LAS VEGAS, NV—The Erotic Heritage Museum's Queerotica Competition, the literary contest with a focus on queer stories, received nearly 100 submissions last year, and now the competition's winners have been announced. Writers competed for a chance at several monetary prizes, as well as the opportunity to have their story published internationally. Submissions guidelines dictated entries had to be previously unpublished fiction or nonfiction, and involve any gender identity or sexual orientation.
“Human beings have fantasies which run across the entire Kinsey Sexuality Scale, from totally straight to totally gay,” noted EHM Executive Director Dr. Victoria Hartmann. “There are romantic fantasies and hardcore BDSM fantasies—not forgetting romantic BDSM fantasies, of course. Some stories involve one person, others involve group fun, with pairings and threesomes of all kinds along the way. Everyone’s fantasy mind works in a different way, and we are excited to share the works of talented writers with this first edition of Queer Erotica. Congrats to the winners!”
The winners of the EHM Queerotica Competition are:
1st Prize ($1000): “Hope, Tears, Steam, Gears” by Gregory L. Norris
2nd Prize ($500): “Cryptocunt and the Eco-Sexuals: The Very Queer Story of the NSA in Berlin” by Comet Crowbar
3rd Prize ($250): “Seeing Stars” by Kyo I. Young
Fourth and fifth prizes received a $100 EHM prize pack; all other accepted entries will be receiving prizes worth more than $50 each.
“The idea of what is or is not queer has been the topic of debate for a long time,” read the contest announcement. “In our opinion, queerness is the defiant reaction to an attempt, by those with power, to label those without. It is less about qualifying as such, and more about what one can do with the opportunity to comfortably step outside prescribed lines. Queer Erotica continues to be underrepresented in romance and erotic publications, but the tides are changing. We want your crazy, steamy, sexual exploits put to paper, and shared for the rest of the world to get off to!”
In addition to the monetary awards, accepted submissions will be included in an anthology, published internationally through Microcosm Publishing; the first volume of Queer Erotica is expected to be released in 2019. The book will be available at retailers, including the EHM Gift Shop. A second volume has also been scheduled, due to the overwhelming number of qualifying entries.
For more information about the Erotic Heritage Museum, including Museum hours, ticket prices, workshops, live shows, events, exhibits, and more, visit EroticMuseumVegas.com.The EHM may also be followed on Twitter and on Facebook.
