Saturday Magazine

7 Feb 2023

Saturday 4th Feb 2023: Luke Rutledge: A Man and His Pride: debut novel

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Saturday 4th Feb 2023: Luke Rutledge: A Man and His Pride: debut novel

Macca and Nevena talk to Luke Rutledge about his debut novel: A Man and His Pride; growing up and continuing to live in Brisbane, where the novel is set, and can speak to growing up gay in the city and the LGBTQIA+ community that thrives there.

The perfect uplifting and deeply moving gay novel about finding your pride, in time for Valentine’s Day and World Pride 2023. ‘Coming out’ has been the central focus of the books we read and the movies we watch over and over – but what comes after the coming out?

In this novel, Rutledge addresses this idea of how internalised homophobia continues well into adulthood and how shame can manifest long after you come out.

Sean’s job as an online troll moderator is testing his mental health, his best friend and former girlfriend still resents him for coming out, his mother seems to blame him for a tragedy that tore their family apart, and his relationship with an 87-year-old nursing home resident pushes his identity crisis to the brink… all until he meets William.

An unlikely friendship blossoms and Sean sets out on a path toward forgiveness, self-discovery, self-love and pride.

The marriage equality postal survey sets the background for the novel and speaks to the accompanying guilt, shame and trauma inflicted upon the community at the time. For example, many of the phone-banking calls mentioned in the novel are based on the author’s real experiences.

There is an abundance of Young Adult novels that deal with young teens questioning their identity and their orientation, very few are targeted at adults who are still struggling with their identity, and even fewer are distinctly Australian.

Macca and Nevena discuss with Luke issues of queer visibility in media, the importance of pride events and queer spaces, toxic masculinity in the gay community and subsequent obsession with labels.

Australia is hosting World Pride 2023 in February and March, providing a fantastic opportunity to put Australian queer stories front and centre.

Luke Rutledge has worked as a communications specialist since 2014. He studied journalism and professional writing, editing and publishing at the Queensland University of Technology. Before that, he studied music at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, where he majored in classical flute. He lives in Brisbane with his fiancé and their west highland terrier, Rufus. A Man and His Pride is his debut novel. www.lukerutledge.net