As if gay kids aren't persecuted enough. As if they aren't insulted, hurt, killed, or driven to suicide just because of who they are, and who they love.
As if it wasn't hideous enough that in some Catholic schools in Ontario, gay kids aren't allowed to use the word "gay."
Or must hide their banned rainbow symbol in cup cakes...
Now some writers are being told to erase young gay characters from works of fiction.
Two American authors have revealed that they were told by a literary agent to "straighten" a gay character in their post-apocalyptic young adult novel if they wished to be represented.
Make them invisible, as if gay kids don't exist. As if they were too awful to write about.
"I work with teenagers, and some of them are gay. They never get to read fantasy novels where people like them are the heroes, and that's not right".
When you refuse to allow major characters in YA novels to be gay, you are telling gay teenagers that they are so utterly horrible that people like them can't even be allowed to exist in fiction."
Which is so profoundly evil, it reminds me of how the theocratic fascists in Iran try to make gays invisible, by claiming there aren't any in that country.
Even though they hang them...
So how have LGBT people in Iran reacted to those attempts to cower them, or make them invisible?
Answer: by setting up a wonderful Facebook page. And declaring we are EVERYWHERE.
We are queer, we are everywhere, we are fabulous, don't mess with us!
Which just happens to be the same message I would send to every homophobe on earth.
Screw off eh? Shove your bigotry up your fundamentalism.
We are here, we refuse to disappear. Despite your murderous efforts our love is still here.
And it is fiercely BATTLING...
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