George Stambolian, Terri de la Pena, Audre Lorde, Paul Monette, Edmund White, and Jaime Manrique are just six of the writers represented in this collection of forty contemporary lesbian and gay short stories. Gathered together for the first time in one volume are writings by both lesbians and gay men who represent a multiplicity of ethnic and racial backgrounds. Irene Zahava has compiled a unique and necessary collection, selecting stories for their artistic power and for their treatment of topics that are significant in lesbian and gay life and politics today. An alternative thematic table of contents allows the reader to understand lesbian and gay life according to its most culturally and politically significant themes: childhood/growing up; coming out/finding community; families; oppression/resistance; bisexuality; relationships/friendships; AIDS; and aging/dying