Has anyone tried to proselytize you into being gay or trans?
Over the years I’ve had any number of people knock on my door, people after my heart, my mind, my soul – Mormon missionaries wanting to tell me about the LDS church, Jehovah’s Witnesses wanting me to read their pamphlets, Baptists wanting to show me the way to Jesus, Republicans and Democrats wanting me to convert to their party and vote for the candidate.
But in all those years, not one time, never once did I have a member of the gay community knock on my door and say, “Hey! You wanna be gay?”
I’ve never had a trans person knock on my door and say, “Hey, you wanna change your gender?”
And I ask you, is it possible – is it in any way conceivably possible – that you have been duped by self-serving politicians and so-called religious people who’ve always got their nose in your crack, to think that the LGBTQ community, and the trans community, somehow pose a threat to your family, when in fact if you just left them alone, or better, treated them like actual human beings, everything would be fine?
You think that’s possible?
Think about it.
About the author:
Del Stone Jr. is a professional fiction writer. He is known primarily for his work in the contemporary dark fiction field, but has also published science fiction and contemporary fantasy. Stone's stories, poetry and scripts have appeared in publications such as Amazing Stories, Eldritch Tales, and Bantam-Spectra's Full Spectrum. His short fiction has been published in The Year's Best Horror Stories XXII; Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine; the Pocket Books anthology More Phobias; the Barnes & Noble anthologies 100 Wicked Little Witch Stories, Horrors! 365 Scary Stories, and 100 Astounding Little Alien Stories; the HWA anthology Psychos; and other short fiction venues, like Blood Muse, Live Without a Net, Zombiesque and Sex Macabre. Stone's comic book debut was in the Clive Barker series of books, Hellraiser, published by Marvel/Epic and reprinted in The Best of Hellraiser anthology. He has also published stories in Penthouse Comix, and worked with artist Dave Dorman on many projects, including the illustrated novella “Roadkill,” a short story for the Andrew Vachss anthology Underground from Dark Horse, an ashcan titled "December" for Hero Illustrated, and several of Dorman's Wasted Lands novellas and comics, such as Rail from Image and “The Uninvited.” Stone's novel, Dead Heat, won the 1996 International Horror Guild's award for best first novel and was a runner-up for the Bram Stoker Award. Stone has also been a finalist for the IHG award for short fiction, the British Fantasy Award for best novella, and a semifinalist for the Nebula and Writers of the Future awards. His stories have appeared in anthologies that have won the Bram Stoker Award and the World Fantasy Award. Two of his works were optioned for film, the novella “Black Tide” and short story “Crisis Line.”
Stone recently retired after a 41-year career in journalism. He won numerous awards for his work, and in 1986 was named Florida's best columnist in his circulation division by the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors. In 2001 he received an honorable mention from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association for his essay “When Freedom of Speech Ends” and in 2003 he was voted Best of the Best in the category of columnists by Emerald Coast Magazine. He participated in book signings and awareness campaigns, and was a guest on local television and radio programs.
As an addendum, Stone is single, kills tomatoes and morning glories with ruthless efficiency, once tied the stem of a cocktail cherry in a knot with his tongue, and carries a permanent scar on his chest after having been shot with a paintball gun. He’s in his 60s as of this writing but doesn't look a day over 94.
Over the years I’ve had any number of people knock on my door, people after my heart, my mind, my soul – Mormon missionaries wanting to tell me about the LDS church, Jehovah’s Witnesses wanting me to read their pamphlets,… READ MORE
Mladen reviews ‘Thunderbolts*’
Image courtesy of Marvel Studios and Disney.
Starring Florence Pugh as unhappy Yelena Belova, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as evil Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Hannah John-Kamen as space warping Ava Starr, David Harbour as lovable Alexei Shostakov the Red Guardian, Sebastian Stan as Congressman Bucky Barnes with the super… READ MORE
No, Virginia, Ford is not bringing back four factories and 25,000 jobs as a result of Donald Trump’s tariffs
To quote MAGA, “The Ford Motor Company is bringing back four factories, and 25,000 good-paying jobs as a result of Donald Trump’s tariffs.
“But go ahead, liberals. Keep telling us tariffs don’t work.”
Well, OK.
The Ford Motor Company is NOT bringing back four factories, and 25,000 good-paying jobs, as a result of Donald Trump’s tariffs.
It’s not bringing back four factories, and 25,000 good-paying jobs at all.
That story is a fake, a hoax, a joke story posted on a humor website.
But go ahead, MAGA. Keep telling us tariffs work as you stand there, looking like a complete idiot, waiting for Rapunzel to let her hair down.
You people are ignorant.
About the author:
Del Stone Jr. is a professional fiction writer. He is known primarily for his work in the contemporary dark fiction field, but has also published science fiction and contemporary fantasy. Stone's stories, poetry and scripts have appeared in publications such as Amazing Stories, Eldritch Tales, and Bantam-Spectra's Full Spectrum. His short fiction has been published in The Year's Best Horror Stories XXII; Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine; the Pocket Books anthology More Phobias; the Barnes & Noble anthologies 100 Wicked Little Witch Stories, Horrors! 365 Scary Stories, and 100 Astounding Little Alien Stories; the HWA anthology Psychos; and other short fiction venues, like Blood Muse, Live Without a Net, Zombiesque and Sex Macabre. Stone's comic book debut was in the Clive Barker series of books, Hellraiser, published by Marvel/Epic and reprinted in The Best of Hellraiser anthology. He has also published stories in Penthouse Comix, and worked with artist Dave Dorman on many projects, including the illustrated novella “Roadkill,” a short story for the Andrew Vachss anthology Underground from Dark Horse, an ashcan titled "December" for Hero Illustrated, and several of Dorman's Wasted Lands novellas and comics, such as Rail from Image and “The Uninvited.” Stone's novel, Dead Heat, won the 1996 International Horror Guild's award for best first novel and was a runner-up for the Bram Stoker Award. Stone has also been a finalist for the IHG award for short fiction, the British Fantasy Award for best novella, and a semifinalist for the Nebula and Writers of the Future awards. His stories have appeared in anthologies that have won the Bram Stoker Award and the World Fantasy Award. Two of his works were optioned for film, the novella “Black Tide” and short story “Crisis Line.”
Stone recently retired after a 41-year career in journalism. He won numerous awards for his work, and in 1986 was named Florida's best columnist in his circulation division by the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors. In 2001 he received an honorable mention from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association for his essay “When Freedom of Speech Ends” and in 2003 he was voted Best of the Best in the category of columnists by Emerald Coast Magazine. He participated in book signings and awareness campaigns, and was a guest on local television and radio programs.
As an addendum, Stone is single, kills tomatoes and morning glories with ruthless efficiency, once tied the stem of a cocktail cherry in a knot with his tongue, and carries a permanent scar on his chest after having been shot with a paintball gun. He’s in his 60s as of this writing but doesn't look a day over 94.
To quote MAGA, “The Ford Motor Company is bringing back four factories, and 25,000 good-paying jobs as a result of Donald Trump’s tariffs. “But go ahead, liberals. Keep telling us tariffs don’t work.” Well, OK. The Ford Motor Company is… READ MORE
I bet there are lots of coal miners who enjoy PBS and NPR
The other day, as President Brandon gleefully slashed funding for NPR and PBS, he posed a rhetorical question:
Why should a coal miner have to pay for PBS?
Ignoring the obvious implication that coal miners are too stupid to enjoy anything as intellectual as PBS, I would point out that when you use that kind of rhetorical gambit, you’d better be prepared to respond to that kind of rhetorical gambit.
So I have a few questions for President Brandon.
Why should I have to pay for you to play golf?
Why should I have to pay for your wife to live in splendor in New York City?
Why should I have to pay for a South African billionaire to wreck the government and steal our data?
Why should I have to pay the salaries of the criminals, morons, imbeciles, thieves, liars, cheats and scumbags you’ve hired to work in your administration?
You see, President Brandon, I don’t mind some of my tax dollars going toward any effort by our government to educate and ennoble the population. I feel like an educated and ennobled population makes for an educated and ennobled society, and that’s the kind of society I want to live in. You wouldn’t know anything about an educated and ennobled society, because you don’t know anything about education or nobility.
You’re just trash.
And by the way, President Brandon. I’ll bet there are lots of coal miners who enjoy PBS and NPR.
Del Stone Jr. is a professional fiction writer. He is known primarily for his work in the contemporary dark fiction field, but has also published science fiction and contemporary fantasy. Stone's stories, poetry and scripts have appeared in publications such as Amazing Stories, Eldritch Tales, and Bantam-Spectra's Full Spectrum. His short fiction has been published in The Year's Best Horror Stories XXII; Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine; the Pocket Books anthology More Phobias; the Barnes & Noble anthologies 100 Wicked Little Witch Stories, Horrors! 365 Scary Stories, and 100 Astounding Little Alien Stories; the HWA anthology Psychos; and other short fiction venues, like Blood Muse, Live Without a Net, Zombiesque and Sex Macabre. Stone's comic book debut was in the Clive Barker series of books, Hellraiser, published by Marvel/Epic and reprinted in The Best of Hellraiser anthology. He has also published stories in Penthouse Comix, and worked with artist Dave Dorman on many projects, including the illustrated novella “Roadkill,” a short story for the Andrew Vachss anthology Underground from Dark Horse, an ashcan titled "December" for Hero Illustrated, and several of Dorman's Wasted Lands novellas and comics, such as Rail from Image and “The Uninvited.” Stone's novel, Dead Heat, won the 1996 International Horror Guild's award for best first novel and was a runner-up for the Bram Stoker Award. Stone has also been a finalist for the IHG award for short fiction, the British Fantasy Award for best novella, and a semifinalist for the Nebula and Writers of the Future awards. His stories have appeared in anthologies that have won the Bram Stoker Award and the World Fantasy Award. Two of his works were optioned for film, the novella “Black Tide” and short story “Crisis Line.”
Stone recently retired after a 41-year career in journalism. He won numerous awards for his work, and in 1986 was named Florida's best columnist in his circulation division by the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors. In 2001 he received an honorable mention from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association for his essay “When Freedom of Speech Ends” and in 2003 he was voted Best of the Best in the category of columnists by Emerald Coast Magazine. He participated in book signings and awareness campaigns, and was a guest on local television and radio programs.
As an addendum, Stone is single, kills tomatoes and morning glories with ruthless efficiency, once tied the stem of a cocktail cherry in a knot with his tongue, and carries a permanent scar on his chest after having been shot with a paintball gun. He’s in his 60s as of this writing but doesn't look a day over 94.
The other day, as President Brandon gleefully slashed funding for NPR and PBS, he posed a rhetorical question: Why should a coal miner have to pay for PBS? Ignoring the obvious implication that coal miners are too stupid to enjoy… READ MORE
MAGA isn’t about character. It’s about hate
Image courtesy of Flickr user Emery Way. CC license.
https://www.flickr.com/people/21981149@N04
Got a question for all the MAGAts out there. Would you vote for a guy who graduated from the Naval Academy at Annapolis? Who went on to help develop America’s arsenal of nuclear submarines? He was a farmer and an… READ MORE
Trump made an ass of himself – and us – at the funeral for Pope Francis
This is a screen capture of an ETimes video about Donald Trump's behavior at the Pope Francis' funeral in April 2025.
I see where President Whale Snot went to the Pope’s funeral and made a complete ass of himself. Instead of wearing the traditional black to show respect for the deceased, he wore blue to call attention to himself. Also, he… READ MORE
Hey Canada! Elbows up!
Image courtesy of Picryl.
Hey Canada! Elbows up! You gave a huge middle finger to Jabba the Trump, you poured the orange Kool-Aid down the toilet where it belongs, you struck a blow for decency, and you inspired millions of Americans, who hope they… READ MORE
If you don’t know what you’re doing, at least look good while you’re doing it
Image by Donkey Hotey. CC license.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/donkeyhotey/
Pete Hogsbreath, our intoxicated secretary of defense who, after a long day of lying to the American public, fomenting chaos in the Pentagon and touching up his makeup, likes to sit back, relax and enjoy a few bottles of Old… READ MORE
You are teaching your children to hate
Got a question for all the haters out there, the homophobes, the folks who are doing their very best to demonize the LGBTQ community – which would be the Republicans, the MAGAts, the so-called followers of Jesus … got a question for you guys.
When I grew up I was totally immersed in heterosexual culture. Every book I read, every TV show I watched, every movie I saw, every experience I had at school, all the couples I knew – everything, 100 percent, 24/7 heterosexual.
And yet, I didn’t turn out heterosexual.
How do you explain that?
And don’t try to tell me I chose to be gay. I most certainly did not. The science backs me up on that.
So how do you explain the fact that despite a total immersion in heterosexual culture, I’m not heterosexual.
And where do you get off saying that if your child so much as even knows about the existence of gay people, he or she might become gay? In light of my experience, how do you justify that? You use this mentality to pass laws, harass, threaten and marginalize the LGBTQ community.
Let me explain it to you. Reading about gay people in a book, seeing gay people in a movie or TV show, encountering gay people in real life, and knowing that gay people exist is NOT going to “make your children gay.”
And God forbid, treating gay people with the dignity and compassion you would any other human being is not going to make your child gay; it will make them a decent human being.
You are teaching your children to hate.
You need to stop.
You are hurting innocent people.
About the author:
Del Stone Jr. is a professional fiction writer. He is known primarily for his work in the contemporary dark fiction field, but has also published science fiction and contemporary fantasy. Stone's stories, poetry and scripts have appeared in publications such as Amazing Stories, Eldritch Tales, and Bantam-Spectra's Full Spectrum. His short fiction has been published in The Year's Best Horror Stories XXII; Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine; the Pocket Books anthology More Phobias; the Barnes & Noble anthologies 100 Wicked Little Witch Stories, Horrors! 365 Scary Stories, and 100 Astounding Little Alien Stories; the HWA anthology Psychos; and other short fiction venues, like Blood Muse, Live Without a Net, Zombiesque and Sex Macabre. Stone's comic book debut was in the Clive Barker series of books, Hellraiser, published by Marvel/Epic and reprinted in The Best of Hellraiser anthology. He has also published stories in Penthouse Comix, and worked with artist Dave Dorman on many projects, including the illustrated novella “Roadkill,” a short story for the Andrew Vachss anthology Underground from Dark Horse, an ashcan titled "December" for Hero Illustrated, and several of Dorman's Wasted Lands novellas and comics, such as Rail from Image and “The Uninvited.” Stone's novel, Dead Heat, won the 1996 International Horror Guild's award for best first novel and was a runner-up for the Bram Stoker Award. Stone has also been a finalist for the IHG award for short fiction, the British Fantasy Award for best novella, and a semifinalist for the Nebula and Writers of the Future awards. His stories have appeared in anthologies that have won the Bram Stoker Award and the World Fantasy Award. Two of his works were optioned for film, the novella “Black Tide” and short story “Crisis Line.”
Stone recently retired after a 41-year career in journalism. He won numerous awards for his work, and in 1986 was named Florida's best columnist in his circulation division by the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors. In 2001 he received an honorable mention from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association for his essay “When Freedom of Speech Ends” and in 2003 he was voted Best of the Best in the category of columnists by Emerald Coast Magazine. He participated in book signings and awareness campaigns, and was a guest on local television and radio programs.
As an addendum, Stone is single, kills tomatoes and morning glories with ruthless efficiency, once tied the stem of a cocktail cherry in a knot with his tongue, and carries a permanent scar on his chest after having been shot with a paintball gun. He’s in his 60s as of this writing but doesn't look a day over 94.
Got a question for all the haters out there, the homophobes, the folks who are doing their very best to demonize the LGBTQ community – which would be the Republicans, the MAGAts, the so-called followers of Jesus … got a… READ MORE
Y’all remember Sarah HUCKabee Sanders? Well she’s ‘shocked’ and ‘appalled’
Y’all remember Sarah Huckabee Sanders, don’tcha?
She’s a good ol’ Southern girl. Maybe a little chunky. That’s because everything down here in the South is fried. You ain’t lived ’till you’ve had a fried Snickers bar.
Back in the day Sarah Huckabee Sanders was President Doublewide’s deputy press sow, but then she went on to bigger and better things. Got herself elected governor of the great state of Arkansas.
Image courtesy of Flickr user Donkey Hotey. CC license
https://www.flickr.com/people/47422005@N04
I was going to make some great state of Arkansas jokes but then I remembered – I live in Florida. We’re so backward down here the sun rises in the west. For fun we get drunk and run through convenience stores carrying live alligators – in fact, one ol’ Florida boy tried to get on an airplane carrying a live gator. Said it was his emotional support animal. The airline wasn’t buying it. They finally let ’im on when he came back with his emotional support water moccasin. As long as he kept it in his pocket. How would y’all like to be the TSA agent having to frisk that boy?
Anyways, back to Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the great state of Arkansas.
One day not long ago it come up a cloud. The great state of Arkansas had a mess of tornaders and frog stranglers – that’s polite Southern talk for “heavy rains.” Messed up a whole bunch of trailer parks.
So Sarah Huckabee Sanders thought she’d ask for some federal aid.
She goes to FEMA and says, “Can y’all help us?”
And FEMA says, “What the hell do you think we are? Some kind of disaster assistance agency? You want a deal on some FEMA trailers? You gotta talk to President Doublewide.”
Well, that didn’t sit too well with Sarah Huckabee Sanders. She said she was “stunned” and “appalled” that FEMA wouldn’t help. That’s polite Southern talk for, “What is this fucking bullshit?”
I bring all this up because in two weeks, hurricane season starts here in Florida, and I ain’t got a good feelin’ about it. See, our governor, Ron DeFascist, ain’t on good terms with President Doublewide – y’all know when I say “President Doublewide” I ain’t talkin’ about no house trailer. I’m talkin’ about the size of his ass – ever since DeFascist ran against President Doublewide in the last election. In fact, President Doublewide’s name for him was “Ron DeSanctimonious.”
Besides, DeFascist is kinda busy tryin’ to explain how $10 million of Agency for Healthcare Administration fines ended up in his two favorite super PACs. Well … there ain’t no explainin’ it. That’s just how things is done down here. Always has been.
Meanwhile, if one of them big howlers comes up from the Gulf of ’Merica, I ain’t expectin’ much in the way of help from the federal government.
I’m just gonna lay in a supply of pork rinds and cheap beer.
The state will provide the gators and the water moccasins.
About the author:
Del Stone Jr. is a professional fiction writer. He is known primarily for his work in the contemporary dark fiction field, but has also published science fiction and contemporary fantasy. Stone's stories, poetry and scripts have appeared in publications such as Amazing Stories, Eldritch Tales, and Bantam-Spectra's Full Spectrum. His short fiction has been published in The Year's Best Horror Stories XXII; Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine; the Pocket Books anthology More Phobias; the Barnes & Noble anthologies 100 Wicked Little Witch Stories, Horrors! 365 Scary Stories, and 100 Astounding Little Alien Stories; the HWA anthology Psychos; and other short fiction venues, like Blood Muse, Live Without a Net, Zombiesque and Sex Macabre. Stone's comic book debut was in the Clive Barker series of books, Hellraiser, published by Marvel/Epic and reprinted in The Best of Hellraiser anthology. He has also published stories in Penthouse Comix, and worked with artist Dave Dorman on many projects, including the illustrated novella “Roadkill,” a short story for the Andrew Vachss anthology Underground from Dark Horse, an ashcan titled "December" for Hero Illustrated, and several of Dorman's Wasted Lands novellas and comics, such as Rail from Image and “The Uninvited.” Stone's novel, Dead Heat, won the 1996 International Horror Guild's award for best first novel and was a runner-up for the Bram Stoker Award. Stone has also been a finalist for the IHG award for short fiction, the British Fantasy Award for best novella, and a semifinalist for the Nebula and Writers of the Future awards. His stories have appeared in anthologies that have won the Bram Stoker Award and the World Fantasy Award. Two of his works were optioned for film, the novella “Black Tide” and short story “Crisis Line.”
Stone recently retired after a 41-year career in journalism. He won numerous awards for his work, and in 1986 was named Florida's best columnist in his circulation division by the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors. In 2001 he received an honorable mention from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association for his essay “When Freedom of Speech Ends” and in 2003 he was voted Best of the Best in the category of columnists by Emerald Coast Magazine. He participated in book signings and awareness campaigns, and was a guest on local television and radio programs.
As an addendum, Stone is single, kills tomatoes and morning glories with ruthless efficiency, once tied the stem of a cocktail cherry in a knot with his tongue, and carries a permanent scar on his chest after having been shot with a paintball gun. He’s in his 60s as of this writing but doesn't look a day over 94.
Y’all remember Sarah Huckabee Sanders, don’tcha? She’s a good ol’ Southern girl. Maybe a little chunky. That’s because everything down here in the South is fried. You ain’t lived ’till you’ve had a fried Snickers bar. Back in the day… READ MORE
