Gerber Hart presents Victor Banis

Gerber/Hart Library presents pioneering gay writer Victor Banis with a special program. Banis, the author of over 150 novels, is best known for the The Man From C.A.M.P., issued in 1964. C.A.M.P. broke with the prevailing wisdom of the day - that homosexual characters had to be unhappy ne'er-do-wells who meet tragic ends - and crafted a work that featured main character Jackie Holmes, happy and satisfied as an agent for C.A.M.P., a secret organization dedicated to the protection and advancement of homosexuals. Banis' subsequent work continued to portray gay men not as victims or villains but in a positive, empowered light. Banis was indicted by the federal government in 1964 for conspiracy to distribute obscene material as a result of the publication of his first novel, The Affairs of Gloria, which contains two lesbian scenes. He was acquitted on a technicality, but continued to be harassed by the government for several years. Undeterred and incensed at the government's attempt at censorship, Banis continued to write. A former long-time resident of San Francisco, Banis currently resides in West Virginia, where he continues to write and publish. You can learn more about Victor Banis from his website, www.victorjbanis.com. Come meet this literary pioneer who helped create the genre of gay fiction.