LGBTQ YOUTH IN ADOLESCENT LITERATURE

Representation of LGBTQ Youth in YA Literature

• How is the LGBTQ community represented?
• Why does it matter?
• What can we do about it?

How is the LGBTQ community represented in young adult literature?

First off, what is LGBTQ?

• L - Lesbian
• G - Gay
• B - Bisexual
• T - Transgender
• Q - Queer or Questioning

From 1969 to 2004, 5 YA books that featured LGBTQ characters (whether main or secondary) were published each year, totaling 200 books (Cart and Jenkins, xv).
In 2011, that total had increased to 400 (Lo, "I Have Numbers").

For a frame of reference, there are currently more than 250,000 YA titles available on Amazon.com.
That means less than 1% of adolescent literature features LGBTQ characters.

Until 1995, most LGBTQ characters in YA literature either moved away to the "Big City," or they were killed off during the narrative (Banks 33, 35).

More recently, LGBTQ characters are allowed to live, but they are most often relegated to acting as secondary characters.

LGBTQ People as Secondary Characters

• LEIGH, Crank
• PATRICK, Perks of Being a Wallflower
• LUNA, Luna

Other times, characters' orientations are not acknowledged at all, leaving readers to guess at the truth or assume their heterosexuality.

In an interview with J.K. Rowling after the release of the final HARRY POTTER book, the author stated that Dumbledore was gay, and that his unrequited love for a fellow wizard was his "great tragedy" (BBC).

How different would the series be viewed if Dumbledore's sexuality was directly addressed?

This is not to imply that there are no LGBTQ protagonists. In the last ten years alone, many novels with gay main characters have been published.

LGBTQ People as Protagonists

• WILL, Will Grayson, Will Grayson
• HOLLAND, Keeping You a Secret
• NICOLA, Empress of the World

Typically, however, the main conflict in the novel is the character dealing with/realizing their sexuality, or the fallout associated with coming out.

"While these conflicts may be 'realistic,' they are also reductive when rendered as a canon of available literature, suggesting that the experiences of being queer are only about these personal conflicts, not about larger issues or more complex experiences with the world" (Banks 35).

So why does it matter?

This underrepresentation of LGBTQ youth is a result of culture-wide heteronormativity. Heteronormativity is "the concept that heterosexuality is normal and homosexuality is not" (Blackburn and Smith 625).

"When understood as normal, straightness escapes criticism and as such takes on invisibility, positioning all other orientations as abnormal or deviant" (626, 627).

Representation in one's culture is crucial - both to the minority and the majority.
Literature is one of the first places kids see others like themselves.

"Learning to read is always about more than just 'word calling'; it is about the ways that we learn the language for describing ourselves, for narrating ourselves into existence, for articulating our needs, values, and VALUE in the spaces that we need to survive in" (Banks 34).

The landscape of adolescent literature is changing quickly, but what can we, as educators, do in the meantime?

Steps Forward (Banks 36; Crisp and Znezek 76, 78)

• Don't wait for better books.
• Choose books that represent a wide range of LGBTQ characters.
• Choose novels with LGBTQ protagonists.
• Offer books with a wide range of scenarios.
• Dissect the novels as thoroughly as you would a book about race or class.

To conclude, yes, the LGBTQ community is underrepresented in adolescent literature at the moment, but the availability of LGBTQ texts is increasing rapidly. In the meantime, it is up to teachers to incorporate what texts are available to give kids a full picture of the LGBTQ community.

Works Cited
- Banks, William P. “Literacy, Sexuality, and the Value(s) of Queer Young Adult Literatures.” The English Journal, 98.4 (2009): 33-36. JSTOR. 19 Nov. 2014.
- Blackburn, Mollie V., and Jill M. Smith. “Moving Beyond the Inclusion of LGBT-Themed Literature in English Language Arts Classrooms: Interrogating Heteronormativity and Exploring Intersectionality.” Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 53.8 (2010): 625-634. JSTOR. 21 Nov. 2014.

Works Cited (cont.)
- Cart, Michael, and Christine A. Jenkins. The Heart has its Reasons: YA Books with Gay/Lesbian/Queer Content 1969-2004. Lanham: Scarecrow Press, Inc. Print.
- Crisp, Thomas and Suzanne M. Knezek. “Challenging Texts: ‘Just Don’t See Myself Here’: Challenging Conversations about LGBTQ Adolescent Literature.” The English Journal, 99.3 (2010): 76-79. JSTOR. 19 Nov. 2014.

Works Cited (cont.)
- “J.K. Rowling Outs Dumbledore as Gay.” BBC News. BBC, 27 Oct. 2007. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
- "I have numbers! Stats on LGBT Young Adult Books Published in the U.S. – Updated 9/15/11." Malinda Lo. Malinda Lo, 2000. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.