Written by: Cyn The Great
For as long as most can remember the LGBTQ+ umbrella has either been overlooked, denied rights and deemed illegal. Liberation for the LGBTQ+ community is a never ending battle despite the great triumphs that have been overcome which resulted in allowing all people the ability to live within their truths. Whether it’s through the voice of each individual or someone bold enough to stand for those who can’t Pride Month is a time to celebrate for LGBTQ+ rights and culture as a whole. Just in time to celebrate Pride Month; Author Leslie Ann Frye Thomas has gifted the LGBTQ+ community with a love letter from her heart that says “ I see you, I hear you and I know that you understand what persecution feels like ''. Leslie shares; “this book is for “us” first and then anyone else who wants to be included”.
Pum Pum Rock; There’s No Place Like Homo depicts the story of a queer woman who left her home in Jamaica because of the traumas she faced growing up due to her sexuality.Nate navigates through life giving us raw and uncut truths that look like our personal experiences. Influences for the book were pulled from Leslies’ walk of life in Hollywood, Las Vegas and Miami and used to vividly paint a realistic lifestyle. Leslie shared, “I wanted it to feel like the L Word but for people of color so it is very juicy”. Although this is not an autobiographical story; Leslie was still able to use her own life experiences to add raw emotion into her character Nate that will leave readers in awe of her bravery and triumphs.
The story was inspired, selfishly, by the lack of relatable LGBTQ+ stories being told by others. Leslie shared ” At the end of the day when my wife and I get the kids down for bed we like to Netflix, turn up and experience something good; but when we were spending more time surfing through titles it really just inspired me to write something relatable that looks like us to share with “my people.“
Through life’s experience, research, traveling, six years of writing from beginning to end, being a wife and now a mother of two Leslie has already broken boundaries for and within the LGBTQ+ community.. She has been able to capture insight on “our'' story and display it in a way that captures and keeps the attention of her audience while leaving them wanting more. She says “I did not leave anything untouched in terms of topics that were too tough or too real”. Pum Pum Rock; There’s No Place Like Homo is just the beginning. Leslie says that she has plans to take the beyond the pages. With a degree in screenwriting; there has always been a love between Leslie and writing which is why she coins herself as a word nerd. Having worked for Warner Brothers, TMZ, daytime syndicated tv shows and many other platforms Leslie already knows what it takes to fill seats. Her next endeavor is taking her love letter from pages to the big screen. From there; the rest of Nate’s story will be told. Leslie has already started working on promo for the book which can be found via IG: @PUMPUMROCKBOOK. Beyond Pride Month, there is no doubt that Pum Pum Rock; There’s No Place Like Homo will touch the hearts of many and give insight to those who cannot relate to what it really means to live in one’s truth no matter what the world outside believes.