBT rights. This isn’t about special rights. This is an issue of human rights.

The advantage of being straight is that no one accuses me of being selfish as I speak out for equal rights. I’d highly recommend becoming a straight ally. The sense of gratititude I’ve received from LGBT individuals and organizations is extremely encouraging.

My only caution in being a straight ally is to listen well and follow the lead of LGBT people. It’s easy to assume that I understand more than I really do, but I’ll never have the direct experience of being LGBT. One of the lines I treasure from last summer’s tour is, “allies listen, and they believe what they hear.”

Have you had a chance to have meaningful discussions with people who completely disagree with what you’re trying to do, or who firmly believe that you’re advocating a sinful ‘lifestyle’? If yes, what was the outcome of one of those discussions?

Yes. My dad disagrees with me, and for three separate reasons, I wrote our disagreements throughout the book.

First, we live in a polarized country these days. Talking about contended issues is hard, and I’m not perfect at having these conversations. Writing about my dad and me is part of what makes this story very personal for me.

Two. My dad and I are still talking. For too many LGBT people, conversations with family have ceased. I included my dad stories because I think we all long for ways to stay connected to our families. I wish my dad and I agreed. But I’m thankful that we’re still talking.

Three. It’s tempting for all of us to avoid the hard conversations, and to either pretend everything is fine or to avoid our conflicts by climbing into a closet (closets are for straight people as much as for queer people). I wrote Straight Into Gay America because I believe that stories are part of the way forward. Somehow, I believe, we need to keep finding courage to keep speaking up for our stories and our experiences.

4) How has unicycling helped you to draw attention to this issue?

As I wrote at the beginning of my book:
During 5 weeks and 1,000 miles of unicycling for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) equal rights:
No one cited Biblical injunctions against me unicycling on the road.
No one studied the constitution to see what to do with my one wheel preference.
No one said to me. “We have our place. You have your place.”
No one forced me to ride in a closet.
What if we celebrated LGBT identity as easily as the difference between bicycling and unicycling, as a gift to be thankful for among all the standard wheel arrangements?

There’s something in a unicycle that makes people smile. The unicycle allowed me to enter conversations about one of our most contended political and religious issues. My own vulnerability on the unicycle invited genuine conversations from those I met.

As for drawing attention, a unicycle is a natural for grabbing attention, both from individuals, as well as from the media and from organizations. I’m thankful I have this tool to help me speak for justice.

What would you like tell people who are deeply concerned about homosexuality being, for them, in direct opposition to God’s will?

In Virginia, during my tour, I stayed overnight with a transgender woman. Her eighty-year-old Christian mother came over to visit and when I interviewed her she told of a what a shock it was when her son Steve told her he was going to become Sarah. Then she told me the line I wish that all of us had on our lips. “All I knew was that whatever happened, I didn’t want to lose my child.”

I think this is what God must say of each of us. “No matter what, I don’t want to lose you.”

Mom says she has developed a better relationship with her new daughter than ever before. “We’re more honest. And I have such respect for Sarah. It took a lot of courage to make this transition.”

Only because mom listened to her daughter could she come to accept and respect when her child changed sex from male to female.

What do I want to tell religious people as we consider the acceptance of homosexuality. Let’s follow Jesus example of less judgment and more love, less damnation and more compassion, less condemnation and more honest listening. These are Christian priniciples, which, if we follow them, will lead us toward full political equality and religious affirmation for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.

Thought you'd enjoy this interview. As you might guess, I'm open to telling my story to other bloggers or folks who can spread word about my ride and my story. All best,
Lars

Straight Into Gay America - First Anniversary

E-Publication in two days.

It's my birthday today. A year ago I was celebrating the day at Holden Village, knowing I'd be leaving the next day to start uniycling Straight Into Gay America.

When I look back, I realize the strange proportions of last year:

1. Out of 52 weeks, I unicycled for 5 and spent the rest of the time writing - a 10 to 1 ratio in favor of words.
2. Compared to pedaling 1,000 miles, I've written more words than I'll ever count--but I kept almost 100,000 of those words for the Straight Into Gay America manuscript -- a ratio of 100 to 1 in favor of words.

After all the reflection/writing of this past winter, my birthday brings the promise of renewed action.

E-book Publication Date in TWO DAYS:
June 14 is the anniversary of the first pedals of Straight Into Gay America. To celebrate this day we're officially releasing the Straight Into Gay America E-Book.

You can already get the first three chapters of Straight Into Gay America free from www.straightintogayamerica.com. On June 14th, for the first time, the entire book will be available to the public.

The price is $11.95 and the book can be instantly downloaded from www.straightintogayamerica.com. The e-book will be available in two versions. The flash file is suitable for those with hi-speed internet connections who want to read the book on their computer monitor. The pdf version is best suited for those with dial-up connections or those wanting to read the book using an electronic reader.

Birthdays. Anniversarys. I look backwards with amazement at the journey that our family has travelled these past years. I look ahead with high levels of uncertainty and delight for what the road ahead will bring. Yesterday Anne and the kids held a suprise birthday party for me with the new friends we've made since moving here to Chelan. Surprise seemed an appropriate metaphor for our expectations of the near future.

Thanks for sharing the journey,

Blessings,

Lars

A-Page-A-Day

Alternative Title: "Why I'm Giving Straight Into Gay America Away."

Saturday morning - another 5 a.m. start with the book. Wouldn't it be nice to be a Steven King, writing full time and having someone else sell books... Still I treasure these two or three hours every morning to work on Straight Into Gay America.

With the book now at the printers, I'm turning my attention to the website, to answering emails, and to making contact with places and people who will be interested in Straight Into Gay America. A publishing expert once told me that writing a book is 20% of the work. Selling it is 80%.

Giving it away:
If you go to www.straightintogayamerica.com and enter your email address you'll receive the whole book free, one page each day delivered to your email box. Won't you visit right now and start receiving the book? In the three days since A-Page-A-Day began almost 200 have signed up. Signing up will introduce you to Straight Into Gay America, give you great emails to forward to equal rights advocates, and provide you with daily encouragement.

The Math:
200 recipients will receive the 352 pages of Straight Into Gay America. How many emails is this over the coming year?

70,400.

Somehow, I've got to believe that some of these pages will a strike a chord with some of these readers, and make a difference for our days. Hope you'll sign up and help grow our nation's words for Equal Rights.

Blessings,
Lars

Sign-up on the home page at www.straightintogayamerica.com. Let others know about THE DEAL.

Good News.

Just back from 4 days at Holden (www.holdenvillage.org where we used to live) and then a couple days of catching up. So much for the daily routine of writing on this blog.

Good news to report: Some Washington State citizens had an effort going to try and repeal the Equal Rights just established for LGBT people in this state. They didn't get enough votes to get the referendum on the ballot, despite mass appeals to churches all across the state.

More good news: Washington D.C. Senate defeated the the Federal Marriage Amendment that would ban gay marriage. As the long blog comment on the last message rightly said: "it's a disgrace and an affront that bills like this even get considered."

More good news: Soulforce has invited me to come and unicycle as part of their action to make the Colorado Legislature and Focus On the Family cease their spiritual violence against LGBT people. More on that soon when arrangements are finalized. Check out the event at www.soulforce.org. I'm looking forward to good company when I ride on July 18th.

Amidst the big swirling issues, today my sixth grade daughter graduated from elementary school. What a day.

At the printer's.

Straight Into Gay America is at the printers!

My typesetter and I finished in a flurry, and then there was silence. An entire winter of writing is finished - all the five a.m. mornings spent bringing life to words, looking for just the right way to convey the 1,000 miles of unicycling, the people from the journey. and the feelings from my heart.

Looks like copies will be available on July 15, according to schedule. If you haven't pre-ordered, you can still save 10% if you order before the Federal Marriage Amendment vote in the Senate, scheduled for June 6.

Even President Bush wants in on the Federal Marriage Amendment discussion. According to a CNN article the measure stands little chance of passing, but Bush will be speaking to appease his conservative base. Must be tough to be a politician, regardless of party, always calculating the costs and benefits of each action to each consitituency.

Part of writing Straight Into Gay America is to free myself from all the calculations that go into making popular statements. That's what makes Striaght Into Gay America a coming out story for me, doing the work of coming a little closer to my own voice. It's scary stuff at times, pulling down the veneer. If you've tried it, you know. More later.

Lars