Gay and Lesbian
Ghost Stories
AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR
Antonio R. Garcez
Gay and Lesbian Ghost Stories
©2016 by ANTONIO R. GARCEZ
1st Print edition—2016
ISBN 978-0-9898985-3-9
©2013 by ANTONIO R. GARCEZ
1st Ebook edition—2013
ISBN 978-0-9898985-0-8
New Mexico, USA
All rights reserved. Published by Red Rabbit Press LLC.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.
Some of the places that appear in these stories may have changed ownership or names since the printing of this book. Also some of the individuals that appear in this book have, since its printing, moved on either within this world or into the next. Their stories appear here as they were directly bestowed to the author at the time they were interviewed.
The author may be contacted through:
Praises for the Author’s Other Best-Selling Books
American Indian Ghost Stories of the West
“The accounts range from sweetly sentimental to truly terrifying, but all share the benefit of Antonio’s sensitivity and attention to detail. He shows respect for the tales, and those who tell them, and understands that history and culture are inextricably bound to all folklore.”
—Jo-Anne Christensen, Haunted Hotels
“These are not long-ago cowboy yarns, but very real, very current ghost stories from a rich and chilling mix of voices. Antonio has a rare talent for telling detail; he paints unforgettably creepy images that linger long after the book is done.”
—Chris Woodyard, Haunted Ohio
New Mexico Ghost Stories
“This collection of personal encounters with the ‘spiritual’ or ‘supernatural’ certainly supported some of my own experiences. These stories are made more frightening by their very proximity.”
—Stephanie Gonzales, former New Mexico secretary of state
“I highly recommend that both local citizens and visitors to Santa Fe read this book!”
—Sam Pick, former mayor, Santa Fe, New Mexico
“Fascinating to read … offers the reader insight into our town’s unique traditions, folklore, and history; don’t miss it!”
—Frederick A. Peralta, former mayor, Town of Taos
Colorado Ghost Stories
“Mr. Garcez is an authority on the paranormal!”
—Patrick Powell, Producer, TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society)
“Good stuff. Some of the best books ever written!”
—Fortean Times Magazine, London, UK
“Get ready for some scary nights!”
—Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine, October 2009
Arizona Ghost Stories
“Gives a hauntingly accurate overview of the many reports of haunted sites all over the state. It not only lists the places from north to south, but also quotes the interviews of eyewitnesses, giving a remarkable feeling of being there with them as they encounter the unknown. Such sites as the Copper Queen Hotel in Bisbee and the Jerome Inn come to life in Mr. Garcez’s investigations. His chapter on the reports of ghosts at Tombstone is perhaps one of the best accounts I have seen on this subject.”
—Richard Senate, Hollywood’s Ghosts
“Arizona could not have asked for a better chronicler of its supernatural landscape than Antonio R. Garcez. From Arivaca to Yuma, Arizona’s most haunted places are all here! These stories will send shivers up your spine, and rightly so—they all really took place! If you have ever wanted to experience something paranormal, let this book be your guide.”
—Dennis William Hauck, Haunted Places: The National Directory
Ghost Stories of California’s Gold Rush Country and Yosemite National Park
“If you’re a lover of the supernatural, get cozy in an easy chair and prepare yourself for the inevitable. Eyewitness accounts told in a straightforward manner!”
—Tim Palmieri, Western Outlaw-Lawman History Association
“As a subject where many of the books written simply regurgitate previously produced material, author Antonio R. Garcez does an excellent job of locating and interviewing primary resources to provide fresh stories of ghost folklore. Each chapter contains a brief introduction that supplies some of the background of the town and sites in question, followed by transcriptions of the witnesses’ stories. Garcez’s style is simple and easy to follow; the stories he has found are quickly engrossing. The fact that he put the time into his field research is impressive. Garcez can always be relied on to provide fresh stories of the supernatural, and this book is no exception. He does his field research to find firsthand accounts from the people who witnessed them. When so many other writers concentrate more on information other paranormal researchers produce, Garcez deserves a great deal of credit.”
—Adrienne Foster, book reviewer, Epinions.com
DEDICATION
To every LGBT person we’ve lost to crimes of hate, violence, and murder driven by intolerant, antigay discrimination campaigns, legislation, and sermons.
And to those LGBT souls driven to suicide.
My deepest appreciation to each socially visible LGBT person living a peaceful, production, and fulfilling life.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Some of the names associated with the storytellers mentioned in this book have been changed. This was done for the sole purpose of not identifying those individuals because of their cultural beliefs or their personal requests to disguise their identities. Thus, any name used in the book that might be associated with anyone known to the reader is simply coincidental.
INTRODUCTION
Ghostly encounters are frequently described as mystical phenomena pertaining primarily to heterosexuals and rarely to gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender people; however, history proves otherwise. Anthropological research has referenced compelling scientific evidence that homosexuals have often been sources of counsel, wisdom, honor, intuitive power, guidance, social status, and spiritual strength throughout virtually all levels of human culture. Gays and lesbians have ruled prominently within Egyptian empires, Roman society, and Native American cultures.
Before Christianity became a major religion, both male and female psychics were regularly accepted and consulted in the ancient world. But as soon as Christianity gained prominence, spiritual mediums and psychics were condemned as “servants of the devil” and driven into hiding. Specifically, the Catholic Church perpetuated this persecution until the eighteenth century, with frequent tortures and executions. Gays and lesbians have even made their presence known from within the tepees of the great plains of North America to the grand royal stone temples of the Aztecs and Incas. Throughout this grand history, gays and lesbians have played prominent roles within their own cultures’ religious and spiritual sects.
Gays