SIGNAL BOOST: SAY YES TO GAY YA

[walkwithheroes]

Originally posted by darkspirited1 at SIGNAL BOOST: SAY YES TO GAY YA

This comes from an article by rachelmanija entitled, Say Yes to Gay YA.
(click the link for the full article)

Our novel Stranger has five viewpoint characters; one, Yuki Nakamura, is
gay and has a boyfriend. Yuki's romance, like the heterosexual ones in
the novel, involves nothing more explicit than kissing.

An agent from a major agency, one which represents a bestselling YA novel in the same genre as ours, called us.

The agent offered to sign us on the condition that we make the gay
character straight, or else remove his viewpoint and all references to
his sexual orientation.

This isn't about that specific agent; we'd gotten other rewrite requests before this one. Previous agents had also offered to take a second look if we did rewrites… including cutting the viewpoint of Yuki, the gay character.

It's time to stand up and demand change. Spread the word everywhere if you are just as angry and outraged by this.

I think YA should show teenagers of all backgrounds, ethnic groups, religions,sexualities, etc; so, I'm supporting this. It's silly to not print a novel with a gay character as a POV character. He's just like everyone else - expect he likes boys instead of girls. Wake up, Publisher Guy - gay teens exist and most teens have no problem reading about gay characters.

Comments

[singing-tree.livejournal.com]

Ugh, I roll my eyes at the stupidity. Wake up people, we're in the 21st century here..

[walkwithheroes.livejournal.com]

word.

Did you read the rest of the original post? The author(s) also wonder if the novel had issues being picked up, because none of the main characters are white. Wake up people!

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your support!

To continue to support YA fiction with LGBTQ characters and characters of color, I have proposed creating Permanent Floating YA Diversity Book Clubs. (http://rachelmanija.livejournal.com/976665.html) If you wish to participate, the link will explain how to begin one, join one, or simply pass on the word.

[rachelmanija]

I thought you would be interested to hear that we sold Stranger (aka "the Yes Gay YA novel") to Viking. Click on this link for a post with more details. Thank you so much for your support!