I first faced this question, several years ago, when I was in a so-called gay book group, and someone made the mistake of selecting "The Object Of My Affection" as a group pick.
I read it, and was disgusted. As I was by the Jennifer Aniston, Paul Rudd 1998 movie. A book about a young woman who gets pregnant, and opts to have her gay friend raise the child with her, rather than the boyfriend who impregnated her.
How, I ask you, is this gay? Sure, the one character is gay, but McCauley sets the whole thing up so they live basically a heterosexual life style, without having sex. What kind of crap is that?
Because this year was the 50th year of Gay Pride, I decided to read something appropriate. I had been considering "My Ex-Life," because it got some good reviews, and I thought I should read something gay for this time period. I had also hoped the author had grown as a writer since the last book.
Well, he hasn't!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"My Ex-Life" is the same closest case heterosexist crap as "The Object Of My Affection." A gay man living in San Francisco, gets a call from his ex-wife, whom he should never have married in the first place, and she should never have called him, but then blame this on McCauley for the kind of closeted construct he was setting up once again.
The most interesting character in the book turns out to be the ex-wife's daughter, Mandy, who is of college application age, and her adventures, plus David's, the gay guy's, interaction with her. This is the best, most honest part of the book. David has a one nighter with this storekeeper named Kenneth whom he dumps like gay guys do in Manhattan, but at least the author allows it to happen, and, despite the fallout, both admit the encounter was very nice.
Stephen Macauley is my age--born in 1955, which makes him 64. Same as I. But the way he incorporates heterosexuality into almost every work I have read of his speaks of someone who is not altogether comfortable writing exclusively gay literature. How I long for the days of David Leavitt, who had the courage McCauley wishes he could have, and was a much better writer than Macauley ever will be, Ironically, Leavitt has mysteriously disappeared from the writing scene, while McCauley, Mr. Closet Gay Writer, is still prolific.
Yes, he is gay, and yes he writes, but that does not make one a gay writer. And dropping obvious references--like to Henry James' novel "The Portrait Of A Lady," or the sight of a young man with a "perfect ass" indicates gayness, but this is like an infant sticking his toes into a back yard baby pool.
What told me McCauley was actually gay, and has the potential to be more than he is content to be, in order to get published by allowing the straight contingent to hear what they want to hear, came from a reference only I picked up. He refers to a novel from the 1950's, about a young doctor, written by someone who invented the Thompson Turkey. He wrote it was made into a movie with an all-star cast, and was the first film directed by Stanley Kramer. I knew instantly what he was talking about, because my parents had the book in our house, when I was growing up, and, of course, I read it. The novel was Morton Thompson's mammoth 800 page plus 1954 tome, "Not As A Stranger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Now, only someone who is gay would know this. So, if you go flaming enough to reveal this about yourself, Stephen, why can't you incorporate a story with exclusively gay characters? Until you do, I am staying away from whatever else you may write.
Closet cases are as much a danger on the printed page, as in person, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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