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My Coming Out: Dennis Hensley

October 11, 2006

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chatter_dennishensley_293x200.jpgDennis Hensley is a regular contributor to OUTzonetv.com. He is also the author of Misadventures in The (213), a novel, and Screening Party. He hosts a weekly radio show on Twist Radio (radiowithatwist.com).

“Joey Lawrence blew my cover: A coming out story.”

Though I’m happy to say I never felt particularly tortured about being gay, I did wait until the last possible moment to tell my family. I’m sure they already had some idea. I was into pop culture and theater in the same way my older brothers were into hunting and sports.

My family lives (and always has) in Holbrook, Arizona. Oprah fans got a taste of my humble hometown recently when Oprah and Gayle visited the Wigwam Hotel on their cross-country “Big Adventure.” My family’s not much for traveling and they’ve never visited me in L.A. in the 20 years I’ve been here.

So I never felt like I had to hide anything in terms of my day-to-day life, like stashing copies of Honcho under the sofa when mom popped by unannounced … because there was no popping by, unannounced or otherwise.

The hour of reckoning came in 1998 when my first novel, Misadventures in The (213), was released. The protagonist in the book, Craig Clybourn, is gay and an awful lot like me.

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Comments

fan in L.A. wrote:

i read "misadventures in the 213" and did not put two and two together and realize that itwas by Dennis, the outzone blogger. that was a very good book. very funny. thanks for posting more from dennis.

posted at October 11, 2006 11:58 AM

Ed Sikov wrote:

Dear Fan in LA: You think that's funny? Try SCREENING PARTY! Dennis Hensley is one of the most hilarious writers I've ever worked as a publicist for.

posted at October 13, 2006 01:04 PM

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