{"id":2202,"date":"2022-06-05T18:06:32","date_gmt":"2022-06-05T17:06:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/learnaboutpod.com\/?p=2202"},"modified":"2022-09-02T22:55:39","modified_gmt":"2022-09-02T21:55:39","slug":"ep-119","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/learnaboutpod.com\/ep-119\/","title":{"rendered":"A Brief History of LGBTQ+ Young Adult Literature (Pride Month #5) (#119)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; next_background_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#ededed&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||70px||false|false&#8221; bottom_divider_style=&#8221;waves2&#8243; bottom_divider_height=&#8221;40px&#8221; bottom_divider_flip=&#8221;horizontal|vertical&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221;][et_pb_post_title author=&#8221;off&#8221; comments=&#8221;off&#8221; featured_image=&#8221;off&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; title_font=&#8221;|600|||||||&#8221; title_text_color=&#8221;#424242&#8243; title_font_size=&#8221;40px&#8221; meta_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; meta_text_color=&#8221;#9f9690&#8243; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221;][\/et_pb_post_title][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;EPISODE AUDIO + SHOW LINKS&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.1&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;40px||40px||false|false&#8221; z_index_tablet=&#8221;500&#8243; box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; box_shadow_vertical_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; box_shadow_blur_tablet=&#8221;40px&#8221; box_shadow_spread_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221;][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.47&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/learnaboutpod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/LLA-Instagram-2021-7.png&#8221; title_text=&#8221;LLA Instagram 2021 (7)&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.1&#8243; z_index_tablet=&#8221;500&#8243; border_radii=&#8221;on|10px|10px|10px|10px&#8221; box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; box_shadow_vertical_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; box_shadow_blur_tablet=&#8221;40px&#8221; box_shadow_spread_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.47&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Listen to this episode (text)&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.1&#8243; text_font=&#8221;|500|||||||&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#424242&#8243; header_3_font=&#8221;|600||on|||||&#8221; header_3_text_color=&#8221;#424242&#8243; header_3_font_size=&#8221;30px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;20px||||false|false&#8221; z_index_tablet=&#8221;500&#8243; text_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; text_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; text_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_3_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_4_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_4_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_4_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_5_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_5_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_5_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_6_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_6_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_6_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; box_shadow_vertical_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; box_shadow_blur_tablet=&#8221;40px&#8221; box_shadow_spread_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3>LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE<\/h3>\n<p>Listen to or download this episode right here on this page, or find more places to listen below.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code admin_label=&#8221;Audio&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221;]<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Embed Player\" src=\"\/\/play.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/23330393\/height\/64\/theme\/modern\/size\/small\/thumbnail\/no\/custom-color\/79a3c4\/download\/yes\" height=\"64\" width=\"100%\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"\" webkitallowfullscreen=\"true\" mozallowfullscreen=\"true\" oallowfullscreen=\"true\" msallowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border: none;\"><\/iframe>[\/et_pb_code][et_pb_divider divider_style=&#8221;dashed&#8221; divider_position=&#8221;center&#8221; divider_weight=&#8221;2px&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221;][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;More places to listen&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.1&#8243; text_font=&#8221;|500|||||||&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#424242&#8243; text_font_size=&#8221;20px&#8221; header_3_font=&#8221;|600||on|||||&#8221; header_3_text_color=&#8221;#424242&#8243; header_3_font_size=&#8221;30px&#8221; z_index_tablet=&#8221;500&#8243; text_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; text_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; text_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_3_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_4_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_4_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_4_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_5_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_5_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_5_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_6_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_6_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_6_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; box_shadow_vertical_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; box_shadow_blur_tablet=&#8221;40px&#8221; box_shadow_spread_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; global_module=&#8221;122&#8243; saved_tabs=&#8221;all&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3>More Places to Listen<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/learnaboutpod.com\/spotify\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Listen on Spotify<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/learnaboutpod.com\/itunes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Listen on Apple Podcasts<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/learnaboutpod.com\/destinations\/\">Other podcast players&#8230;<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">(Listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify? Please leave us a quick star rating and\/or review &#8211; it&#8217;d mean a lot!)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; prev_background_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221; next_background_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;NOTES, LINKS + CTT&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.1&#8243; background_color=&#8221;#ededed&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;70px||60px||false|false&#8221; top_divider_style=&#8221;waves2&#8243; top_divider_height=&#8221;40px&#8221; top_divider_flip=&#8221;horizontal|vertical&#8221; bottom_divider_style=&#8221;waves2&#8243; bottom_divider_height=&#8221;40px&#8221; z_index_tablet=&#8221;500&#8243; box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; box_shadow_vertical_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; box_shadow_blur_tablet=&#8221;40px&#8221; box_shadow_spread_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221;][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.1&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||||false|false&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.47&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;About the episode&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.1&#8243; text_font=&#8221;|500|||||||&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#424242&#8243; header_3_font=&#8221;|600||on|||||&#8221; header_3_text_color=&#8221;#424242&#8243; header_3_font_size=&#8221;30px&#8221; z_index_tablet=&#8221;500&#8243; text_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; text_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; text_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_3_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_4_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_4_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_4_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_5_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_5_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_5_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_6_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_6_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_6_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; box_shadow_vertical_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; box_shadow_blur_tablet=&#8221;40px&#8221; box_shadow_spread_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3>About the Episode<\/h3>\n<p>It&#8217;s officially Pride Month! In the first special Pride Month episode of 2022, Charlotte dives into one of her favourite things: queer YA literature. When was the first LGBTQ+ young adult book published, and how have they grown since?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Content warnings:<\/strong>\u00a0bullying, bigotry, suicide, homophobia<\/p>\n<p><b>Related episode: <a href=\"https:\/\/learnaboutpod.com\/ep-70\/\">History of the Pride Movement &amp; the Stonewall Riots (#70)<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.0.47&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Links &#038; Resources&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.1&#8243; text_font=&#8221;|500|||||||&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#424242&#8243; header_3_font=&#8221;|600||on|||||&#8221; header_3_text_color=&#8221;#424242&#8243; header_3_font_size=&#8221;30px&#8221; z_index_tablet=&#8221;500&#8243; text_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; text_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; text_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_3_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_4_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_4_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_4_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_5_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_5_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_5_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_6_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_6_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_6_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; box_shadow_vertical_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; box_shadow_blur_tablet=&#8221;40px&#8221; box_shadow_spread_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3>Links &amp; Resources<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/the-establishment\/the-critical-evolution-of-lgbtq-young-adult-literature-ce40cd4905c6\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Brief History Of Queer Young Adult Literature<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ncac.org\/update\/books-in-trouble-2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Books in Trouble 2 &#8211; National Coalition Against Censorship<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/libguides.library.ohio.edu\/LGBTQchildbks\/timeline\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Timeline &#8211; LGBTQ Children&#8217;s Books<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/scholar.lib.vt.edu\/ejournals\/ALAN\/v41n3\/garden.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LGBTQ Young Adult Literature: How It Began, How It Grew, and Where It Is Now<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.malindalo.com\/blog\/2012\/06\/from-problem-to-pride-a-short-history-of-queer-ya-fiction\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From Problem to Pride: A Short History of Queer YA Fiction<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/daily.jstor.org\/queer-ya-the-early-decades\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Queer YA: The Early Decades<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vulture.com\/2018\/06\/38-best-lgbtq-ya-novels.html\"><span>The 38 Best Queer YA Novels<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Click-to-Tweet&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.1&#8243; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221;]<\/p>\n<span class='bctt-click-to-tweet'><span class='bctt-ctt-text'><a href='https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Flearnaboutpod.com%2Fep-119%2F&#038;text=Learn%20about%20the%20history%20of%20LGBTQ%2B%20representation%20in%20YA%20%28young%20adult%29%20literature.&#038;via=learnaboutpod&#038;related=learnaboutpod' target='_blank'rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Learn about the history of LGBTQ+ representation in YA (young adult) literature. <\/a><\/span><a href='https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Flearnaboutpod.com%2Fep-119%2F&#038;text=Learn%20about%20the%20history%20of%20LGBTQ%2B%20representation%20in%20YA%20%28young%20adult%29%20literature.&#038;via=learnaboutpod&#038;related=learnaboutpod' target='_blank' class='bctt-ctt-btn'rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;PIN + FULL NOTES&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.1&#8243; background_enable_color=&#8221;off&#8221;][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.4.8&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;||0px|||&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.4.8&#8243;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/learnaboutpod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/119.png&#8221; alt=&#8221;Whether it&#8217;s a year-long excursion or a short city break, listen to this episode for tips on reducing costs, organising your trip, making the most of your time while you&#8217;re away, and more.&#8221; title_text=&#8221;119&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;Pinterest Image&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.1&#8243; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.4.8&#8243;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Text&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.1&#8243; text_font=&#8221;|500|||||||&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#424242&#8243; 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quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_3_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_4_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_4_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_4_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_5_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_5_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_5_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_6_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; 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text_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_3_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_4_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_4_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_4_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_5_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_5_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_5_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; header_6_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_6_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; header_6_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=&#8221;1px&#8221; box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; box_shadow_vertical_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221; box_shadow_blur_tablet=&#8221;40px&#8221; box_shadow_spread_tablet=&#8221;0px&#8221;]<div id=\"fbxt-wrap\" >\r\n\t<div id=\"fbxt-wrap--inner\" class=\"fbxt-extra-class\">\r\n\t\t<div class=\"fbxt-header\">\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"fbxt-header--logo\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"24\" height=\"25\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 25\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<circle opacity=\"0.05\" cx=\"11.6406\" cy=\"12.3918\" r=\"11.6406\" fill=\"#C60808\"\/>\n<path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M16.6445 10.2899H6.63672V9.04663H16.6445V10.2899Z\"\/>\n<path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M16.6445 13.3421H6.63672V12.0989H16.6445V13.3421Z\"\/>\n<path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M12.7025 16.395H6.63672V15.1518H12.7025V16.395Z\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"fbxt-header-text\">Full Episode Notes<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"fbxt-header--nav\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<a\r\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"fbxt-header--nav-item fbxt-nav-new_tab\"\r\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#\"\r\n\t\t\t\t>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<path d=\"M12.5 0H1.5C0.65625 0 0 0.6875 0 1.5V12.5C0 13.3438 0.65625 14 1.5 14H12.5C13.3125 14 14 13.3438 14 12.5V1.5C14 0.6875 13.3125 0 12.5 0ZM12.3125 12.5H1.6875C1.5625 12.5 1.5 12.4375 1.5 12.3125V1.6875C1.5 1.59375 1.5625 1.5 1.6875 1.5H12.3125C12.4062 1.5 12.5 1.59375 12.5 1.6875V12.3125C12.5 12.4375 12.4062 12.5 12.3125 12.5ZM10.625 3L6.375 3.03125C6.15625 3.03125 6 3.1875 6 3.40625V4.25C6 4.46875 6.15625 4.65625 6.375 4.625L8.1875 4.5625L3.09375 9.65625C2.9375 9.8125 2.9375 10.0312 3.09375 10.1875L3.8125 10.9062C3.96875 11.0625 4.1875 11.0625 4.34375 10.9062L9.4375 5.8125L9.375 7.625C9.34375 7.84375 9.53125 8 9.75 8H10.5938C10.8125 8 10.9688 7.84375 10.9688 7.625L11 3.375C11 3.1875 10.8125 3 10.625 3Z\" \/>\n<\/svg>\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"fbxt-nav-text\">New Tab<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\t<a\r\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"fbxt-header--nav-item fbxt-nav-download\"\r\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#\"\r\n\t\t\t\t>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"18\" height=\"16\" viewBox=\"0 0 18 16\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<path d=\"M16.5 9H13.5938L15.0625 7.5625C16 6.625 15.3125 5 14 5H12V1.5C12 0.6875 11.3125 0 10.5 0H7.5C6.65625 0 6 0.6875 6 1.5V5H4C2.65625 5 1.96875 6.625 2.9375 7.5625L4.375 9H1.5C0.65625 9 0 9.6875 0 10.5V14.5C0 15.3438 0.65625 16 1.5 16H16.5C17.3125 16 18 15.3438 18 14.5V10.5C18 9.6875 17.3125 9 16.5 9ZM4 6.5H7.5V1.5H10.5V6.5H14L9 11.5L4 6.5ZM16.5 14.5H1.5V10.5H5.875L7.9375 12.5625C8.5 13.1562 9.46875 13.1562 10.0312 12.5625L12.0938 10.5H16.5V14.5ZM13.75 12.5C13.75 12.9375 14.0625 13.25 14.5 13.25C14.9062 13.25 15.25 12.9375 15.25 12.5C15.25 12.0938 14.9062 11.75 14.5 11.75C14.0625 11.75 13.75 12.0938 13.75 12.5Z\" \/>\n<\/svg>\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"fbxt-nav-text\">Download<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\t<a\r\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"fbxt-header--nav-item fbxt-nav-email\"\r\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#\"\r\n\t\t\t\t\tstyle=\"display:none\"\r\n\t\t\t\t>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"16\" height=\"12\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 12\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<path d=\"M14.5 0H1.5C0.65625 0 0 0.6875 0 1.5V10.5C0 11.3438 0.65625 12 1.5 12H14.5C15.3125 12 16 11.3438 16 10.5V1.5C16 0.6875 15.3125 0 14.5 0ZM14.5 1.5V2.78125C13.7812 3.375 12.6562 4.25 10.2812 6.125C9.75 6.53125 8.71875 7.53125 8 7.5C7.25 7.53125 6.21875 6.53125 5.6875 6.125C3.3125 4.25 2.1875 3.375 1.5 2.78125V1.5H14.5ZM1.5 10.5V4.71875C2.1875 5.28125 3.21875 6.09375 4.75 7.3125C5.4375 7.84375 6.65625 9.03125 8 9C9.3125 9.03125 10.5 7.84375 11.2188 7.3125C12.75 6.09375 13.7812 5.28125 14.5 4.71875V10.5H1.5Z\" \/>\n<\/svg>\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"fbxt-nav-text\">Email<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t<div class=\"fbxt-content\">\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"fbxt-content--inner\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<h1>A Brief History of LGBTQ+ Young Adult Literature (Pride Month #5) (#119)<\/h1>\n<p>This Pride Month, I had to incorporate something that I love, and that\u2019s books. Over the last couple of years I\u2019ve been reading more queer books, both non-fiction and fiction \u2014 either because it\u2019s just happened that way and I seem to gravitate more towards queer books, or because I have been actively seeking them out and making an effort to read more of them, especially when it comes to non-fiction.<\/p>\n<p>When I started researching for this episode, my aim was to make it about the history of LGBTQ+ literature as a whole. It was only when I was a little while into my research, digging through stuff as far back as the ancient times, that I realised I was in way too deep, trying to cover way too much in too little time, and I wasn\u2019t having much fun with it. So I\u2019ve decided to narrow this episode down a bit to one particularly large area in terms of growth, and that\u2019s young adult literature, or YA.<\/p>\n<p>A Medium article written by Michael Waters explains why YA literature is an important lens through which we can examine cultural shifts. Waters says that because YA books are geared toward up-and-coming generations, what is changing in YA reflects what is changing in our world \u2014 and the treatment of queer people is no exception.<\/p>\n<p>In 2021 alone, publishers released hundreds of LGBTQ+ young adult novels, spanning all sorts of genres from realistic contemporary fiction to sci-fi and superhero comics. But while queer YA has exploded over the past decade, it actually began in the middle of the 20th century \u2013 although it wasn\u2019t as positive as it is today.<\/p>\n<h2>A Timeline of Queer YA<\/h2>\n<p><em>Spring Fire <\/em>by Marijane Meaker, a novel now considered to have launched the genre of lesbian pulp fiction, was published in 1952. It became an instant sensation, selling over 1.5 million copies. The book focuses on a college freshman who falls for her sorority sister, and ends the way most early portrayals of queer people did \u2014 in tragedy. When their love affair is discovered, one girl is sent to a mental institution and the other rejects her homosexual feelings.<\/p>\n<p>Meaker always disliked the ending, but her publisher felt it necessary in order for the book to be sent through the mail when people ordered copies. Had homosexuality been portrayed in a positive light, <em>Spring Fire<\/em> would have been deemed obscene, and post offices across the country would have confiscated it.<\/p>\n<p>The Medium article I mentioned above explains that though <em>Spring Fire <\/em>isn\u2019t a work of young adult fiction, its circumstances \u2014 the tragic ending; the publisher\u2019s underestimation of a queer readership \u2014 bear similarities to those of many early LGBTQ+ YA novels. But <em>Spring Fire<\/em> is also significant because its author, under the pseudonym M.E. Kerr, later wrote <em>Deliver Us From Evie<\/em> (published in 1990), a YA novel groundbreaking for its positive portrayal of a butch lesbian and for its ultimately happy ending. The contrast between <em>Spring Fire<\/em> and <em>Deliver Us From Evie<\/em> is stark, and echoes a larger cultural shift that was quickly reflected in \u2014 and even propelled by \u2014 queer fiction.<\/p>\n<p>The first YA novels with gay content weren\u2019t much fun either. The earliest one, called <em>I\u2019ll Get There. It Better Be Worth the Trip<\/em> by John Donavan, was published in 1969. In the book, 13-year-old Davy moves in with his alcoholic mother and develops a relationship with a classmate at his new school. After a kiss and a sexual encounter, Davy\u2019s pet dog is killed in a hit-and-run, and Davy wonders whether his intimacy with his classmate was the cause \u2014 though he maintains that he isn\u2019t ashamed of what he did. The book ends in ambiguity, and perhaps it needed to in order to find a home on the shelves: the ambiguous ending meant that homophobes and queer activists alike could read it as confirming their own, very contradictory views. Its very brief, minimally described sexual incidents between two boys must have seemed shocking to a lot of people, but the book had a primarily positive reception.<\/p>\n<p>When this book was published in 1969, it was weeks before the Stonewall Riots. The treatment of LGBTQ+ people in the US was bleak. Homosexuality was still considered a mental disorder by the American Psychiatric Association. LGBTQ+ Americans were barred from government positions, as they were considered a security threat. And in every state but Illinois, homosexuality remained criminal. So it makes sense that books with gay themes being published around this time might not shine the most positive light on those themes \u2014 not necessarily because the author didn\u2019t want to, but because it might not sell (or could even be banned or confiscated, as was seen with Meaker\u2019s book, <em>Spring Fire<\/em>).<\/p>\n<p>In 1970, Barbara Wersba\u2019s <em>Run Softly, Go Fast<\/em> saw teenage protagonist, David, recall a pivotal scene in which his father \u201caccused\u201d his straight best friend, Rick, of being gay. The boys\u2019 relationship deteriorates after that, leading to Rick joining the army and being killed in action. Homosexuality isn\u2019t particularly an important theme in this book; however, it does kind of depict the idea that being gay as so terrible that \u201caccusing\u201d someone of it can have tragic results. The consequences of spreading false rumours of homosexuality appeared in a number of early queer books for both YAs and adults.<\/p>\n<p>Just to add to the misery in queer books at this time, there seemed to be an correlation between a character\u2019s same-gender attraction and the death of a loved one, or the idea that gay people are doomed to be \u201cpunished\u201d with tragic results if they act on their feelings. In 3 books \u2014 <em>The Man Without a Face<\/em> by Isabelle Holland (1972), <em>Trying Hard to Hear You<\/em> by Sandra Scoppettone (1974), and<em> What\u2019s This About Pete?<\/em> by Mary W. Sullivan (1976) \u2014 the queer character or their close friend dies. Many of these early novels also depicted queer attraction as temporary and shameful.<\/p>\n<p>In <em>Trying Hard to Hear You<\/em>, the straight female protagonist learns that her best male friend and a boy she likes are lovers. The boys are teased, and in the end, trying to prove he\u2019s straight, one of them gets drunk with a girl, takes her out in a car, and they\u2019re both killed in a car crash. Car crashes were perhaps the most popular punishment endings, but suicide runs a close second, along with commitment to a mental hospital or forced psychiatric treatment.<\/p>\n<p>Although punishment in these books is usually seen as a warning that being LGBTQ has tragic consequences, some authors used it to show that ignorance and cruelty from heterosexuals can lead to tragic endings for LGBTQ people.<\/p>\n<p>Things started to turn around slowly. In M. E. Kerr\u2019s <em>I\u2019ll Love You When You\u2019re More Like Me<\/em> (1977), the best friend of the straight protagonist is an openly gay teen. Even though his parents don\u2019t accept his homosexuality, Charlie remains cheerful, humorous, and firmly out\u2014which was a huge first step. (Obviously, ideally, his parents wouldn\u2019t be against it \u2014 but it\u2019s a first step, all the same.)<\/p>\n<p>Another book to reverse this trend was Nancy Garden\u2019s 1982 novel <em>Annie on My Mind<\/em>, about two girls in New York City who develop a romantic relationship. Not only do the characters survive to the end of the novel, but so does their love \u2014 which at the time was a revolutionary idea in queer YA literature.<\/p>\n<p>However, in retaliation, the book was frequently banned. In 1993, parents in Kansas objected to the book\u2019s placement in local high schools, and copies were burned on the steps of the school district headquarters. Fearing controversy, the district removed all copies of the book, leading to a court case in which a federal judge ruled that the school system had violated students\u2019 First Amendment rights, and ordered that the books be returned to library shelves.<\/p>\n<p>Over the next couple of decades, many gay teen novels didn\u2019t end tragically. However, gay stories started to be confined to the genre of the \u201cproblem novel\u201d, in which protagonists either learned to deal with their own queerness, came out of the closet to family and friends, or grew to accept the gayness of a friend or family member. Acceptance and coming out are of course important themes to explore, but the issue with novels like these is that they turn gayness into a problem that has to be dealt with, and make it something to overcome rather than something to embrace.<\/p>\n<p><em>The Man Without a Face<\/em> by Isabelle Holland is an example of one where the character determine whether their same-sex attractions are situational or permanent, and <em>Ruby <\/em>by Rosa Guy (1976) is an example of one of the many novels that see a teen's sexual orientation as the central problem of the plot.<\/p>\n<p>A few books throughout the 1980s were coming-out stories, in which the protagonist suspects they\u2019re LGBT, realises it, and finally accepts it, then maybe faces the task of coming out to people. But more books of this decade were those that focused on a straight teen\u2019s struggle to accept an LGBT friend, relative, or other important adult.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>At the start of the 1990s, around 60 queer YA novels had been published. Many of these books had only a lesbian, gay, or bisexual side character; if the definition of \u201cqueer YA\u201d required a queer protagonist, that number would drop significantly. However, it seemed that the stories people wanted were those through the eyes of young queer characters themselves, rather than side characters. But did that mean concentrating primarily on coming out stories? Should stories include more universal issues than the basic LGBT rite of passage?<\/p>\n<p>Even though in the 1990s there were still coming out stories and straights-adjusting-to-gays stories, it was then that LGBTQ YA literature increasingly addressed other issues as well. Some of the authors from earlier decades wrote books in the 90s that did just that.<\/p>\n<p>A few examples: in 1994, M. E. Kerr\u2019s <em>Deliver Us from Evie<\/em> was the first novel to feature a butch lesbian character (even if Evie was still the sister of Parr, the straight protagonist). Although the book is Parr\u2019s story, much of it concentrates on Evie and her determination to dress and act as the strong, self-assured lesbian she truly is. In 1997, Kerr\u2019s <em>\u201cHello,\u201d I Lied<\/em> was potentially the first to introduce the subject of bisexuality. Then, in 1999, <em>The Year They Burned the Books<\/em> is about a young lesbian, her gay best friend, and a few other kids who try to use their school newspaper to counter the censorship attempts of their local school board.<\/p>\n<p>The 1990s also introduced Jacquelyn Woodson, whose books feature the first characters of colour Rose Guy\u2019s <em>Ruby<\/em>. Despite this, an issue with queer YA literature in the 90s was that it was still overwhelmingly white. The number of protagonists of colour increased slightly with the publication of books like <em>The Necessary Hunger<\/em> by Nina Revoyr (about two female basketball rivals \u2014 one black and one Japanese-American \u2014 who fall for each other) and <em>The House You Pass on the Way<\/em> by Jacqueline Woodson (about a biracial girl in a small town struggling with her sexuality) later in the 1990s. This is still an issue today, not just in queer YA but in publishing in general.<\/p>\n<p>The early 2000s saw an explosion of LGBTQ+ YA literature by some of the genre\u2019s most prolific authors of today, including Alex Sanchez, Nina LaCour, David Levithan, and Malinda Lo. When <em>Boy Meets Boy <\/em>by David Levithan came out in 2003, it shattered expectations of queer YA. It imagined a world where being gay wasn\u2019t a tragedy; where the quarterback could also be gender-nonconforming, and no one takes issue with that. Where the main character could be out since kindergarten. Other characters do deal with anti-queer discrimination, however. <em>Boy Meets Boy<\/em> includes both the hope in the idea that it might be easy for someone to be queer, but also the crushing disappointment of not having that be true personally.<\/p>\n<p>The rest of the 2000s and especially the 2010s gave us so many amazing LGBTQ+ books that have been popular bestsellers, not just within queer circles: books like The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth, Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour, Simon vs. the Homosapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, several books by Adam Silvera, several books by Alice Oseman (including Loveless which deals with asexuality), and so many more.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Just in the last few years, we seem to be entering a golden age of queer YA. We are seeing far more titles getting published than ever before, and a much broader array of stories being told. But we still have a long way to go, with literature only just starting to properly expand to other identities other than just gay and lesbian. Trans YA continues to be in its infancy, and many other queer people have to scrounge to find even a handful of titles to represent them, including asexual, aromantic, intersex, two spirit, nonbinary, gender-fluid, and a myriad of other people whose identities fall outside of \u201cLGBT.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Trans YA was virtually nonexistent until <em>Luna<\/em> by Julie Anne Peters (2004), which is told through the eyes of Regan, whose sibling is coming to terms with the fact that she is a trans girl. This setup \u2014 putting a cisgender character at the center of a trans story \u2014 has become a common trope that many in the trans community have taken issue with. Luckily, in recent years, mainstream publishers have released YA novels in which trans authors tell their own stories through their characters \u2014 among them <em>Lizard Radio<\/em> by Pat Schmatz, <em>If I Was Your Girl<\/em> by Meredith Russo, and <em>The Unintentional Time Traveller<\/em> by Everett Maroon. Some other books with trans or non-binary characters that I personally love are <em>Felix Ever After<\/em> by Kacen Callender, <em>Pet<\/em> by Akwaeke Emezi, <em>Cemetery Boys<\/em> by Aiden Thomas, and <em>Wonderland<\/em> by Juno Dawson.<\/p>\n<p>Asexual characters are also becoming more present: books like <em>Every Heart A Doorway<\/em> by Seanan McGuire and <em>Deadly Sweet Lies<\/em> by Erica Cameron have teen characters who self-identity as asexual. Again, some of my personal recommendations are <em>Loveless<\/em> by Alice Oseman which I already mentioned, <em>Summer Bird Blue<\/em> by Akemi Dawn Bowman, and <em>Sawkill Girls<\/em> by Claire Legrand.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This trend holds true for explicitly bisexual characters as well. Some recent books with bisexual characters are <em>Leah on the Offbeat<\/em> by Becky Albertalli, <em>Hani and Ishu\u2019s Guide to Fake Dating<\/em> by Adiba Jaigirdar, and <em>Full Disclosure<\/em> by Camryn Garrett. There are so many more \u2014 if you just Google \u201cbisexual YA books\u201d or \u201casexual YA books\u201d or whatever you want to find, you\u2019ll get tons of recommendations.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, queer YA books are still disproportionately white, and they still rarely represent identities past lesbian and gay. But the push for more inclusive queer literature seems to be finding success. <em>When the Moon Was Ours<\/em> by Anna-Marie McLemore is a magical realism novel about the love between a trans boy who paints moons and a cis girl who grows roses on her wrist, both of whom are people of color. <em>Not Your Sidekick<\/em> by C.B. Lee features a queer Asian-American girl who scores an internship with a supervillain. And <em>Beast<\/em> by Brie Spangler is a contemporary \u201cBeauty and the Beast\u201d retelling where Belle is trans.<\/p>\n<p>Some amazing diverse authors are Alice Oseman who is aro-ace, Juno Dawson who is trans, Simon James Green (who recently had his latest book <em>Gay Club<\/em> banned from a Catholic school in London), and of course, Rosiee Thor who we had on the podcast a few weeks ago. And some of my favourite authors of colour who write queer books are Camryn Garrett, K. Ancrum, Leah Johnson, Misa Sugiura, Elizabeth Acevedo, Kacen Callender, Dean Atta\u2026 I could be here all day. 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Charlotte dives into one of her favourite things: queer YA literature. When was the first LGBTQ+ young adult book published, and how have they grown since?<br \/>\n<br \/>\n<i><b>Duration:<\/b> 45:55 | <b>Published:<\/b> June 5, 2022<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2205,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","spt_transcript":"<h1>A Brief History of LGBTQ+ Young Adult Literature (Pride Month #5) (#119)<\/h1>\r\n<p>This Pride Month, I had to incorporate something that I love, and that\u2019s books. Over the last couple of years I\u2019ve been reading more queer books, both non-fiction and fiction \u2014 either because it\u2019s just happened that way and I seem to gravitate more towards queer books, or because I have been actively seeking them out and making an effort to read more of them, especially when it comes to non-fiction.<\/p>\r\n<p>When I started researching for this episode, my aim was to make it about the history of LGBTQ+ literature as a whole. It was only when I was a little while into my research, digging through stuff as far back as the ancient times, that I realised I was in way too deep, trying to cover way too much in too little time, and I wasn\u2019t having much fun with it. So I\u2019ve decided to narrow this episode down a bit to one particularly large area in terms of growth, and that\u2019s young adult literature, or YA.<\/p>\r\n<p>A Medium article written by Michael Waters explains why YA literature is an important lens through which we can examine cultural shifts. Waters says that because YA books are geared toward up-and-coming generations, what is changing in YA reflects what is changing in our world \u2014 and the treatment of queer people is no exception.<\/p>\r\n<p>In 2021 alone, publishers released hundreds of LGBTQ+ young adult novels, spanning all sorts of genres from realistic contemporary fiction to sci-fi and superhero comics. But while queer YA has exploded over the past decade, it actually began in the middle of the 20th century \u2013 although it wasn\u2019t as positive as it is today.<\/p>\r\n<h2>A Timeline of Queer YA<\/h2>\r\n<p><em>Spring Fire <\/em>by Marijane Meaker, a novel now considered to have launched the genre of lesbian pulp fiction, was published in 1952. It became an instant sensation, selling over 1.5 million copies. The book focuses on a college freshman who falls for her sorority sister, and ends the way most early portrayals of queer people did \u2014 in tragedy. When their love affair is discovered, one girl is sent to a mental institution and the other rejects her homosexual feelings.<\/p>\r\n<p>Meaker always disliked the ending, but her publisher felt it necessary in order for the book to be sent through the mail when people ordered copies. Had homosexuality been portrayed in a positive light, <em>Spring Fire<\/em> would have been deemed obscene, and post offices across the country would have confiscated it.<\/p>\r\n<p>The Medium article I mentioned above explains that though <em>Spring Fire <\/em>isn\u2019t a work of young adult fiction, its circumstances \u2014 the tragic ending; the publisher\u2019s underestimation of a queer readership \u2014 bear similarities to those of many early LGBTQ+ YA novels. But <em>Spring Fire<\/em> is also significant because its author, under the pseudonym M.E. Kerr, later wrote <em>Deliver Us From Evie<\/em> (published in 1990), a YA novel groundbreaking for its positive portrayal of a butch lesbian and for its ultimately happy ending. The contrast between <em>Spring Fire<\/em> and <em>Deliver Us From Evie<\/em> is stark, and echoes a larger cultural shift that was quickly reflected in \u2014 and even propelled by \u2014 queer fiction.<\/p>\r\n<p>The first YA novels with gay content weren\u2019t much fun either. The earliest one, called <em>I\u2019ll Get There. It Better Be Worth the Trip<\/em> by John Donavan, was published in 1969. In the book, 13-year-old Davy moves in with his alcoholic mother and develops a relationship with a classmate at his new school. After a kiss and a sexual encounter, Davy\u2019s pet dog is killed in a hit-and-run, and Davy wonders whether his intimacy with his classmate was the cause \u2014 though he maintains that he isn\u2019t ashamed of what he did. The book ends in ambiguity, and perhaps it needed to in order to find a home on the shelves: the ambiguous ending meant that homophobes and queer activists alike could read it as confirming their own, very contradictory views. Its very brief, minimally described sexual incidents between two boys must have seemed shocking to a lot of people, but the book had a primarily positive reception.<\/p>\r\n<p>When this book was published in 1969, it was weeks before the Stonewall Riots. The treatment of LGBTQ+ people in the US was bleak. Homosexuality was still considered a mental disorder by the American Psychiatric Association. LGBTQ+ Americans were barred from government positions, as they were considered a security threat. And in every state but Illinois, homosexuality remained criminal. So it makes sense that books with gay themes being published around this time might not shine the most positive light on those themes \u2014 not necessarily because the author didn\u2019t want to, but because it might not sell (or could even be banned or confiscated, as was seen with Meaker\u2019s book, <em>Spring Fire<\/em>).<\/p>\r\n<p>In 1970, Barbara Wersba\u2019s <em>Run Softly, Go Fast<\/em> saw teenage protagonist, David, recall a pivotal scene in which his father \u201caccused\u201d his straight best friend, Rick, of being gay. The boys\u2019 relationship deteriorates after that, leading to Rick joining the army and being killed in action. Homosexuality isn\u2019t particularly an important theme in this book; however, it does kind of depict the idea that being gay as so terrible that \u201caccusing\u201d someone of it can have tragic results. The consequences of spreading false rumours of homosexuality appeared in a number of early queer books for both YAs and adults.<\/p>\r\n<p>Just to add to the misery in queer books at this time, there seemed to be an correlation between a character\u2019s same-gender attraction and the death of a loved one, or the idea that gay people are doomed to be \u201cpunished\u201d with tragic results if they act on their feelings. In 3 books \u2014 <em>The Man Without a Face<\/em> by Isabelle Holland (1972), <em>Trying Hard to Hear You<\/em> by Sandra Scoppettone (1974), and<em> What\u2019s This About Pete?<\/em> by Mary W. Sullivan (1976) \u2014 the queer character or their close friend dies. Many of these early novels also depicted queer attraction as temporary and shameful.<\/p>\r\n<p>In <em>Trying Hard to Hear You<\/em>, the straight female protagonist learns that her best male friend and a boy she likes are lovers. The boys are teased, and in the end, trying to prove he\u2019s straight, one of them gets drunk with a girl, takes her out in a car, and they\u2019re both killed in a car crash. Car crashes were perhaps the most popular punishment endings, but suicide runs a close second, along with commitment to a mental hospital or forced psychiatric treatment.<\/p>\r\n<p>Although punishment in these books is usually seen as a warning that being LGBTQ has tragic consequences, some authors used it to show that ignorance and cruelty from heterosexuals can lead to tragic endings for LGBTQ people.<\/p>\r\n<p>Things started to turn around slowly. In M. E. Kerr\u2019s <em>I\u2019ll Love You When You\u2019re More Like Me<\/em> (1977), the best friend of the straight protagonist is an openly gay teen. Even though his parents don\u2019t accept his homosexuality, Charlie remains cheerful, humorous, and firmly out\u2014which was a huge first step. (Obviously, ideally, his parents wouldn\u2019t be against it \u2014 but it\u2019s a first step, all the same.)<\/p>\r\n<p>Another book to reverse this trend was Nancy Garden\u2019s 1982 novel <em>Annie on My Mind<\/em>, about two girls in New York City who develop a romantic relationship. Not only do the characters survive to the end of the novel, but so does their love \u2014 which at the time was a revolutionary idea in queer YA literature.<\/p>\r\n<p>However, in retaliation, the book was frequently banned. In 1993, parents in Kansas objected to the book\u2019s placement in local high schools, and copies were burned on the steps of the school district headquarters. Fearing controversy, the district removed all copies of the book, leading to a court case in which a federal judge ruled that the school system had violated students\u2019 First Amendment rights, and ordered that the books be returned to library shelves.<\/p>\r\n<p>Over the next couple of decades, many gay teen novels didn\u2019t end tragically. However, gay stories started to be confined to the genre of the \u201cproblem novel\u201d, in which protagonists either learned to deal with their own queerness, came out of the closet to family and friends, or grew to accept the gayness of a friend or family member. Acceptance and coming out are of course important themes to explore, but the issue with novels like these is that they turn gayness into a problem that has to be dealt with, and make it something to overcome rather than something to embrace.<\/p>\r\n<p><em>The Man Without a Face<\/em> by Isabelle Holland is an example of one where the character determine whether their same-sex attractions are situational or permanent, and <em>Ruby <\/em>by Rosa Guy (1976) is an example of one of the many novels that see a teen's sexual orientation as the central problem of the plot.<\/p>\r\n<p>A few books throughout the 1980s were coming-out stories, in which the protagonist suspects they\u2019re LGBT, realises it, and finally accepts it, then maybe faces the task of coming out to people. But more books of this decade were those that focused on a straight teen\u2019s struggle to accept an LGBT friend, relative, or other important adult.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>At the start of the 1990s, around 60 queer YA novels had been published. Many of these books had only a lesbian, gay, or bisexual side character; if the definition of \u201cqueer YA\u201d required a queer protagonist, that number would drop significantly. However, it seemed that the stories people wanted were those through the eyes of young queer characters themselves, rather than side characters. But did that mean concentrating primarily on coming out stories? Should stories include more universal issues than the basic LGBT rite of passage?<\/p>\r\n<p>Even though in the 1990s there were still coming out stories and straights-adjusting-to-gays stories, it was then that LGBTQ YA literature increasingly addressed other issues as well. Some of the authors from earlier decades wrote books in the 90s that did just that.<\/p>\r\n<p>A few examples: in 1994, M. E. Kerr\u2019s <em>Deliver Us from Evie<\/em> was the first novel to feature a butch lesbian character (even if Evie was still the sister of Parr, the straight protagonist). Although the book is Parr\u2019s story, much of it concentrates on Evie and her determination to dress and act as the strong, self-assured lesbian she truly is. In 1997, Kerr\u2019s <em>\u201cHello,\u201d I Lied<\/em> was potentially the first to introduce the subject of bisexuality. Then, in 1999, <em>The Year They Burned the Books<\/em> is about a young lesbian, her gay best friend, and a few other kids who try to use their school newspaper to counter the censorship attempts of their local school board.<\/p>\r\n<p>The 1990s also introduced Jacquelyn Woodson, whose books feature the first characters of colour Rose Guy\u2019s <em>Ruby<\/em>. Despite this, an issue with queer YA literature in the 90s was that it was still overwhelmingly white. The number of protagonists of colour increased slightly with the publication of books like <em>The Necessary Hunger<\/em> by Nina Revoyr (about two female basketball rivals \u2014 one black and one Japanese-American \u2014 who fall for each other) and <em>The House You Pass on the Way<\/em> by Jacqueline Woodson (about a biracial girl in a small town struggling with her sexuality) later in the 1990s. This is still an issue today, not just in queer YA but in publishing in general.<\/p>\r\n<p>The early 2000s saw an explosion of LGBTQ+ YA literature by some of the genre\u2019s most prolific authors of today, including Alex Sanchez, Nina LaCour, David Levithan, and Malinda Lo. When <em>Boy Meets Boy <\/em>by David Levithan came out in 2003, it shattered expectations of queer YA. It imagined a world where being gay wasn\u2019t a tragedy; where the quarterback could also be gender-nonconforming, and no one takes issue with that. Where the main character could be out since kindergarten. Other characters do deal with anti-queer discrimination, however. <em>Boy Meets Boy<\/em> includes both the hope in the idea that it might be easy for someone to be queer, but also the crushing disappointment of not having that be true personally.<\/p>\r\n<p>The rest of the 2000s and especially the 2010s gave us so many amazing LGBTQ+ books that have been popular bestsellers, not just within queer circles: books like The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth, Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour, Simon vs. the Homosapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, several books by Adam Silvera, several books by Alice Oseman (including Loveless which deals with asexuality), and so many more.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>Just in the last few years, we seem to be entering a golden age of queer YA. We are seeing far more titles getting published than ever before, and a much broader array of stories being told. But we still have a long way to go, with literature only just starting to properly expand to other identities other than just gay and lesbian. Trans YA continues to be in its infancy, and many other queer people have to scrounge to find even a handful of titles to represent them, including asexual, aromantic, intersex, two spirit, nonbinary, gender-fluid, and a myriad of other people whose identities fall outside of \u201cLGBT.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>Trans YA was virtually nonexistent until <em>Luna<\/em> by Julie Anne Peters (2004), which is told through the eyes of Regan, whose sibling is coming to terms with the fact that she is a trans girl. This setup \u2014 putting a cisgender character at the center of a trans story \u2014 has become a common trope that many in the trans community have taken issue with. Luckily, in recent years, mainstream publishers have released YA novels in which trans authors tell their own stories through their characters \u2014 among them <em>Lizard Radio<\/em> by Pat Schmatz, <em>If I Was Your Girl<\/em> by Meredith Russo, and <em>The Unintentional Time Traveller<\/em> by Everett Maroon. Some other books with trans or non-binary characters that I personally love are <em>Felix Ever After<\/em> by Kacen Callender, <em>Pet<\/em> by Akwaeke Emezi, <em>Cemetery Boys<\/em> by Aiden Thomas, and <em>Wonderland<\/em> by Juno Dawson.<\/p>\r\n<p>Asexual characters are also becoming more present: books like <em>Every Heart A Doorway<\/em> by Seanan McGuire and <em>Deadly Sweet Lies<\/em> by Erica Cameron have teen characters who self-identity as asexual. Again, some of my personal recommendations are <em>Loveless<\/em> by Alice Oseman which I already mentioned, <em>Summer Bird Blue<\/em> by Akemi Dawn Bowman, and <em>Sawkill Girls<\/em> by Claire Legrand.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>This trend holds true for explicitly bisexual characters as well. Some recent books with bisexual characters are <em>Leah on the Offbeat<\/em> by Becky Albertalli, <em>Hani and Ishu\u2019s Guide to Fake Dating<\/em> by Adiba Jaigirdar, and <em>Full Disclosure<\/em> by Camryn Garrett. There are so many more \u2014 if you just Google \u201cbisexual YA books\u201d or \u201casexual YA books\u201d or whatever you want to find, you\u2019ll get tons of recommendations.<\/p>\r\n<p>Of course, queer YA books are still disproportionately white, and they still rarely represent identities past lesbian and gay. But the push for more inclusive queer literature seems to be finding success. <em>When the Moon Was Ours<\/em> by Anna-Marie McLemore is a magical realism novel about the love between a trans boy who paints moons and a cis girl who grows roses on her wrist, both of whom are people of color. <em>Not Your Sidekick<\/em> by C.B. Lee features a queer Asian-American girl who scores an internship with a supervillain. And <em>Beast<\/em> by Brie Spangler is a contemporary \u201cBeauty and the Beast\u201d retelling where Belle is trans.<\/p>\r\n<p>Some amazing diverse authors are Alice Oseman who is aro-ace, Juno Dawson who is trans, Simon James Green (who recently had his latest book <em>Gay Club<\/em> banned from a Catholic school in London), and of course, Rosiee Thor who we had on the podcast a few weeks ago. And some of my favourite authors of colour who write queer books are Camryn Garrett, K. Ancrum, Leah Johnson, Misa Sugiura, Elizabeth Acevedo, Kacen Callender, Dean Atta\u2026 I could be here all day. (If you want to chat about queer books, find me on Instagram!)<\/p>","footnotes":""},"categories":[25,32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books-literature","category-pride-month"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/learnaboutpod.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2202","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/learnaboutpod.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/learnaboutpod.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learnaboutpod.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learnaboutpod.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2202"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/learnaboutpod.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2202\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2471,"href":"https:\/\/learnaboutpod.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2202\/revisions\/2471"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learnaboutpod.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/learnaboutpod.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learnaboutpod.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learnaboutpod.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}