Coming of Age and Coming Out: Representations of Gays and Lesbians in Young Adult Literature Rob Linné Reprinted from Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education Fall 1996, pp. 71-87.
Two Introductory Thoughts
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services gay and lesbian young people comprise one of our most "at risk" student populations. One in three gay identified teenagers drop out of school before graduation, at least in part in response to hostile receptions at school or in the home. Sexual-minority youth are subjected to verbal harassment or physical violence more often than their straight peers, and one in four face family rejection or conflicts severe enough to force them out onto the streets. Faced with such challenges from society, gay adolescents turn to drug or alcohol abuse in disproportionate numbers, and they attempt suicide at alarming rates (Gibson, 1989).
The National Education Association (NEA, 1991) urges educators concerned about these statistics to make schools more responsive to the needs of our sexual-minority students. As educators in a diverse society, we should (1) question any assumptions that all of the students sitting in our classes are straight, (2) counter heterosexist violence and speech as we would counter racism, sexism, or anti-semitism, and (3) construct honest curricula inclusive of voices that speak of gay experiences and contributions.
The Need for Inclusion
The young people I work with at Out Youth Austin, a gay and lesbian youth center located in the heart of the city, highly value movies and music. Hollywood and MTV doubtless hold sway over most American youth, but the popular arts play a particularly significant role in the lives of gay adolescents. Out Youth teens seem to be among the first in line when movies with "gay voices" open in Austin; they argue over the authenticity of the new gay characters on television programs like My So Called Life or Friends; and the rec room stereo continually blasts songs by gay icons from Morrisey to Madonna. Living in a society that tacitly denies their existence, sexual-minority youth embrace any work of art that acknowledges their being. Through the ubiquitous media, young gays and lesbians seek answers to questions about their identities that usually remain unanswered by the adults in their lives.
But American pop culture is an insubstantial guide for a teen working through adolescence while juggling issues of the closet, fears of gay bashings, and questions about intercourse in a dangerous age. The conspiracy of silence surrounding the issue of queer sexualities denies questioning youth literally vital information and guidance. Without accurate facts and accessible role models, a young person must to navigate the difficult transition from youth to adulthood in the dark.
For years, librarians have understood the role literature can play in at least partially filling this void (Woog, 1995). Young people curious about their sexualities often begin their search for self-understanding by perusing library shelves or bookstores for texts that offer some clues. Most gays and lesbians can tell stories about the first time they surreptitiously looked up "homosexual" in an encyclopedia or health textbook or the first time they snuck a peek at an adult magazine. These sources are obviously inadequate because they seldom discuss relationships or love, limiting homosexuality to a clinical construct having to do only with sex. But quality fiction and non-fiction can shade in the outline of what "gay" means and help the young reader begin the project of individuation based on reliable knowledge and positive images. Librarians and teachers who keep such literature readily available and openly displayed offer their students a safe place to explore their sexualities.
If, however, the rationale for inclusion stops here&emdash;with the needs of the gay-identified student&emdash;we risk the continued marginalization of our sexual minority youth by suggesting that texts with gay and lesbian voices are merely something for "those" students. Imagine the effects of a teacher who promoted Alice Walker's The Color Purple (1982), as a book for African-American students to read, or as a "girl's book" the females in the class might enjoy, or, since same-sex love is central to the narrative, as a book for only African-American lesbians. Ridiculous? Of course. If that reasoning held, only our gay students should be reading William Shakespeare's sonnets or Walt Whitman's free verse.
Young people who experience literature from a variety of perspectives are enriched with an expanded field of vision. They find universal themes regardless of their class, ethnicity, gender or sexuality. Teachers have documented successes exploring literature inclusive of gay voices, both "classic" texts closeted within the canon and relatively new works written exclusively for adolescent audiences ( Boutilier, 1994; Greenbaum, 1994; Hoffman, 1993; Phifer, 1994). Nancy Boutilier found her students respondeding to lesbian narratives with "thoughtful reflection, reexamination of beliefs, and lively discussions" (p. 138). Marvin Hoffman had to reconsider his own assumptions about the ethnically diverse population of his school when his fears of hostile reactions to an openly gay text were calmed by the support of "enlightened parents, who may represent the true silent majority of our schools" (p. 57). Though resistance from some outside the classroom remains a concern for many, teachers can now count on the education community at large for support in diffusing censorship conflicts. The NEA and other major educators' unions, the NCTE, the ALA, the American School Counselor Association, PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), as well as progressive religious organizations and clergy all offer resources and assistance for educators seeking to create an inclusive environment in the schools. (A list of resources follows this article.)
In fact, lack of information may be the greatest obstacle to a gay-friendly curriculum. Most teachers advocate equity in the schools once they, themselves, are educated, but few are aware of all the works dealing with issues of sexuality available to young people . At least 75 books have appeared in this subgenre since the emergence of the young adult problem novel 25 years ago. Publishers know that a the sexual minority market exists, but many educators lag behind on this issue.
As with all young adult literature, however, one must examine this body of work before using it in the classroom. Many teachers may be unaware of some of the issues and themes unique to the subgenre. For example, much of the work is plagued by clichés that could lead a young reader to misinformed or limited conclusions about gay life. According to the content analysis study Christine Jenkins (1993) conducted, gender, class and ethnicity are not represented with balance. After reading young adult books, one might assume that to be gay is to be young, wealthy, suburban, white and male. Not enough books include lesbian characters, fewer people of color, and of course, even fewer ethnic minority lesbians. Moreover, this fictional universe of rather limited demographics repeats a few telling patterns of plot. For example, in many of the earlier books, one of the gay characters usually pays for his orientation with an early death. Another standard plot device involves a girl's unrequited (or "wasted") love for a gay boy. But male characters seldom fall for gay-identified girls. Such limitations are important factors to consider when evaluating new books for the library or classroom use. Jenkins suggested that one adopt the criteria of "realism, balance, and diversity" (p. 53) when evaluating young adult literature in this area.
Striking a Balance
The last few years have witnessed an increase in the quality and quantity of books published for adolescent gays and lesbians. Several represent improvements in this body of work in that they include more diverse casts of characters and avoid the predictability early plots often slipped into.
Kate Walker's Peter (1993), an ALA Best Book and an Australian Children's Book of the Year finalist, explores the issue of stereotypes and the limits labels impose. Peter is in many ways like all the other young boys in his school. He enjoys riding bikes with his friends and flirting with the girls in his class. But in many ways he feels different from his peers. He is sensitive and enjoys photography as much as athletics. As he begins to contemplate his emerging sexuality he faces pressures to conform from the males in his life&emdash;from the boys in his peer group, his older brother, and his father. His impulses to act in ways other than the norm cause him to contemplate the constructs of masculinity and different sexualities and to wonder which categories he fits into:
Eventually Peter finds guidance from his older brother's gay friend and a phone counselor manning a teen crisis hotline. The counselor encourages Peter to view the restrictions or labels others are attempting to place on him as social constructions rather than universal truths:
Diana Wieler's Bad Boy (1989), the Canadian Young Adult Book of the Year, explores these same issues from a different point of view: a straight-identified male jock perspective. A. J. Brandiosa, a small-town Canadian hockey player, struggles to understand his own sexuality and sense of masculinity after he discovers Tulsa (or Tully), his lifelong best friend, is gay. A. J. reacts at first with denial, then rage, then ultimately acceptance.
A. J. initially fears that his love of Tully may open a door to the possibilities of his own homoerotic feelings. He represses his emotions and turns his fear into violence. With the encouragement of his coach, A. J. becomes the "bad boy" on the ice, taking out opposing players with cheap shots and earning a reputation as someone to be feared. A. J. desperately attempts to deflect cathexis away from Tully, and his homophobia eventually leads him to attempt the rape of his best friend's sister:
A. J.'s paranoid attempts to prove his manhood are signs pointing to the easy path many young males take to identification&emdash;the positioning of the self as not feminine and not homosexual. Of course, this is a negative identification, and they expend a tremendous amount of wasted psychic energy maintaining the false polarities between male and female, gay and straight.
Ironically, Tully's lover Derek reacts to his own sexuality in much the same way; his repression also manifests itself as violence. Derek is a closeted, frightened young man who lashes out at those around him to project an image of manliness. He aggressively questions the sexuality of other boys as a pre-emptive defense lest anyone wonder about his own.
Derek's character represents a breakthrough in this subgenre because he, like the other characters in this novel, is obviously flawed. A preponderance of gay characters in the previous generation of young adult books were either saints or martyrs. Historically, representations of minority characters in literature (as well as other media) with revisionist aims tend to swing wildly from the demons or caricatures of the past to romanticized saints before settling into a more realistic multiplicity. The three-dimensional characters in the newer books suggest that young adult literature has reached a level of maturity and balance regarding sexuality. More evidence can be found in the trend toward novels that include gay and lesbian teen characters less as a central theme, than as a matter of course. Nancy Gardner's Lark in the Morning (1991) and Francesca Lia Block's Weetzie Bat (1989), an ALA Best Book, are two examples of books that blend gay characters into the milieu of young adult fiction naturally.
M. E. Kerr's Deliver Us From Evie, a 1994 ALA Best Book, breaks new ground with the portrayal of the colorful main character. Evie, a boisterous and strong-willed farm girl, deftly fixes broken machinery and is more comfortable in her work clothes than the dresses her mother wants her to wear. Evie adds depth and realism to this genre, paradoxically because she is, in part, a "stereotypical lesbian." By contrast, many earlier young adult books proffered the theme that gay people are just like you and me, only they love people of the same sex. (Always behind closed doors though&emdash;gay sensuality is seldom as explicitly portrayed as straight physical romance in young adult literature.) Authors took pains to ensure that male characters participate in "male activities" like sports or auto repair, while the female characters are careful not to act "too strong." The notion that all gay men are "sissies" or all gay women are "manly" is dispelled by the many non-stereotypical gay characters in the literature. This can, of course, be a healthy message. But because it was the only message it became problematic. Most gays and lesbians do comprise an invisible minority, indistinguishable from their straight peers. But some gay men decline to censor their feminine side and some gay women project a strong persona, just as many straight men choose to be artists or nurses and some straight women enjoy playing basketball on the weekends. Young adult literature should reflect this multiplicity. A literature that loosens rigid gender roles might encourage young people&emdash;gay and straight&emdash;to question sexist assumptions. Instead, the body of work, taken as a whole, too neatly packs all of the options young people can build identity with into two boxes, one marked "male" and the other "female."
Evie's brother Parr recognizes the double standard applied to people who cross these boundaries when he discusses Evie's identity with their mother.
Parr knows the answer to his rhetorical question is prejudice. Evie, however, does not allow society's duplicity to limit her choices, making her character a strong role model for all young people.
Picturing Diversity
Though the demographic makeup of fictional gay characters in young adult literature remains mostly white and suburban, a few recent additions to the shelves are more ethnically diverse. These works illustrate the unique insights and complications affecting life as a minority within a minority.
In Coffee Will Make You Black, ALA's Book of the Year in 1994, April Sinclair tells a coming-of-age story set on Chicago's Southside during the Civil Rights movement. Jean "Stevie" Stevenson, the young protagonist, is at first more concerned with her social life than the words of Matin Luther King Jr. or Malcolm X. But with Dr. King's assassination and the riots that burn through her neighborhood, Stevie's social reality is called into question.
Running parallel to Stevie's political consciousness raising is the plot line of her sexual awakening. As these two stories play out, interesting similarities and differences become evident in the experiences of ethnic minorities and sexual minorities. Both groups, it seems, are misrepresented by inaccurate media portrayals, yet even these half-truths take on importance for a silenced group. In the 60's, seeing a Black character on television was an event in a Black household:
With help from her family and community, Stevie resists hegemonic culture. She embraces the notion that "Black is Beautiful," stops straightening her hair, and tosses out her skin bleaches. These changes are more than superficial as they reflect deep changes in the way she embraces of her unique culture. Regarding questions of sexuality, however, Stevie's family and friends offer no help, only misinformation, folklore and fear:
Ethnic minority youth can depend on family and community to counter stereotypes and offer support, but sexual minority youth must search out their own positive role models.
Several new anthologies for young people present a wide range of ethnic characters. Growing Up Gay/Growing Up Lesbian: A Literary Anthology (1994) edited by Bennett Singer, includes a range from the polished prose of James Baldwin to the street poetry of a Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy rap. Several stories and poems collected here explore the joys and traumas of living in the borderlands sexual and cultural borderlands. In Life Lines, Gloria Anzaldúa writes about her relationship with another Latina in a "sea of white faces" ( p.90) at the University of Texas graduate school. Jesse Monteagudo takes the reader to Miami's Little Havana where "la familia comes first" (p. 162). And Dorothy Allison's poem "We All Nourish Truth With Our Tongues" contemplates life in the rural South where the speaker feels compelled to "root in the dirt our mothers watered" (p. 224).
Am I Blue? Coming Out From the Silence (1994), edited by Marion Dane Bauer, includes works by popular young adult authors including Lois Lowry, Jane Yolen, William Sleator and Bruce Coville. These newer stories, written for the sophisticated young people of today, refuse to condescend to the young adult audience. Several of the stories include strong sense of culture, but not from a patronizing perspective. For example, in The Honorary Shepherds by Gregory Maquire, two multi-ethnic young film students take a postmodern view of culture as they decide to rewrite the scripts handed down to them to suit their own subjectivities. Through art, they envision change in their world:
Many of these poems, short stories, and novels, coming from disparate places on the map, end up at the same point: Young gays can and should resist unhealthy facets of their cultures, but one's background can never be separated from the self. Though many have tried, it is impossible to leave family and upbringing completely behind by running away to New York or the nearest college town. Paradoxically, it may be easier on the psyche to re-work these cultural realities than to try to ignore them.
Toward Authenticity
The trend towards publishing collections of brief personal narratives written or told by young gays has proven effective in countering the inaccurate representations spread by the media. Two Teenagers in Twenty: Writings by Gay and Lesbian Youth (1994), Hearing Us Out: Voices from the Gay and Lesbian Community (1994), and Speaking Out: Teenagers Take on Race, Sex, and Identity (1993), all offer forums where young men and women relate their stories. These personal essays resound with an authenticity and sincerity often lacking in adult attempts at capturing the experiences of gay youth in fiction. As well, they seem more current and possibly more relevant to students of the 90's growing up during an American age of sexual detente.
For example, in much of the novel-length fiction, gay youth are limited to reactive or even passive roles in the conflicts sparked by society's homophobia. A standard plot relates the story of a youth who is "accidentally" outed and thrown into a situation where she or he must react to others, often alone or with a single friend. The thematic center of most early works in this subgenre is individualism. Though this may be a common scenario in many people's past, today's young men and women often have more options to affect their lives proactively with support from a community. Many young people are making the personal and political decision to be out earlier and in ways that would not have seemed possible just ten or even five years ago. Those who do choose to be out can find a larger net of community support&emdash;including local organizations, alternative media, and a prominent presence on the Internet&emdash;as they make this transition.
When young people share their own experiences of acting on their world in positive ways, they become, rather than victims, role models for resisting victimization. The real world accounts in Two Teenagers in Twenty recount the struggles of growing up gay, yet they also offer affirmation and rare practical advice. As one youth from Baltimore writes about his coming out,
Several of the young writers echo this endorsement of education as a means of empowerment. Such a message, coming from a peer group rather than adults, may hold more weight with many young people who have been let down by the adults in their lives:
Of course, the process is seldom worry-free. These accounts include some serious abuse by parents and educators, but they also demonstrate that young people can take control of their lives. Queer literature should avoid defeatist attitudes. Surprisingly, the youthful optimism of these personal narratives, many from young people who have endured too much abuse, offer a greater sense of affirmation than many of the works professionals create.
For example, Troix-Reginald Bettencourt's story runs full circle from helplessness to empowerment. After disclosing his sexuality, he was kicked out of his home and forced to quit school before a concerned priest suggested he contact the local gay youth group BAGLY (Boston Alliance of Gay and Lesbian Youth). There he found the support and education he needed to reverse his downward spiral. He began speaking at conferences and school assemblies and was soon invited to speak at the high school that earlier had expelled him. Eventually, he pieced his academic life back together and enrolled at Northeastern University:
Each time I see a young person at Out Youth Austin use literature as a bridge to the kind of self-reflection Troix writes of, I am reminded of the transformative power of stories and the power we hold as educators to choose whose stories get told. It is incumbent upon us to ensure that no one is silenced. No more secrets, no more lies.
A Selected Book List
Fiction
Baldwin, James. Giovanni's Room. Dial Press, 1956. Classic story of a young Black man abroad.
Bauer, Marion, (ed.) Am I Blue? Coming Out from the Silence. Harper Collins, 1994. Anthology of short stories by popular YA authors.
Block, Francesca Lia. Weetzie Bat. Harper & Row, 1989. A unique and hip book for reluctant readers. The series also includes Witch Baby (Harper Collins, 1991), Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys (Harper Collins, 1992), Missing Angel Juan (Harper Collins, 1993), and the coming out tale of Baby Be Bop (Harper Collins, 1995).
Chanbers, Aidan. Dance On My Grave. Harper and Row, 1982. A variety of literary styles used to tell powerful story of a relationship between two young men.
Flagg, Fannie. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. McGraw Hill, 1987. A hilarious Southern gothic with lesbian subtext.
Forster, E.M. Maurice. Penguin, 1975. Forster's classic novel was published posthumously.
Garden, Nancy. Annie On My Mind. Farrar Straus & Giroux, 1982. The best-known young adult book with lesbian protagonists.
Garden, Nancy. Lark in the Morning. Farrar Straus & Giroux, 1991. A school girl assists two young runaways.
Kerr, M.E. Deliver Us From Evie. Harper Collins, 1994. A farm family struggles to understand their colorful daughter.
Manrique, Jaime. Latin Moon in Manhattan. St. Martin's Press, 1992. A young writer struggling in New York City cannot escape Latino heritage.
Murrow, Liza. Twelve Days in August. Holiday House, 1993. A soccer player questions his homophobia when a new member of his team is mistreated.
Simon, Ken. Pizza Face: Or the Hero of Suburbia. Grove Weidenfeld, 1991. Most adolescents can relate to this protagonist and his pain of growing up sans popularity.
Singer, Bennett (ed.) Growing Up Gay/ Growing Up Lesbian: A Literary Anthology. New Press, 1994. Includes a wide range of literary styles.
Ure, Jean. The Other Side of the Fence. Delacorte, 1986. Two runaways&emdash;a straight girl and a gay boy&emdash;are changed by life on the streets.
Walker, Alice. The Color Purple. Pocket Books, 1982. Historic fiction set in Southern Black community.
Walker, Kate. Peter. Houghton Mifflin, 1993. A young boy struggles to define masculinity.
Wielder, Diana. Bad Boy. Delacorte Press, 1992. A hockey league backdrop for examination of friendship and homophobia.
Winterson, Jeanette. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit. Atlantic Monthly Press, 1987. The first novel from one of Britain's most influential writers.
Non-Fiction
Eichberg, Rob. Coming Out: An Act of Love. Dutton, 1990. Coming out letters from young people, as well as letters from parents.
Heron, Ann (ed.). Two Teenagers in Twenty: Writings By Gay and Lesbian Youth. Alyson Publications, 1994. Brief personal narratives written by gay youth.
Hunt, Morton (ed.). Gay: What Teenagers Should Know About Homosexuality and the AIDS Crisis. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1987. Vital information in lucid prose.
Jennings, Kevin. Becoming Visible: A Reader in gay and Lesbian History for High School and College Students. Alyson Publications, 1994. Historical readings that bring many people and events out of the closet.
Rench, Janice. Understanding Sexual Identity: A Book for Gay Teens and Their Friends. Lerner, 1990. A very readable resource for young people.
Sutton, Roger. Hearing Us Out: Voices From the Gay and Lesbian Community. Little, Brown and Company, 1994. A variety of voices illustrate the power of community.
For Teachers
Making Schools Safe for Gay and Lesbian Youth: Breaking the Silence in Schools and in Families. Massachusettes Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, State House, Room 116, Boston, MA 02133.
Malinowitz, Harriet. Textual Orientations: Lesbian and Gay Students and the Making of Discourse Communities. Boynton/Cook, 1995. Malinowitz explores relationships between current composition theory and issues of sexuality.
Harris, Simon. Lesbian and Gay Issues in the English Classroom. Open University Press, 1990. Supports theory with lots of practical advice.
Woodman, Jane (ed.). Lesbian and Gay Lifestyle: A Guide for Counseling and Education. Irvington Publishers, 1992. Important information for anyone working with youth.
Woog, Dan. School's Out: The Impact of Gay and Lesbian Issues on America's Schools. Alyson Publications, 1995. Examines issues from a variety of perspectives&emdash;student and teacher, gay and straight.
Resources
American Library Association Gay and Lesbian Task Force. 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611.
American School Counselor Association. 5999 Stevenson Ave., Alexandria, VA 22304; (703) 823-9800.
National Council of Teachers of English/ SLATE. 1111 Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801. (Intellectual freedom network.)
National Education Association, 1201 Sixteenth St. NW, Washington, DC 20036; (202) 822- 7730.
Youth Action Online. World Wide Web: http://www.youth.org/ Offers many helpful resources
and links.
Elight! World Wide Web: http://www.youth.org/elight/ An e-zine written by and for gay youth.
Works Cited
Bauer, M. (ed.), (1994). Am I Blue? Coming Out from the Silence. New York: Harper Collins.
Block, F. (1989).Weetzie Bat. New York: Harper Collins.
Boutilier, N. (1994). Reading, Writing, and Rita Mae Brown: Lesbian Literature in the High School. In L. Garber (ed.), Tilting the Tower: Lesbians Teaching Queer Subjects. New York: Rutledge.
Garden, Nancy. (1991). Lark in the Morning. New York: Farrar Straus & Giroux.
Gibson, Paul. (1989). Gay Male and Lesbian Youth Suicide. In Report of the Secretary's Task Force on Youth Suicide. Washington D.C.:U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Greenbaum, V. (1994). Literature Out of the Closet: Bringing Gay and Lesbian Subtexts Out in High School English. English Journal, 83: 71-74.
Heron, A. (ed.), (1994). Two Teenagers in Twenty: Writings By Gay and Lesbian Youth. Boston: Alyson Publications.
Hoffman, M. (1993). Teaching Torch Song: Gay Literature in the Classroom. English Journal, 79: 55- 58.
Jenkins, C. (1993). Young Adult Novels with Gay/Lesbian Characters and Themes 1969-92: A Historical Reading of Content, Gender, and Narrative Distance. Journal of Youth Services in Libraries, 7: 43-55.
Kerr, M.E. (1994). Deliver Us From Evie. New York: Harper Collins.
Kuklin, S. (1993).Speaking Out: Teenagers Take On Race, Sex, and Identity. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons.
National Education Association. (1991) Affording Equal Opportunity to Gay and Lesbian Students Through Teaching and Counseling: A Teacher's Handbook. Washington, D.C.: NEA.
Phifer, N. (1994). Homophobia: The Theme of the Novel, Jack. The ALAN Review, 21: 28-31.
Schwarz, G. (1995). Growing Up, Reaching Out: Multiculturalism Through Young Adult Literature and Films. The ALAN Review, 22: 40-42.
Sinclair, A. (1994). Coffee Will Make You Black. New York: Hyperion.
Singer, B. (ed.), (1994). Growing Up Gay/ Growing Up Lesbian: A Literary Anthology. New York: New Press.
Sutton, R. (1994). Hearing Us Out: Voices From the Gay and Lesbian Community. Little, Brown and Company.
Walker, K. (1993). Peter. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Wieler, D. (1989). Bad Boy. New York: Delacorte Press.
Woog, D. (1995). School's Out: The Impact of Gay and Lesbian Issues on America's Schools. Boston: Alyson Publications.