Writer of Stories.

Writer of Stories.

Monday, September 1, 2014

Gay Main Characters in YA

It's incredibly disappointing that when you walk into a Barnes & Noble or a Books-A-Million you can rarely find LGBT young adult books in stock. Most of the books I've read that have a gay or lesbian or transgender (the list goes on) character as the MAIN character can only be found online. If you're lucky enough to have an independent bookstore near you - one that's not close-minded about subject matter - it might not be as hard to drop in and pick up a copy of the story you're looking for, but I don't have that luxury. I've seen the movement for diversity in YA grow tremendously in the past few years, so I'm proud to say that I can be a part of that movement. I applaud anyone that includes diverse characters in their novels. When I wrote Small Circles, I knew it wouldn't be taken very well by friends and family, especially seeing that I live in the Bible Belt of the country. But I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that it was my job to push it into the laps of the ones that needed it. I HAD to write that story, because there are kids in Tennessee, just like in LA or New York, that are struggles with defining themselves and being told that who they are is wrong. It's sickening, but it's true. I can only imagine how hard it must be to go into a bookstore and be slammed with books about straight white people all the time. How can they identify with the book if they have to keep reimagining the characters to match what they feel inside? There are lots of great YA titles that include LGBT characters, but they're secondary. They're the friend or the brother. They don't carry the plot line. I want that to change.

So, if you're looking for a book that suits you more relatively, here are several LGBT themed novels that I adored. And by the white, I'm a straight white female. I was incredibly moved by every single one of these, so I know if you're going through similar situations, it will move you even more.

















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