When sister Deb Jessica Verday told us that her editor for WICKED PRETTY THINGS insisted that the G-rated, one-kiss gay romance in her story had to become a het romance to be published, I was appalled, but not surprised.
I came out in 1989, and as a YA author, I try not to spend a lot of time pointing out how much older I am than my audience. But even though 1989 seems recent to me, it’s more than two decades ago. The world has changed considerably since then.
In the 80s, we were still looking for acknowledgement. It was a big deal just to get the world to acknowledge our existence, to even admit we were real. That denial is what allowed the AIDS crisis to explode the way it did- Reagan turned a blind eye to it, because it was an invisible and outcast people who mainly suffered from it.
There’s a reason our early protest chant was “We’re here, we’re queer, get used to it.” It was still a shock to the mainstream that we existed at all. Then on top of it, they had to wrap their heads around it.
So even though coming out in my house was easy, being out was manifestly different in 1989 than it is now. I didn’t have an expectation then that being queer should be acceptable to the world at large. I got used to negotiating first kisses so they happened in private places, instead of enjoying them as they bloomed spontaneously.
As a writer, I understood that my short fiction had to be straight to be published, unless I asked permission. Unless an editor was looking to give a dispensation and get brownie points for being daring.
Twenty two years is a long time. I’m an old dog, and it never occurred to me to stop asking if I could submit queer fiction. Even though I was nominated for a Pushcart for a genderqueer story, even though times have changed- I was still asking. Until Jessica Verday, who’s straight, and has nothing particular to gain by writing a romantic gay faerie tale, just did it.
And was rebuffed for it. And fought back in public.
As I had two stories coming out in Constable & Robinson and Running Kids Press anthologies this year, I wrote to the editors at both houses expressing my support for Jessica.In that letter, I said, “In this day and age, Jessica Verday shouldn’t have to ask permission to write a YA story that features LGBT characters.”
It didn’t occur to me- because sometimes I’m slow that way- that in this day and age, neither should I.
I’ve withdrawn my short story “Tromsø by Polar Night” from Trisha Telep’s THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF GHOST ROMANCE- but I’m very proud to say that my story for C&R/RPK’s TRUTH & DARE is still on.
That editor, Liz Miles, not only encouraged me to write in an experimental form, her call of entry specifically asked for stories with LGBT content. And I’m so grateful for allies like Jessica Verday. She had nothing to gain and a lot to lose in this, but she did it anyway because it was right.
Thanks for teaching this old dog a new trick, Jessica.
*stands up and applauds*
This kind of solidarity within the YA community–and for such a worthy reason–is the tops. Thanks for taking a stand for inclusion, Saundra.
I’m SO so proud of everyone in the YA, and now the adult fiction, community who’ve stood up about this. It’s a heartening thing to see how far we’ve come since 1989, and such a pleasure to realize how many more allies we have now!
Thank you for this and thank you for making this decision. You have my full respect and support as a blogger, a YA fan and a queer reader chanting in the streets!
Thank you for your kind words; I feel rather sheepish that it took me a week to parse all the way through it, but I feel so much better now that I have.
Saundra –
First – BRAVA!! And then second, you always make so much sense. No one should have to ask permission. As a society, I truly thought we’ve come farther than that and this entire thing is shocking. I’ve canceled my pre-order.
Thank you very much for your support, Sophie. I think we have come so, so far, and we continue to get further down the road every single day. Setbacks like this remind us not to get comfortable because the day isn’t won, yet. But I marvel that we’ve come so far in so little time. 22 years really doesn’t seem like that long ago.
Hey vesper buddy, I didn’t know we had being gay in common, too!
Thanks for this post and pointing out Jessica Verday’s post on the issue. And thanks for taking a stand with her. It’s always been important to me that gay/bi/transgendered kids are presented in media as being just as normal and common as straight kids. And YA is the perfect venue to reach kids who are being told otherwise.
*high fives* I’m the B in the LGBTQ sandwich; how awesome to have a Vesper buddy AND to find more family in the midst of all this? I’m *really* sorry this had to happen at all, but I’m *really* glad that this is the example being made: that everybody deserves love equally. I genuinely marvel at how far we’ve come since 1989.
(But I’d better stop mentioning that year or my acid-wash peg-ankle jeans will hear me and attack….)
You’re not that old – I was alive in 1989. Admittedly, only three years of age ;-)
I was old enough to come out, and we’ll just leave it at that. :P
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Fantastic! Hats off to both you and Jessica. So glad you’ll remain in the Truth & Dare antho Liz Miles is fabulous.
*glomps you in a giant hug*
I adore you.
That is all.
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*hug* Thank you for this post and for your bravery, Saundra.
As someone who was born in 1989, I’ll thank you not to point out that the year happened longer ago every day.
Congrats on taking a stand.