Dear lord I just found this thread and can I just say that I'm in love with it
Everything here is so heartwarming and everyone is so supportive and brave this gave me life
Also, aside from Christian people who are LGBT+ but still have faith, I think it would also be really cool to see more Muslim/Islamic queer characters, or even Buddhist/ other religions
Thank you for this beautiful, beautiful thread people
You're welcome, Topaz!!!
Kinda off topic (but not really I guess?)….
What do y'all think (especially those of you still in the closet) about specifically stating a character is LGBTQA+ on the dust cover of a book? I myself tend not to check out books that have a character's sexuality or gender mentioned on the dust cover in case my parents open it, but at the same time if I'm specifically looking for a book about LGBTQA+ characters, I have to use dust covers. And sometimes I just don't give a crap and put the book under some other books once I get home.
The Stonewall Award, however…that is a lot harder to hide than a dust cover, and the fact it's given to outstanding LGBTQA+ stories, means some closeted kids may not be able to access them without endangering themselves, and then miss out on a book about someone like them.
I completely agree, and I feel like there should be some sort of subtlety in the title as much as possible, so that closeted kids can read it without fear of being found out. The good thing about the pride flag is that since it's rainbow, you can easily pretend the rainbow-coloured cover of your book has more to do with art/happiness/whatever than pride. But on the other hand, isn't it important for LGBT+ books to have a firm standing and not try to hide?
Unfortunately, there are a lot of homophobes in this world and that would mean that kids could miss out on outstanding books, like you said. My personal opinion is that it's the safest option to be subtle until the world catches up, because once a cover and a title have been set, there are so many limitations for the kids, teens, and even adults who just want to read about struggles like theirs, to feel like they belong. The Stonewall award is tricky though, I have no idea what a solution to that might be. My old school used to have this amazing librarian who made the library the LGBT+ safe space, started an undercover Pride Club ("geography club"), and had a little code for kids who were looking for queer books. She outfitted a lot of these books with versions of dust covers that weren't as big a giveaway, and was generally a blessing.
OH MY STARS THAT'S AMAZING!!!!!!
My public library has book lists that you can take labelled like "LGBTQA Fiction/Nonfiction", "Fantasies to read if you liked HP and LotR," etc. And during pride month they had LGBTQA books in like a 'spotlight' area.
My school library doesn't really have anything, but it's more of a mismatch of a TON of books, some of which should not be in an 8/9th grade library, like Deadpool comics. One kid said they had a copy of IT for a few years before someone complained about it. And they have Anne Rice vampire books.
I mean, I picked up a book called "The Love Interest" (didn't read it tho) that, based off the dust cover summary, seemed to be a "Bad Boy and Nice Guy compete for Hot Girl" and idk why, but something set off my Not-Straight Sensor and I opened it to the back and the two guys got together!! That's a good way to do a subtle summary/cover.
And then I read one called "Out Of Left Field" where the MC's bff whose name I can't remember is a major character and a likeable character, and like nothing is mentioned about her sexuality besides a passing comment that her ex wanted to ask her for advice since she's not straight, and I was like, THAT'S a good job of not making a character's sexuality their main trait!
To the individuals talking about creating stories that closeted people can read safely, Here's a few ideas:
Current Character List for my story (Name still being tweaked, along with the characters, ages shown are from the view of page one, book one) (Order of things: Name, sexuality, race, nationality/ where they were born, age, religion):
Sorry for the huge post but if anybody wants to comment on any of my characters, go for it, and if you want to do the same for any advise or to just share, go for it. Really love this community.
whoah that's a really impressive list
Nice list!
I have:
Jonathan Marcus Revis: Biromantic bisexual
Margaret Anne Lewis: Demiromantic pansexual
Joan Cecelia Walters: Biromantic asexual
Samuel James Shafton: Biromantic asexual
Therese Elena Warren: Homoromantic demisexual
Nella Natalia Walters: Homoromantic asexual
Nicholas Jason Fox: Aromantic asexual
Darius Edmond Scott: Biromantic bisexual
Winifred Winona Collins: Demiromantic demisexual
Oliver Benedict Warren: Grayromantic graysexual
Amira Madelyn Lewis: Lesbian
Sara Victoria Aries: Lesbian
Fern Annette Raleigh: Biromantic demisexual
Huxley Tristan Descant: Biromantic demisexual
Asher Roan/Oberon Marlott: Aromantic asexual
Ayla Cressida Thorn: Polyromantic polysexual
Caroline Alice Kitson: Lesbian
Leah Katrina Cobalt: Demiromantic demisexual
Isabelle Elise Collins: Panromantic pansexual
Stephen Thomas Erikson: Demiromantic bisexual
Jayson Alexander Brecker: Biromantic demisexual
Francesca Marian Collins: Biromantic bisexual
andrew (Our Supreme Lord and Overseer) Joseph Robertson: Biromantic demisexual
Talia Mary Brecker: Aromantic asexual
Della Maria Hernandez-McCarthy: Biromantic bisexual
Teagan Minh: Panromantic pansexual
Erica Frances Lowe: Lesbian
Theodore Edmund Lowe: Biromantic asexual
amy (the most wonderful woman in the world) Sonya Connors: Panromantic asexual
Daniel Matthew Hernandez-McCarthy: Gay
Cash (No surname yet): Panromantic pansexual
Geneva Abigail Weston: Aromantic bisexual
Jackson Jacob Gavel: Aromantic pansexual
Martha Amelia Abbott: Homoromantic asexual
Maxwell Darby: Demiromantic demisexual
Alice Bethany Lowe: Biromantic bisexual
Morgan Grace Gavel: Lesbian
Love that list, things I really like in movies and books personally though is when it isn't obvious, or if it's implied but not said. Love it when sexuality is represented or shown, but in my stories at least, I sort of want to try and make sexuality and gender that isn't cis or straight normalised. There are maybe 3 characters in my story that I will probably write saying their sexuality at some point, mainly because the main is somewhat battling with his bisexuality, his boyfriend who is gay, and maybe another if it is relevent. But I won't hide their sexualities. Jack who is asexual loves to build and design incredible buildings and structures, despite being homeless and having ADHD which makes this love quite difficult. He has an aesthetic attraction in that he 'likes' to be around certain people more than others, but he doesn't want to be with anybody (however he can have a romantic attraction, and has before, but he finds this to be quite rare). If I wanted to say this then I'd probably bring it up in conversation in a way like, if they were talking about previous exes, and it came to him I'd imagine him saying, "I actually really loved my ex-girlfriend. She had an amazing way with words, every one seemed to curl at the end with excitement. She had this way about her, like you could just run up and cuddle her all night… but she wanted something that I didn't, she didn't understand, so she left." - "What do you mean?" - "I don't know. I guess she loved me in a way that I couldn't understand, and I loved her in a way that wasn't enough for her."
I like this in books just as much. But, I think you should try to either show, say or refer to their sexuality at some point. Not like how JK Rowling does it, with the same case, she has stated that Charlie Weasily is asexual, but with no written or shown proof. It's nice, but it doesn't feel real. Anyway this is just my opinion haha :P
Yeah I feel like it's fine if an author says "Oh Character X is gender/sexuality/romantic orientation" but only like as a clarifier. Like, if people were wondering if a character was bi or gay, or pan or bi I would confirm it, but while some character's sexuality is shown more than others (Jon's been in unrequited love with a male friend of his, Meg has an ex boyfriend and an ex who's genderqueer, Nell and Therese are together, Jo and Samuel discuss if they want their relationship to be anything but romantic, Nich talks about how he doesn't get why people want to have romantic/sexual relationships, and Oliver frequently mocks the fact that he's viewed as 'Twyllo's Most Eligible Bachelor' by some people and says he doesn't love anyone but Emily).
Yeah! And irl, I'm biromantic, but I came out to my mum, brother and a few mates as Bisexual, because to me the sex part is between me and my partner. After that, I made a decision to be open, but not loud (unless at pride :P). I've just started Uni, and I've not hid it or said it. So I'll talk to a new mate of mine about boys because she has a boyfriend and it's what's come up. The other day there was a survey for specifically straight individuals so I verbally said, damn I can't get any credit from that then, and moved on, without being asked or saying anything else. Little things like this make a person openly gay/bi etc without them declaring it. With other mates I am very loud because they are loud too, for example my bisexual mate and I are constantly talking about girls and guys, and I once mentioned that I don't really see somebody and think that I'd have sex with them, or that I'd want to, it's just that I see them and want to 'be' with them romantically. She said something like, "Huh. I don't really get that but you agree she's cute as hell right?" - "Oh yeah she's fricken adorable."
It's easy to make things subtle, while saying "This person is gay etc." and if somebody relates to that short statement, then that's everything.
Hey, just wanted to say that I found 2 books with pan characters! Can't vouch for quality as I haven't read them, but they're "The Up Side Of Unrequited" by Becky Albertelli (??? The "Simon VS" lady) and "Ship It" by Britta Lundin
That's awesome!
And I found a book with an ace and I think also aro protag? It's the second "Gentleman's Guide" book.
Up Side has a WOC pan love interest and Ship It has a WOC homoromantic pansexual love interest.
Me personally would like to see a bisexual, but I never really here a lot of stories about a non-binary Pan-sexual.
Hey guys, I'd like to ask random questions now and then in the forum and I really encourage everybody else to as well so that people who don't directly relate to this conversation or forum can still write LGBT characters :P . So, if you guys want to ask or answer, go for it.
awesome
I hope this hasn't been asked yet, but have any of you ever read a book about a blind queer character? bc there's already enough 'blind people can't fall in love' hate, I imagine it would probably be doubled if the person was blind
I'm writing a story with a deaf asexual character, and one of my characters was going to be a blind lesbian but I found it difficult to write from her perspective. Instead, I gave her a prosthetic arm.
That’s so cool! And yeah that makes sense, writing from the perspective of someone gpimg through stuff completely different from you is hella tough
So in other words, I've tried to make a blind queer character but gave up because it was super difficult.
At least you tried, that’s what counts, and I’m sure they’re amazing regardless of blindness