Boyslut: A Memoir and Manifesto

A 2024 Lambda Literary Award finalist, this collection of essays combines memoir and manifesto to explore one man's coming-of-age and coming out as a bisexual man, and his journey toward embracing sexuality without shame. Zachary Zane recounts how, from childhood, he experienced shame around his sexuality despite reassurance from his therapist. Over time, societal messages reinforced this shame. Through personal essays, Zane examines how society continues to stigmatize people's sexual choices and identities. Using his own experiences with bisexuality, he analyzes how sexual shame damages relationships and sex lives, and demonstrates through lived example how people can unlearn these harmful societal messages. The book includes stories ranging from drug-fueled encounters and hookups to reflections on rejection and domestic life with his boyfriend and his boyfriend's wife. Zane presents these accounts with humor and candor, ultimately arguing that people can build healthier lives free from sexual stigma.