Reasons Writers Exclude Queer Characters: Debunked!
by Libertad Araceli Thomas
As an aspiring writer, over the past year I’ve heard and read perhaps a dozen reasons why some writers are reluctant to incorporate queer narratives in their work in progresses. I mean, I get it, writing characters outside of your comfort zone isn’t always easy. What do they always tell us, write “what you know”.
As unreal as it sounds a lot of people don’t know any Queer people personally and want to hold onto that excuse but in order to unlock something deeper from your writing, I think it can be a learning experience writing what you don’t know.
Don’t get stuck in a rut with bogus cop-outs. Let me share with you the most common excuses I’ve heard and some pointers on how to overcome them.
1.) I’m not sure I can make a queer person believable.
Wait a sec…Is that all? If this is your biggest issue allow me to politely tell you that it’s called research for a reason. This one is actually the easiest and funnest to fix.
Expand your world. Introduce yourself to some new people. Take a genuine interest in befriending people of different backgrounds with different experiences from your own. Chances are the only thing you’ll discover is that Queer folk are no different from straight ones.
Don’t we all stress about the future? Don’t we all have an unhealthy obsession with Doctor Who?(No??? Okay maybe that’s just me, lol) One thing is definitely for sure is that we all have dreams and aspirations. Don’t let the sexual orientation of your character/s hinder your chance to make an amazing story that doesn’t settle on stereotypical portrayals.
Sometimes working a queer presence in your manuscript is the easy part. Finishing that baby? Now that’s the hard part.
2.) My main character’s a POC/Disabled/Non-Christian. It seems like too much stuff for one book.
Sadly, I’ve heard thus more than once. The reason why it’s problematic is it assumes that only white, able bodied Christians can be queer. By excluding queer culture from a “non-default” narrative is to erase the struggles of a POC/Disabled/Non-Christian character dealing with sexual identity.
There are plenty of people that can identify with all four. Trust me when I say this, It’s not too much. Books that center on an Intersectional queer protagonist are few and far between. Instead of following “trends”, why not be a trailblazer? I promise that if you did, I’d be your number #1 fan.
3.) My story doesn’t call for it.
So what you’re saying is that your story demands that everyone be straight?
If your answer is yes, then there’s a huge chance your work in progress is “fantasy”, because no world that exists today is made up of only straight people.
If your answer is no then go back and ask yourself. Do all my characters have to be straight? After all, you do want your book to be realistic, right? Help normalize Queer identities the way we do straight ones and then just maybe this won’t have to be a thing that stands in your way in the future.
4.) I’m afraid of offending people who identify with the LGBTQIA+ community.
This one is reasonable. It’s something even I struggle with. There’s a certain level of fear that comes along with including narratives you don’t normally identify with yourself. Maybe you’ll write something that lots of people connect with and that’s all we want to do, right? Yet there is still a small chance you’ll make the mistake of upsetting a lot of readers and that’s not a fun experience.
The way I felt when I picked up a book called The Sisterhood by E-Fierce is a feeling I can hardly describe in just a few words. The main character was Afro-Latina, like me and was questioning her feelings for girls just like I did at that age. I can’t begin to imagine the impact that book could have made had It had been around when I was younger and I’m so glad it’s out there because often the Afro-Latinx narrative is missing from books.
Sexuality isn’t something we talk about in Latinx culture so girls like I was at that age have few outlets to express their feelings. So in conclusion to my point, there is no growth without the risk.
Tons of readers would rather someone try than to exclude it altogether. If you miss this time, who knows maybe your next swing could be better(Who am I kidding, it’ll definitely be better!) and I don’t know a reader alive who wouldn’t appreciate the effort.
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Libertad Araceli Thomas is one half of Twinja Book Reviews, a book blog that celebrates diversity. Between mastering her handstands and perfecting her butterfly kicks, she can be caught reading and promoting a good book!
Searching the Aisles for Girls Kissing Girls
by emily m. danforth
It’s nearly summer, and for me that always means more time to read and write: long mornings spent at my desk followed by endless hammock-afternoons spent with a stack of novels and a pitcher of iced coffee kept close. But in our house, summer also means movie nights. Lots and lots of movie nights. (I tend to indulge my love of horror films in the summer—I save them up all year and binge in June, July, and August. Usually my wife will not watch these particular movies with me, which means I end up scaring-myself alone.)
Cam Post, the first-person narrator of my first novel, The Miseducation of Cameron Post, is also a committed movie-buff. Though, for a variety of reasons, Cam’s tastes are wide-ranging and not always very discerning: she’ll rent just about anything from her local video shop, and she’ll probably end up watching it on repeat while she works on elaborate diorama scenes in a dollhouse her father built for her before his death.
It’s the late 1980s, very early 1990s, in that novel, and Cam’s only choice is to rent the movies she wants to see—streaming them onto a computer in the privacy of her bedroom is just not yet an option. And renting is something of an act of public declaration, in her small town: people, at least some people, know what she’s watching. And what she wants to watch, most, is queer content. In short: she wants to find more films about girls who like girls, or at least films about girls who don’t only like guys (romantically/sexually)—girls who break gender-norms; girls who might serve as a mirror for her own burgeoning identity.
Because of a long history of both overt-censorship of queer cinema and dollar-driven studio control of commercial filmmaking, there just aren’t all that many queer films for Cameron Post to choose from—at least not those available in her small town. And there are none (that she can find) about lesbian or bi-sexual or even questioning teenagers. Zero.
If you’re interested in a really fascinating and entertaining (and sometimes heartbreaking) look at the history (and censorship) of queer cinema, check out the documentary: The Celluloid Closet (based on Vito Russo’s books of the same name).
Of course, things have changed considerably (and for the better), in 25 years since Cam (and I) roamed the aisles of a small town video store. There are more LGBTQ characters on screens large and small—films, television series, web series—than ever before. Certainly there are still sometimes issues of problematic representation in some of these portrayals, but more and more, queer filmmakers and artists are finding ways to create and distribute moving-images that are true to their visions. Most of this work is still independently funded, and so sometimes the production values might not be what you’re used to—especially if you spend most of your time watching big-budget, Hollywood films; but the heart and singular, necessary voices in these films usually makes up for any technical deficiencies.
So, keeping all of that in mind, here’s my list of 10 personal favorite films and/or TV series featuring high school/early college-age girls who are in the process of discovering their lesbian/bisexual/queer/questioning identities and relationships. Some of them are quiet; some of them might now seem a little dated (but you can have fun mocking the fashion choices); some them are campy/silly; all of them are good options for summertime (or anytime, really) viewing. You should be able to easily find all of them online—many of them on Netflix.
Finally, many of these films contain brief scenes of nudity and/or sexual activity; they all also contain some profanity. You can find specific content breakdowns at IMBD.com if you’re curious/unsure if a particular film is a good fit for family viewing night, say. Most of them are unrated or rated PG-13, but both But I’m a Cheerleader and Pariah are (unnecessarily, frankly) rated R.*
*Note: You can learn more about the very problematic history of the American movie ratings board (and its continued bias against queer content) in the documentary This Film is Not Yet Rated—which, unsurprisingly, itself is rated NC-17, because in order to discuss why certain films have been rated certain ways by the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America), the filmmakers had to use explicit clips from those films in their own film.
- Show Me Love (Fucking Åmål) (1998) directed by Lukas Moodyson
A personal favorite teenage, girl-girl love story—probably because it’s the first film I saw that got it, for me, right. It’s Swedish, but even if you’re anti-subtitle, give this one a try. Show Me Love is a remarkable, quiet, beautifully constructed film about two teenage girls stumbling around questions of identity, social-expectations, labels, and, of course, love. (Also—it features a rather kick-ass (if ridiculous) 1990s soundtrack of pop-tunes, including the title track, Robyn’s infectious and oh-so-poppy, “Show Me Love.”) It’s just a sweet movie with a lot of heart.
- D.E.B.S. (2004) directed by Angela Robinson
Prep school girls trained as spies? A villain named Lucy Diamond? An illicit Sapphic romance between spy and con-woman? What’s not to love? D.E.B.S. is silly and campy and just a lot of fun. It’s also directed by a black, lesbian filmmaker who has consistently explored issues of queer sexuality/identity in her work.
- Girl Trash: All Night Long (2014) directed by Alexandra Kondracke (2014)
A musical! Also campy and a bit silly (written as a prequel to the web series of the same name). (Angela Robinson wrote this one.) The songs are very sing-a-longable and this one’s got a little of everything: rock bands and crime bosses and lots of girl-crushes. (And you’ll recognize the two stars of South of Nowhere—a 3-season TV series also on this list.)
- Mosquita Y Mari (2012) directed by Aurora Guerrero
This is a quiet, beautifully shot coming-of-age film about two Chicana high schoolers growing up in immigrant households in Los Angeles. This film deals with issues of class, cultural expectation, familial-ties, and the confusing and intense feelings of a powerful connection between two (at first) unlikely friends.
- Itty Bitty Titty Committee (2007) directed by Jamie Babbit
Directed by out filmmaker Jamie Babbit, this one explores a recent high school grad’s first experiences with radical feminism and political activism. (Though there’s plenty of time for romance along the way.) Some of the monologues in this film are a little heavy-handed, but it’s also a funny/angry/energetic (and sometimes tender) look at an activism-centered life.
- But I’m a Cheerleader (1999) directed by Jamie Babbit
Babbit’s first film, this is sometimes recognized as a “new-classic” of lesbian cinema. In it, high school cheerleader Megan is sent to a “sexual redirection” program to “learn to be straight.” There she, of course, falls in love with a girl. While much of the movie is played for laughs (it’s very campy—RuPaul even plays one of the counselors), Megan’s feelings of confusion and uncertainty—and her crush—are very real.
- Pariah (2011) by filmmaker Dee Rees. (*Rated R—this film includes scenes of homophobic violence, as well as several scenes of somewhat explicit sexuality/nudity)
The title tells you a lot. I debated including this film, given its intense emotional drama and difficult/dark subject matter. However, it’s a profound and very real examination of a teenager coming-out as queer in a black, Christian home in Brooklyn. It’s such a necessary film—and an exceptionally well-acted/well-shot one at that. To my mind, Alike’s coming-out scene is among the most powerful ever put onscreen.
And, just for fun, 3 TV series:
- Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
I mean, I had to include it, right? It was groundbreaking in its portrayal of complicated teenagers (and a host of hell-mouth monsters!) I say you binge all the seasons—and have fun laughing at the datedness of the early episodes, especially. But you can start on season 4 and Willow’s burgeoning relationship with Tara, if you’d prefer. (It begins in the episode title “Hush.”)
- Skins (UK)—season 3
I’ve not watched the US version, but the Naomi/Emily storyline in season 3 of the UK version blew me away, when I first watched it, with its authenticity and tenderness.
- South of Nowhere—all three seasons
So-Cal teen soap opera with plenty of lesbian/bi-sexual romance. What more do you need?
Let’s Take Queer YA Out of the Closet
by Vee S.
Authors, editors, and readers are important to the Queer YA community, but there’s another group that matters too: reviewers. We are lucky that there are so many fantastic reviewers reading, loving, and reviewing Queer YA books. But a growing number of reviewers have adopted a “code of silence” around queerness in the YA books they review. They are well meaning, but that code of silence is putting queer YA in the closet.
thingslucyreads posted this excellent video on what she calls Booktube’s “code of silence.” Luce says in her video that she’s noticed that in reviews of queer books, some people don’t mention the characters in them are queer. She’s talked about extremely popular books like Everything Leads to You on her Twitter and had others say, “what? that book has queer characters?” She goes through a number of reasons why this is a big problem. (Two other booktubers, Sam from Thoughts on Tomes and Adriana from perpetualpages have responded with videos of their own.)
This is such an important conversation to be having.
There are very few readers out there that know about all the great queer books that are available to them. There are a lot of people, including everyone here at GayYA, who are working to raise more awareness around those books. But there’s only so much that specific groups can change. The best way to really make a difference is equipping everyone in the book community with the tools to help support these books, and get the fact that they include queer characters out into the world. And it’s as simple as mentioning a character’s queerness in book reviews!
It seems like there are three big things that are stopping people from mentioning queerness.
- “It’s normal:” People have said that they don’t mention a character’s queerness because they see it as normal, not as something that attention needs to be called to. Unfortunately, we live in a world where it is not normal to see queer characters in mainstream media. Denoting a character’s queerness in a review is not pointing at them and saying “this isn’t normal!” it’s pointing at them and saying “this is normal but there isn’t enough of it, so I’m taking the opportunity I have to raise awareness around this book because it includes it.”
- Spoilers: There are definitely times when I like going into a book not knowing all of the character’s orientations and then discovering there’s a trans side character or the main character is gay. But there are two things that are more important than that enjoyment. When the character’s identity is treated as a spoiler, it sends the message that it should be seen as shocking. And when it’s made into something shocking, it suggests people need to be tricked into reading about someone who identifies that way. Sometimes a character’s identity is actually revealed in a book as shocking twist—that makes it easy to continue this cycle in reviews. In addition, not revealing an identity for fear of spoiling erases any likelihood of a queer teen finding this book who might desperately need it. There’s no need to go in depth about how that character identifies, how it impacts the story, or even who the character is. Just specify that there is a LGBTQIA+ character in it, and how they identify.
- Changing Minds: Another reason people decide not to disclose a character’s identity is the possibility that a bigoted person might end up picking up the book unknowingly, and have their mind changed. I unfortunately think this is very unlikely. When I was still bigoted about F/F relationships (I was confused about my own sexuality and didn’t want to accept that I liked girls), I read The Privilege of the Sword by Ellen Kushner. It was a good book and I enjoyed it and I connected to the characters, but as soon as it started leaning towards an F/F love story, I dropped it like a hot potato. What made the difference for me was entering into a community that talked about queerness openly and without shame. Though I am queer, I think the same thing would hold true for bigoted straight people. Though some of my discomfort stemmed from my not wanting to accept that I liked girls, much of it was solely from the anti-queer messages I got in my upbringing. Talking about these books openly and showing that you don’t think it’s wrong or something to be hidden, is a MUCH better form of combatting homophobia. Talking openly about queerness not only sends the message loud and clear to bigots that their viewpoints are not welcome, it’ll be making it possible for queer people to find these books. You’ll be prioritizing them over the bigots.
So, why is this such a big deal? Why is mentioning when a major character is queer so important?
There’s this idea that queerness doesn’t sell. This is a pervasive idea engrained in us all, and where this whole “code of silence” thing comes from. It’s not just on Booktube. It’s not just in book reviews. It’s everywhere.
It’s what’s caused so much queerness to be edited out of stories. It’s why queerness is left ambiguous in blurbs. It’s why we apparently can’t have gay dragons.
But it’s funny though, right? Because there are actually legions of people out there, LGBTQIA+ identified and not, that are frantically searching for these books. Who want them because they’re queer. (And who really, really want gay dragons. 😉 ) And yet, queerness is continuously erased, by editors, publicists, booksellers… and by us.
Our culture perpetuates the idea that all that is all there is out there for queer representation is sadness and angst, and uses this to justify the belief that queerness doesn’t sell. But sad and angsty stories are not all that is out there (anymore). And reviewers have the power to open people’s eyes! Recent releases like Everything Leads to You by Nina Lacour, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz, More Than This by Patrick Ness have more than sadness and angst. These books are really really good and have gotten a lot of acclaim in the book community. We really need to get the fact that these books have queer characters out to the world.
So we need to start spreading awareness in the book community about the fact that these books have queer characters. Because so many people want them, and aren’t finding them. So many people want to support them, but don’t know that they exist. So many people still aren’t able to find themselves represented. And so many people desperately need these books.
Reading a book that has someone like you in it is miraculous: it makes you realize you’re not the only one experiencing what you’re experiencing, and it gives you a chance to see what your life might be like beyond what you’re going through now. And, if it’s sci-fi or fantasy that’s inclusive of queer characters, you get a chance to escape! For queer teens, many of whom deal with unsupportive parents, bullying, or mental health issues, having that validation and the belief that there can be something better can be lifesaving.
I and many others are doing all we can to help bring awareness to great queer YA books, but to really make an impact, the entirety of the book community needs to hop on board. I’m not sure if denoting a character’s identity is the be-all-and-the-end-all of fixing things, but I think it’s a solid start. And, I’m so glad people are starting to talk about this. Thank you to Luce for courageously broaching this topic, and to Sam and Adriana to building off of it!
If you have more thoughts on this, drop them below! I look forward to conversing further.
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Vee S. spends their time writing, reading, hunting through queer book tags on tumblr, and keeping up with school. They’re a passionate feminist, a huge fan of actual representation in books and TV shows, and a lover of theatre, mythology, and biology. Vee is the admin and co-founder of GayYA.org. Find them on Twitter, Goodreads, or Tumblr.
Never Sellout Your Heart
by Adam Silvera
When my agent and I went on submission with More Happy Than Not, I expected editors to reject the book. I wasn’t wrong.
I’m not some pessimist who believed publishers would pass on my book simply because it was my book. This certainly isn’t the case for all the editors, but a couple of them—their names and houses to remain unnamed—didn’t think the character’s homosexuality was really the best move for this book and essentially wanted me to rewire my narrator’s heart.
More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera (SoHo Teen, June 2015)
In case you’re on the fence on why this really, really sucks, here’s my elevator pitch: 16-year-old Aaron Soto is considering a memory alteration procedure to forget he’s gay because being straight would prove less difficult in the South Bronx. If we strip away my character’s homosexuality, what’s left of Aaron’s story? We’ll be left with yet another amnesia book about a straight boy, that’s what. While I grew up on those novels, that’s not what I set out to write. It’s funny how those editors wanted to straighten out Aaron since it’s very reflective of what Aaron wants for himself within the book, and his insecurities were born because of outside pressures as such. We ultimately told those editors that Aaron stays gay and moved on.
Maybe I’m alone in this thought, but I understand I’m not writing books that are expected to become New York Times bestsellers because the life of a teenager confronting his sexuality just doesn’t have the same appeal to the masses as boy wizards and dragons do. This takes a lot of pressure off me as a writer, but that’s only because I’m on the other side of the gate with my book soon to be published. Before I got my book deal, there was definitely a temptation to write something more commercial (the dreaded C word of publishing). Writing about straight boy wizards and straight dragons would’ve been less stressful, I bet. (We’re to assume the dragons are straight, aren’t we? There’s no way in hell are people buying a book about gay dragons, nope, never, don’t even try it.)
If you’re like me with a story that was born from your own personal experiences, my big piece of advice to you is to never sellout your heart. There’s an alternate universe where Aaron Soto’s story was rewritten so he’s a straight boy due to Alternate Universe Adam’s impatience to be published or wanting a higher advance, and that makes me cringe like whoa. That alternate universe is especially hellish because this edition of More Happy Than Not that will be on shelves will be heartless, and Alternate Universe Adam won’t get a do-over to publish the story he first wanted to; once the book is on shelves, the book is on shelves.
I’m not promising happy endings in your journey to be published by simply being brave enough to write your story, but I am applauding you for battling through those doubts and temptations because we definitely need your voice added to the chorus. Rejections may be disheartening, but selling out is heartbreaking.
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More Happy Than Not will be GayYA’s June Book of the Month! Preorder a copy now (and get it personalized!), or make sure to pick one up when it hits stores June 2nd!
Tumblr Teens: BookMad for Diversity
by Manda/BookMad
“People talk about coming out as though it’s this big one-time event. But really, most people have to come out over and over to basically every new person they meet. I’m only eighteen and it already exhausts me.” – Everything Leads to You by Nina Lacour
This ongoing call for diverse characters—of all races, of all genders, of all sexual/romantic orientations, anything you can name under the sun—isn’t so widespread because readers are hungry for new and interesting characters to paint the ever-changing, complex fictional worlds they’ve built inside their heads. It runs much, much deeper than a natural curiosity or a desire for a change of scenery from the usual white/cis/straight oriented characters we’re all so accustomed to.
As a primarily YA book blogger, I get asked for book recommendations on a daily basis. The preferences of young readers have turned from generic lists of categories like “romance,” “adventure,” “paranormal,” “contemporary,” and “fantasy” to “What about books with asexual characters?” “What about books with male/male romance?” “What about books where the protagonist identifies as trans*?” “What about books with Mexican characters?” “What about books where the protagonist has bipolar disorder?” “What about books where the female protagonist likes to kiss girls and boys?” “What about books where the protagonist isn’t so sure of their romantic orientation?” And the list goes on and on for miles.
They all scream the same exact heartbreaking things.
“What about books that have characters like me?” “What’s wrong with me that I’m not like any of these characters?” “Am I not important enough to be represented?”
So no, this loud call for diversity isn’t about wanting our every whim catered to.
This is about changing lives.
This is about teaching self-love among the masses of people (especially teenagers) who go to bed every night feeling like they’re alone in the world because they’re perceived as “different” by their family and peers.
This is about opening minds.
This is about encouraging basic human empathy towards your neighbors—all of your neighbors.
This is about teaching acceptance of all identities, no matter which area of the person’s life it applies to.
This is about showing that a character doesn’t need to be white/cis/straight in order for them to be relatable—that readers can relate to someone regardless of the harmful stereotypes they may have built up in their minds about whatever race/gender/sexual orientation/etc they have hesitations about.
This is about proving to others that the accepted norm is not necessarily the default.
This is about being able to look around ourselves and realize that the world is so incredibly colorful and diverse and, as such, should be reflected within fictionalized worlds.
Growing up, fiction—especially young adult fiction—didn’t just give me a new and stimulating world to escape into for a few hours at a time. Young adult fiction helped me grow into the person I am today, and the few books I read with LGBTQA+ characters provided me with a sanctuary where I finally felt understood on a much more fundamental level. Most of all, those books helped me understand myself enough to embrace all the parts of myself that everyone around me seemed to be condemning without a second thought. For once, LGBTQA+ YA fiction gave me a place that I could call “home” even when I didn’t feel at home inside my own body and mind.
You think you’re exhausted from the constant call for diverse books?
Imagine how exhausted we are of having limited spaces to call “home,” when it seems like everyone else has a nice, comfortable space to call “home” almost everywhere they turn.
“There are worse things in the world than a boy who likes to kiss other boys.”
-Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
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Find Manda on her tumblr, BookMad.