A Prince of a Boy: How One Gay Catholic Helped Change the World

Photo: Amazon

A Prince of a Boy reminds me of another great gay autobiography: The Best Little Boy in the World (1973), which Andrew Tobias wrote under the pen name “John Reid.” Both books deal with talented, successful men who came to terms with their sexual orientation. But while Tobias became famous as a financial writer, McNaught became the leader and role model we needed then and now: a world-famous writer, teacher and advocate for LGBTQ people, our rights, and our place on this planet. The New York Times called him “the Godfather of gay diversity training.” His relationship with his husband, Ray Struble, is one that continues to inspire all of us, regardless of our marital status or sexual orientation. More recently, McNaught founded the Parliament of Snowy Owl Elders, a Facebook “group of gay senior men who fully celebrate their sexual orientation and gender identity, who understand they have unique gifts that the Universe calls them to know, use, and share, and who accept the responsibility to be role models and to mentor gay men of all ages.” This author is proud to be one of the Owls.

In A Prince of a Boy, McNaught writes about how one gay Catholic helped change the world. Being Catholic certainly shaped McNaught’s life story, his ideas, and his ideals. Had he remained a faithful son of Mother Church, we might not have heard of him. He might have become a priest, or even a bishop, serving his flock with diligence and compassion. But McNaught came out and his influence is worldwide, though his vocation remains the same. “It took me nearly fifty years of writing, speaking, and counseling on LGBTQ issues before I truly understood and fully accepted that I am a priest, or at least a minister, … using every gift I’ve been given to affirm and celebrate that [LGBTQ] people are important parts of God’s plan. … I also have grown to understand that Gay men, such as myself, have talents and insights to share, based not just on our experiences of dealing with oppression, but also our genetic makeup.” We are all his disciples.

As the author of thirteen books, McNaught has told his story before, though not as thorough as he does in A Prince of a Boy. Here we learn about his upbringing as part of a large, Irish-Catholic family; his education at the hands of beloved nuns like Sister Claire Marie (who first called him “a prince of a boy”); his experience as a contributor to a Catholic publication (which promptly fired him when he came out as gay). There is not enough about his five-decades-long relationship with his husband, Ray Struble, perhaps because he wrote about it before. There are some wonderful anecdotes here, including his participation in the Annual Workshop on Human Sexuality at Thornfield; his job as Boston Mayor Kevin White’s Gay Liaison; and his friendships with the likes of openly gay Episcopal priest and author Malcolm Boyd. Reading A Prince of a Boy is like listening to an old and valued friend, talking about his exemplary life.

A Prince of a Boy: How One Gay Catholic Helped Change the World by Brian McNaught; Cascade Books; 202 pages; $24.00.

Jesse’s Journal
By Jesse Monteagudo

Jesse Monteagudo is a freelance writer and South Florida resident since 1964. Share your own experiences with him at jessemonteagudo@comcast.net.