Although Pride Month is once a year, celebrating the representation of queer characters is something that should go on all year round. When it comes to literature, for centuries there have been books with queer protagonists — whether explicit or hidden between the lines. These stories have given voice to different kinds of queer experiences, representing a variety of readers.
From teenagers to adults, these stories bring a little bit of everything for those navigating life as a queer person who would like to read different realities. These characters bring their own personalities to the page, discussing how true or how false some stereotypes can be, and showcasing that at the end of the day, every queer person deserves to live a happy and fulfilling life.
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Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner
One thing that can be categorized as a stereotype but seems to be true with every other couple is queer couples who have a significant age gap. In Mistakes Were Made, Meryl Wilsner introduces two queer protagonists who fall in love after a one-night stand at a bar. From the very beginning, it is established that there is an age difference between both women — one an established doctor and the other a college student.
The major issue comes when they realize that the older woman is the mother of the college student’s best friend. As they navigate this new reality, the story shows how dating is different at any age, but the experience of falling in love affects everyone equally.
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I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson
In I’ll Give You The Sun, Jandy Nelson tells the story of twin siblings as they go through life. The narration of the book is split between both characters. In the early years, Noah shares what has happened, and later on, it is Jude who takes on the telling of their lives. While both twins are key and central to the story, it is Noah who is introduced as a queer character.
Although a big part of the novel is about Noah’s queer experience, the book also focuses on the relationship between siblings, what it feels like to grow up and become a teenager, and how to navigate life as you come to understand who you are. It is the differences between characters that make this story so valuable.
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This is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel
Although the queer experience is a very personal journey that each person navigates differently, it is true that it can affect the life of those who surround you. In This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel, readers get a closer look at the life of a family who has given their youngest child the freedom to be themselves. Claude was born in the body of a boy but has always told their family that they wanted to be a girl named Poppy.
The story follows the journey of the family as they help Poppy with their feelings, move cities in order to guarantee the safety of their children, and learn how to be honest and open about who they are. This book’s queer protagonist comes with the innocence of children and the frustration of parents who wish life could just accept their child for exactly who they are.
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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
If there is a conversation to be had about queer protagonists, Evelyn Hugo must definitely be included. There comes a time when society picks up on a particular book and it becomes incredibly popular. That is exactly what happened with The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid in the last few years, particularly after Netflix picked it up for a movie (via Cosmopolitan). Although popularity doesn’t always mean good quality, it sure does for this book.
The story tells the life of Evelyn Hugo from childhood until the day she dies. It showcases how difficult it was to be a queer person decades ago (even though it can still be hard), how secretive couples of the same sex had to be, and how different it was for people to come to terms with their own labels. As a bisexual woman, Evelyn Hugo wants to make sure that every part of her is understood.
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Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
There are times when particular quotes from a book resonate with people and they become well-known. In Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, there are a few quotes that have resonated with its readers and with those who watched the movie. One of them in particular discusses the emotional turmoil that coming out can be: “And you know what? You don’t get to say it’s not a big thing. This is a big f*****g thing, okay? This was supposed to be—this is mine. I’m supposed to decide when and where and who knows and how I want to say it.”
This queer protagonist is a teenage boy who is figuring out his sexuality and falling in love for the first time while simultaneously having to deal with the rest of the world finding out his secret. The story became so popular that it later on became a TV series on Hulu, Love, Victor.
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One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
If you are interested in romance and sci-fi, One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston is definitely the book for you. It follows a queer protagonist who first has a crush and then falls in love with another girl she sees on the subway. However, she notices that this girl is only ever on the subway and she cannot get off.
As they try to figure out what the issue is and how to solve it, they fall in love, have dates on the subway, and get to know each other. This novel not only includes the difficulties of finding a love stuck in time, but it showcases friendship, finding yourself in a new city, and learning to accept who you are.
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Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers
Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers is the perfect book for readers who may have thought they had life all figured out and now find themselves wondering what it is they are going to do and where to go next. For the young woman in the story, her life gets turned upside down when she drunkenly marries another woman in Vegas.
Although she is very sure of her sexuality, she wonders if she has made the right decisions in life. The novel shows what it is like to deal with your parents’ expectations, your queer experience, falling in love when you weren’t looking for it, and going to therapy.
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Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Casey McQuiston has become an expert when it comes to delivering queer protagonists, a look into their lives, and how messy or complicated yet fulfilling it can be to fall in love. Red, White & Royal Blue follows the story of the First Son and a Prince who didn’t seem to like each other but find themselves having to fake a friendship. However, things change as the two of them seem to find themselves in a relationship.
As both protagonists come from important and world-renowned families, they have to navigate how to go about their relationship, the sacrifices they need to make, and what the world will say about them. The story became so popular that it got turned into a movie that is set to release on Amazon Prime Video on August 11.
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Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera
The queer experience is different for everyone and it varies depending on your culture, ethnic background, and how you were raised. All these points are major topics of discussion in Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera who introduces a Hispanic, woman of color who is a lesbian as its queer protagonist. Juliet is navigating how to be queer in her family, but also how to be a feminist.
As she takes an internship across the country, she begins to realize that not all heroes are what you expect them to be when you meet them and there’s still a lot to learn about herself. The book gives a great look into what it means to be queer in a Hispanic family and how to express your feminism in different ways.
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Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden
Although it may feel as if queer protagonists in books are something new, Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden (published in 1982) proves that queer characters have been around for a long while. This novel follows two girls as they become friends and end up falling in love. Because of the time, they have to deal with the negative attitude and pressure from their families and their schools who do not approve of their love.
This book has been prohibited and banned in many schools and libraries. In the 1990s, the book was burned on the steps of the courthouse in Kansas City. It was believed that the love story between two teenage girls was wrong and children shouldn’t have access to it. As much as we believe things have changed, this resonates pretty loudly with the current political climate and the banning of certain books.
This article was originally published on 6/28/23.
https://www.geekgirlauthority.com/queer-young-adult-retellings-cinderella-books-stories/
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