"For the most part heterosexual visitors will feel safe and even welcomed in the Republic, although public displays of affection are best avoided in more conservative areas and certain drinking establishments..."
A 2023 work of speculative fiction by Redfern Jon Barrett set in the world's first gay state.
Breaking down the binary between Utopia and Dystopia, Proud Pink Sky is a work of ‘ambitopia’ – which takes place in an alternate Berlin, a gay metropolis of 24 million people. Different gay and lesbian subcultures have their own districts, while bi, trans, and queer residents are forced into ghettos on the outskirts of the city.
The novel follows two sets of protagonists: William and Gareth flee to the city when their relationship is discovered, while Cissie and her husband have lived in Berlin for six years. The story follows each character as tensions between Berlin’s LGBTQ+ residents come to a head.
Proud Pink Tropes:
- All Gays are Promiscuous: Played with. The Gay Republic officially idealises same-sex marriage and monogamy; however, not everyone adheres to these standards.
- Alternate History: How Berlin became a gay city state. The novel even includes a timeline of events leading to its creation.
- Ambiguous Gender Identity: The case for many residents in the trans ghetto of Remould.
- Ambiguously Gay: Is Rob’s integration into the gay state because he’s an open-minded hetero guy, or because of this?
- The Bear: The district of Paw is home to much of the city’s bear and leather scenes.
- Big Bad: Though at first his radio broadcasts are a source of hope for William and Gareth, it later becomes clear that Kenneth Luvvie likes to demonize the city's minorities. However, Cissie's husband Howard turns out to be much, much worse...
- Bury Your Gays: Several characters are killed in a terrorist attack at the climax of the novel.
- Butch Lesbian: The Diesel district is the centre of the city’s butch lesbian scene.
- Cast Full of Gay: Considering the novel is set in the world’s first gay state…
- Cloud Cuckoolander: Ms. Fortier, the elderly neighbour who partially lives in her own fantasy world.
- Club Kid: The district of Twinkstadt contains much of the city’s young party scene.
- Coming-Out Story: William and Gareth live in a deeply homophobic British suburb until their relationship is discovered. William later comes out again, this time as nonbinary/genderfluid.
- Commitment Issues: Though a marriage to each other would make their move to the gay republic much easier, William is reluctant to marry Gareth – and isn't sure he wants to be married at all. This becomes a significant rift in their relationship.
- Construction Catcalls: Used to being a construction worker in the straight world, Howard is appalled when he's catcalled and objectified by the women he works with.
- Cool Old Lady: Cissie's elderly neighbor Ms. Fortier, who guides Cissie through Berlin's lesbian scene and is practically part of the family.
- Cyberpunk: Proud Pink Sky is a work of European cyberpunk, with liberal use of neon and extreme architecture.
- Divide and Conquer: Many in the gay republic are focused on purging bi, queer, and trans people from the city – but in the end they all face a common danger.
- Dystopia: Subverted. Proud Pink Sky is an ambitopia, combining the extremes of utopia and dystopia.
- Ensemble Cast: As well as protagonists William and Cissie, the novel focuses on their partners Gareth and Howard, alongside a host of other characters.
- Family of Choice: Most families in the trans/genderqueer district of Remould.
- Forced Out of the Closet: William and Gareth at the start of the novel.
- Full-Circle Revolution: Formed after the Second World War, the gay republic was designed as a refuge for the persecuted – and goes on to oppress its bisexual, trans, and genderqueer residents.
- Gay Bar Reveal: Inverted. Cissie and Ms. Fortier are looking for a lesbian bar, and stumble across a number of ambiguously-named establishments before finding one.
- Gayborhood: The entire city of Berlin.
- Gay Conservative: The Berlin of Proud Pink Sky counts as this – bisexuality is barely tolerated, while trans and nonbinary people are forced to the margins of the city.
- Gym Bunny: The Adonis district.
- Have You Tried Not Being a Monster?: William’s parents.
- Hereditary Homosexuality: Gay parents in Berlin tend to have gay children – implying that sexuality is somewhat socially determined.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: Howard and Rob. At least, until they arrive in the gay state.
- Lipstick Lesbian: The district of Flora, which is also home to Berlin’s thriving film industry.
- Matriarchy: The lesbian districts of Delos, Flora, and Diesel are run along matriarchal lines.
- Mistaken for Gay: Hank worries about this with Rob when they arrive in the city.
- No Bisexuals: Officially bisexuality is legal, but the city’s government and populace do not encourage it.
- Non-Heteronormative Society: Played with – the Berlin of Proud Pink Sky is homonormative.
- Out of the Closet, Into the Fire: A theme of the novel.
- Persecution Flip: Opposite-sex relationships are taboo in Berlin.
- Police Are Useless: 'Lily Law' appear a few times throughout the novel, but never manage to accomplish anything but arresting an innocent Howard. This sends Howard into a state of deep paranoia, which culminates in him joining a terrorist group.
- Pride Parade: The largest event of the year, serving as a national holiday. The Pride celebrations are central to the later stages of the story.
- Queer Romance: Millions of couples in the Gay Republic.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech:
- Kenneth Luvvie's radio broadcasts are this to the straight world and its relentless persecution of gay people:Yet to those homophobes I say: you can never win. Even when we were arrested for loving one another, you didn't win ... You didn't win because you never stopped it. You never stopped us. Despite the laws and sermons, despite the mobs and police and prisons and death camps, you could never stop us from loving one another. The whole force of your churches and your states could never stop fruits from coming together. That is how weak you are. That is how strong we are.
- After Gareth's very sudden death, William returns to their apartment and tearfully says everything he never got to say while Gareth was alive – not all of which is flattering.
- Kenneth Luvvie's radio broadcasts are this to the straight world and its relentless persecution of gay people:
- Stepford Suburbia: William's hometown. Though it's pleasant on the surface, for a queer teenager it's a menacing and claustrophobic experience.
- Straight Gay: Much of the city’s populace.
- Trans Tribulations: A central theme to the novel. Trans and other gender-nonconforming residents are sidelined, mostly living in the district of Remould.
- Utopia: Subverted. Proud Pink Sky is an ambitopia, combining the extremes of utopia and dystopia.
