Breaking News: Gay People Also Read, Purchase Books
Friday, June 18, 2010
Here's a killer five-post series by YA author Malinda Lo on avoiding LGBTQ stereotypes in your fiction (via CKHB). Here's another bananas-fabulous open letter to the publishing industry from gay teen blogger Brent, via Neesha Meminger (remind you a little bit of another completely brilliant teenager you know?). Here is a heartbreaking and amazing post on guys who read romance, by another teenage superstar named John (SERIOUSLY, you young pups, knock it off with the awesome, or the Rejectionist is going to, like, start having hope for the future or something. Also, John: you let us know what books you need, kiddo, and we'll send em. And when you grow up, GET THE FUCK OUT OF THERE AND MOVE TO NEW YORK).
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Cool links! The Lo article resonates right now because there seems to be a surge in supporting LBGT characters in YA books. They are always supporting, never the MC, and pretty cookie cutter.
I'm kind of over the good as gold gay best friend and the lipstick lesbian who is beautiful and tough. It should be okay by now for a lesbian to wear pants and short hair. Or a gay man to have a hobby that is not shopping.
Just a quick note...her name is Malinda, not Melinda. Other than that you're dead on.
OR MASSACHUSETTS. Massachusetts is also good.
Damn, that was a good tour through some good souls' sites. Almost didn't make it back to say thanks.
Thanks, Marissa! Sorry, Malinda! Brief note on the importance of proofreading, etc.
My browser seems to break the response button on John's blog, so I'm posting it here, hoping he'll be checking this post and the responses:
John, count me in as one of the people who will happily send you any book you want and can't get. Who will send copy after copy if your parents throw them away. My Amazon account is your Amazon account. And, trust me, the whole world changes when you GET THE FUCK OUT OF THERE AND MOVE TO NEW YORK. Take LeR's advice on this. The world is a far better place than where you are now.
Peace, admiration, and the serious offer of books upon books upon books!
Sarah Einstein
sarahemc2@gmail.com
Thanks for the link and the correction, Rejectionist! And to John, I'd like to put in a vote for MOVE TO SAN FRANCISCO. :)
Malinda Lo
Move to San Fran after you already know what you want to be when you grow up... move to New York to find out.
I really enjoyed the links.
I have two brothers who are gay. One thing I've learned from them regarding entertainment; it has to be good and the characters real. It doesn't matter what sexual orientation the characters have so long as the characters act and react true.
I've always said people are people and when we write we should concentrate on that. People enjoy a mystery to solve, an adventure to go on, a new planet to explore, and kick ass and take names stories and what does sexual orientation have to do with that? As writers we should explore the common denominator of all people. So why not have positive fun stories encompassing gay and straight. As a writer we want to appeal to all readers, not one section or another of our communities.
Unfortunately, writers not familiar with the gay lifestyle, fall back on stereotypes.
Psst, authors, not all gay women are butch nor all gay men pansies. I know some tough gay men and a few heroic ones. Heroes anyone?
Oooooh! SF VERSUS NY WHERE IS MORE AWESOME AND GAY FACEOFF!!! Hee hee. Thanks for stopping by, Malinda!
I have nominated you for the most Versatile blog Award. Or something LOL> You will have to look at my blog to see...
Tantalizing I know. I nominated you because your humor got me through a very rough patch and because you are so outspoken! I love it. Thanks dear, for being you!
:)
OMG Malinda Lo got to go in a photo booth with Lena Headey??? I am soo jealous )):
I know some tough gay men and a few heroic ones. Heroes anyone?
Actually, I've had a couple of characters talking to me for a month or two now about a gay action/adventure war story. It's based on the Sacred Band of Thebes, though, and I'm a little intimidated by the amount of research it would take to do it justice. At this point it's just a couple of characters, a premise and a bunch of banter.
Awesome links! Can sometimes be so frustrating to find decent, complex gay characters and protagonists who aren't cookie-cutter stereotypes, squeaky-clean saints, unspeakably corrupt villains or - yep - shopping accessories/advisors!
So glad there are more emerging, and at least some agents & editors determined to get them out and read. Insomniac & Lethe Presses, just to name two - much love!
I had one agent turn down my urban fantasy ms after reading the full because she felt a novel in the genre pitched at/featuring gay men would never sell in Australia. Once I started hitting the small gay presses directly however...
And a gay faceoff? Is that one of these? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooODVEDFOMk
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