I thought Pride Month would be a good opportunity to talk about my love of gay literature. I couldn't say why, exactly, I enjoy gay literature enough that I actively seek it out. Perhaps the explanation is in the fact that I love all forms of love stories, and am fascinated by the particular difficulties that homosexual love must endure. Love overcoming odds is undoubtedly one of the oldest and most pervasive theme in literature and media, and the modern addition of homosexuality has made the subject fresh and relevant. And perhaps that is why gay literature, particularly for young adults, has seen a huge amount of growth in recent years.
And yet despite my interest, I have never been comfortable with the term "gay literature", because it has always sounded to me as though my books are sexually attracted to books of the same gender. If one follows that thought to the next logical conclusion, what if they start breeding?
Come to think of it, maybe that is not such a bad idea. I don't know of any other way to get free books.
Joking aside, it is a good question. What is gay literature? Can all literature that features gay characters be considered gay literature? Harry Potter is not considered gay literature, despite that Dumbledore was rather famously outed several years ago. Are the requirements, then, that the main character must be gay? Or perhaps that homosexuality have a direct effect on the plot and the actions of the characters?
By that reasoning, would books that feature straight characters whose heterosexuality directly effects the plot appropriately be called "straight literature"? If so, than the entire genre of romance would be straight literature, because in my three years of paging I have yet to see a book about a gay couple categorized as romance. Even those romance books featuring biracial couples are shockingly few, and they make a tediously big deal about it. I swear, when Harlequin publishes a gay story, I will start consuming pulp romance.
In the meantime, I will stick with the infinitely more well written books I am already reading. Perhaps the best "gay literature" I have read would be Sarah Winter's Fingersmith, though I hesitate to call it gay literature at all, because the romance is secondary to the intrigue, subterfuge, espionage, and mistaken identity. In fact, I'm not sure I would recommend it anyone looking for gay literature; rather I would recommend it for readers that are attracted to the image of morally questionable characters skulking in the grimy, fog-filled streets of Victorian London.
If you would prefer something more traditional, Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters deals with the issues facing a lesbian couple in high school as they overcome homophobia from their peers and relatives. Also relating to GLBT issues, Peters' Luna portrays the struggles of a transgendered youth from the perspective of her sister, and exceeds Keeping You a Secret in writing quality, in my opinion.
Also one of my new favorites is Maureen Johnson's Bermudez Triangle, though I consider this more a moving story of friendship than romance. And as always, Johnson is an incredibly funny writer.
But if a picture book is what you are looking for, I suggest Uncle Bobby's Wedding by Sarah S Brannen. It is exactly what you think it is. A little girl participates in the wedding of her favorite uncle Bobby and Bobby's new husband Jamie. Oh, and they are guinea pigs. So cute!
Happy Pride Month!
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