'Knowledge is an enemy to bigotry.' William Bonzo has, as promised,
followed his very popular book DON'T ASK, DO TELL - that brave
little tome that came into print in October 2010 when the debate
about gays in the military was raging, a book of honest appraisal
of the situation from the probing and entertaining eyes of a man
who had successfully served in the military and dared to give the
insider picture. Now he returns with a new book, described as a
'sequined sequel to Don't Ask, Do Tell' that opens even more
windows not only to the situation of prejudice present in the
military but also to the true facts of what happens while serving
as an 'openly gay' man in his final tour of duty in the US Navy. It
bubbles with Bonzo's inimitable style of prose and shares a road
map of how he adjusted to 'coming out' and the manner in which he
found happiness at last - living a life of honesty and joy. Bonzo
opens his story in Hawaii with a tender reflection at the graveside
of his deceased partner and shares that train of memory with us the
reader, taking us back to his aborted attempt to resign from the
Navy when he landed in New Zealand to discover his tour of duty was
extended for two years while the Operation Deep Freeze in
Antarctica usurped all available Navy forces: Bonzo would be in
charge of the Commissary He adjusts to the language and culture and
climate of New Zealand in a series of hilarious introductions,
finds his assigned staff devoted and friendly, and discovers the
beauty of the quality of life in his 'new home'. And then, after
his discharge, he elects to stay as long as allowed in his beloved
New Zealand. The remainder of the book details his gradual
emergence into the gay life in Christchurch, finding a lover,
taking on two teenagers as sons - lads without parents who hung out
in the local gay bar, his settling in a new apartment in the common
part of town and his transition from a life as a closeted gay man
to a popular, warmly loving, exceptionally bright and hunky gay
man. The friends he makes and the manner in which he conducts his
life weds him to the Isle of New Zealand, a place he would always
refer to as home despite the fact that his visa was only two years
in length. He bids a touching farewell to New Zealand, his partner
and his 'sons', travels to Australia and other ports where he comes
to understand the freedom of being a man no longer needing to hide
in the closet. This journey is in many ways a story of how one man
'came out' into a world he could barely imagine. And this journey
is a rollercoaster ride that eventually returns us to his home in
Hawaii - back to the graveside where he starts his memoir, sadly
reflecting on the loss of his New Zealand family in the earthquake
of February 2011. One of the many aspects of William Bonzo's
writing style is his sprinkling of quotations from a diverse group
of people. For instance, while serving in the Navy as an escort to
an Admiral he inserts the following quote from Dr. Seuss: 'Be who
you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter
and those who matter don't mind.' It is that sort of intelligent
humor that provides the glowing sequins of this sequel. William
Bonzo has been through the trials of a closeted man in the military
and survived, and not only did he survive but he grew in dignity
and became an inspiration to all men and women who have found
themselves in that prison. But more importantly he has opened that
closet door to acceptance and understanding and discovery, sharing
the joy of being who he is and finding a world of affection and
rewards beyond his expectations. This book is a lighthouse, a
tribute, and a nudge in the side as well as a hearty embrace to all
his fellow travelers. And as far as this book is concerned, this is
one of the most sensitive, hilarious, and warmly pleasurable rides
to be released in a long time.
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