The absence of intersectionality is undeniable. The Velvet Rage was published 18 years ago and has been an insightful and transformative resource to many marginalised gay men. In the last five years alone there has been radical social movement leading to a change in the way that most of us think about marginalised people. In summary, The Velvet Rage is a Book that I regard with ambivalence. Recognising this as a common experience released some of the guilt that I had been feeling about my behaviour.

I had felt conflicted about it for many years. In chapter 4 Downs explained why a gay man might fly into a rage if he were questioned about his sexuality before he had ‘come out’. Conversely there were times reading the book when I was filled with excitement as Downs described something that I had lived through, and his reflections brought new insight to that experience. I found this occasionally jarring, especially when the behaviour was far from my own experience. Downs regularly uses the plural, “we” when explaining why certain behaviours or attitudes might exist. He walks a delicate line between the 90s stereotype of the gay man and behaviours so general they could apply to anyone in western society. Downs expounds upon tropes associated with the community and why gay men may be drawn toward particular attitudes or behaviours. The Velvet Rage is filled with insights about the lives of some gay men. Recognising oneself within the pages of a book can be a wonderfully validating experience.

The velvet rage by alan downs