Pride Month: National biographer shares moving accounts of those from the LGBTQ+ community

Nation’s leading biographer finds ONE-THIRD of LGBTQIA+ people want to share their experiences so others can feel more accepted and understood

Chris Bock recounts his great uncle’s story in moving memoir: ‘An Ordinary Man: From Vienna, to Japan and Back During World War II

This year has seen significant progress in LGBTQ+ media representation, with GLAAD revealing that LGBTQ characters accounted for 12% of all television characters, including those in popular TV series such as HBO’s ‘Euphoria’. Highlighting the importance of creating more authentic representation, Rutger Bruining, CEO of America’s leading biography-writing service, StoryTerrace, discusses the benefits of sharing real stories from within the LGBTQIA+ community for future generations to gain a better understanding of their experiences and in turn generate greater acceptance. A nationally representative study by the service found that a third (33%) of people within the LGBTQIA+ community would love to share their experiences so that other people facing the same issues would feel more accepted and understood.

In light of this, StoryTerrace is proud to highlight the stories of icons in the LGBTQIA+ community that have come through the service: 

Chris Bock wrote a moving account about his great-great uncle, Paul Patek. Touching on issues pertaining to LGBTQ rights, anti-semitism and racism, this moving memoir is a story like no other.
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A WW2 adventure, a family affair, and a love story, Chris’ epic true story details the life of a Jewish gay man’s life. From escaping Nazi oppression in Austria, saving his family via a winning lottery ticket – to finding refuge in Japan before finally settling down to a quiet life with his boyfriend, Carl, back in Vienna after the war – all as testaments to the power of the human spirit.
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Paul’s boyfriend Carl (an Aryan) cashed the ticket for Paul which funded the passage of his nephews, sister, and parents to Japan, saving them from the Holocaust. After the war, Paul returned to Vienna and rebuilt a life that he was forced to flee with his partner.

Chris Bock, the great-great nephew of Patek, describes why he decided to write his family’s story: “I fell in love with Paul’s story—a man I never knew, but who saved my grandfather’s life, and in turn created my entire family. 

“After reading my grandfather’s autobiography I was so moved by Uncle Paul that I knew his story had to be better known by my family. I didn’t want Paul’s amazing life to be lost, so I committed myself to putting everything I could find about him into a book. ‘An Ordinary Man’ is the result.

“My hope is that not only my family, but many other people will see what I see in the life of Paul Patek and fall in love with him the same way I did.”

Rutger Bruining, CEO of StoryTerrace, discusses the benefits of sharing real stories from within the LGBTQIA+ community for future generations:

“LGBTQIA+ representation has a long history of being completely erased from the history books. This erasure and underrepresentation can cause many to feel disconnected from their own history, and experience feelings of loneliness, isolation, and exclusion. Sadly, in most cases, it has been found that personal diaries are all we have in terms of proof that queer identities existed in history.

“When more LGBTQIA+ accounts are documented and shared, this renders visibility that contributes to society’s acceptance of people from all sexual orientations and identities. Therefore, it’s crucial to document these stories now, to show people in the future that there are people like them and that their stories matter.

“One of the key benefits of writing a biography is how it brings people closer to their family, their history, and a better understanding of who they really are. If future generations can see similarities to themselves in past generations, it can encourage a greater sense of belonging, self-worth, and pride. For us, it is not just about documenting one’s story, it is about cementing your identity by connecting you with your past.” 
Please let me know if you require any further information, or if you would like to speak with anyone mentioned about the importance of preserving family legacies and stories.