Books with gay characters

Rob Bittner is a queer lecturer and researcher who lives near Vancouver, BC. His most recent publication was on celebrating OwnVoices queer literature in classrooms and libraries. Find out more about him at his website. The early days of gay literature for young adults was populated mostly by white gay protagonists, and sometimes white lesbian protagonists.

But in recent years the last decade especially representation has become much more diverse. There are queer trans boys and nonbinary teens, and queer boys of many different races and ethnicities. This is an amazing thing! But it also means that this Best Of list was a challenge to create. I went through my shelves at home, scoured other websites and book lists and tried to find books that exemplify various aspects of gay possibilities in YA novels.

I could do a different list every month, or a different list for each genre or format, and I would still miss so many incredible books.

9 Books Featuring Gay Characters for Pride

So instead of seeing this as just a Best Of list, think of it as a cross-section of the possibilities for gay representation in books for children and teens. By Abdi Nazemian. Reza is gay and a recent immigrant to New York City, having left Iran with his mother to live with his new stepfather and stepbrother. Gay aspires to be a fashion designer and is best friends with Art.

Art is having a hard time being openly gay, wanting to become an activist like his uncle Stephen, and constantly arguing with his conservative parents. Together, the three help each other through trying times with humor, character, and love. By Alex London. In the land of Uztar, birds of prey are revered and nobody in society is more honored than falconers.

Brysen wants to be a great falconer, even though his sister Kylee, who is blessed with a gift for falconry, wants nothing to do with the position. Their relationship is rocky, to be sure, but when a war begins to make its way to the borders of their home, the Six Villages, they realize they will need to rely on each other in order to survive.

They disembark on a journey into the mountains to trap a Ghost Eagle, the most elusive, but also the greatest bird in the land. Brysen is also developing feelings for another boy and their relationship causes complications that last through the entire trilogy. By Shaun David Hutchinson. He books with brutal honesty, revealing much about himself and the world he has grown up in.

Although the overall narrative arc is straightforward coming out story, the depth and complexity of his recollections serve to illustrate to readers the many ways in which society creates paradoxical and near-impossible expectations for queer youth. But in the end, the important part is, he made it through.

By Aidan Thomas. An with, a love story, and an exploration of gender, family, and expectations, Cemetery Boys has much to offer all kinds of readers. Openly Straight focuses on Rafe, an athlete who is openly gay and accepted by his family and community.