Queer teen characters are no longer limited to coming-out stories. They are now able to deal with ordinary teen issues like dating without the added angst of struggling with their sexual orientation.That's always been one of my favorite things about books like Far From Xanadu. Once the coming-out (even to yourself) has been achieved, a gay or lesbian teen still has all the normal heartaches and headaches of growing up to handle, just like their straight counterparts. Finding common ground with somebody you never thought you could identify with is one of the jobs of literature.
The article also discusses the rising number of minority GLBT characters and how their culture and sexuality intersect (and in some cases, explode), plus a comparison of the different levels of explicitness in gay vs. lesbian novels.
Check out the article for more, and some great book suggestions.
2 comments:
I just finished the new MG book Slob by Ellen Potter. The main characters younger sister, who goes by Jeremy is part of a club at school know as GWAB - Girls Who Are Boys. They wear boys clothes, take on boys names and cut their hair short. It was a good secondary story line. There aren't many MG books that touch on gender non conformity.
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