"As a person of the LGBTQA+ community, what stories do you wish you saw more of?": LGBTQA+/ SAGA advice and support forum.

I vote B or E

Np babe ;)

Okay mood
Do it

Dear lord I just found this thread and can I just say that I'm in love with it
Everything here is so heartwarming and everyone is so supportive and brave this gave me life

Also, aside from Christian people who are LGBT+ but still have faith, I think it would also be really cool to see more Muslim/Islamic queer characters, or even Buddhist/ other religions

Thank you for this beautiful, beautiful thread people

I completely agree, and I feel like there should be some sort of subtlety in the title as much as possible, so that closeted kids can read it without fear of being found out. The good thing about the pride flag is that since it's rainbow, you can easily pretend the rainbow-coloured cover of your book has more to do with art/happiness/whatever than pride. But on the other hand, isn't it important for LGBT+ books to have a firm standing and not try to hide?
Unfortunately, there are a lot of homophobes in this world and that would mean that kids could miss out on outstanding books, like you said. My personal opinion is that it's the safest option to be subtle until the world catches up, because once a cover and a title have been set, there are so many limitations for the kids, teens, and even adults who just want to read about struggles like theirs, to feel like they belong. The Stonewall award is tricky though, I have no idea what a solution to that might be. My old school used to have this amazing librarian who made the library the LGBT+ safe space, started an undercover Pride Club ("geography club"), and had a little code for kids who were looking for queer books. She outfitted a lot of these books with versions of dust covers that weren't as big a giveaway, and was generally a blessing.

To the individuals talking about creating stories that closeted people can read safely, Here's a few ideas:

• Coding your books: include a code on an inner page of the story, clarifying that it is LGBTQA+ with a small statement, including a colour pattern or style on the cover to give a little nod (rainbow ring of light, using specific colours (blues, purples and pinks to relate to the bisexual flag).
• Don't include any love related things in the back, or hint at it (Knight Charlie had always loved her life, but never did she think that saving a princess would lead to her finding the love of her life; to most people this could lean either way, it's not clear and many people would probably assume one way or the other, but if you have a history or LGBTQA+ books or support, then people who read your content would automatically assume.)
• I wanted to look for some more ideas and I just found a few more:
• there is a book shop called "Gay's the Word" whether you want books or inspiration, this looks amazing, here's what the person said: "I had a look around Gay’s The Word today, which I’ve read is, sadly, the only surviving LGBTQIA+ bookshop in the UK. It was great being around so many fiction and non-fiction queer books all in one place and I discovered so many I want to read! And it didn’t just have gay, lesbian and bi reads, but also sections for other sexualties like asexuality and ace 🏳️‍🌈"

Current Character List for my story (Name still being tweaked, along with the characters, ages shown are from the view of page one, book one) (Order of things: Name, sexuality, race, nationality/ where they were born, age, religion):

• Alexander Kody Fawkes: (Closeted) Biromantic, Biracial (mother is Israeli, father is English), English, 17, agnostic.
• Alastair Edward Reid: (Open) Gay, White, Irish, Male, 18, agnostic atheist.
• Ashanti Vatusia Wilson: Straight, Black, Kenyan, Female, 39, Christian.
• Brandon Coughter: Straight, white, English, Male, 30s/40s, unknown (THIS CHARACTER NEEDS SO MUCH WORK!)
• Connor Osmin Finch: Homoromantic, white, English, Male/Gender-fluid, 20s/30s, unknown (THIS CHARACTER ALSO NEEDS SO MUCH WORK!)
• David Oliver Wilson: Straight, Black, English, Male, 38, (Not sure on name?) likes to believe in heaven but not so much God.
• Frankie Elster: Pansexual, Biracial (Mother- Black, Jamaican, Father - White, English), English, Female, 16/17, Atheist.
• Hiari Wilson: pansexual/straight (has only been attracted to men but believes that every person can be attracted to at least one other person who has a different gender), Biracial (Mother is Kenyan, father is English; both Black), English, Female, 14, unknown (SO.MUCH.DEVELOPING.NEEDED).
• Jack: Asexual, white, English, Male, 23, Christian.
• Max: Straight, Indian, English, Male, 20, Loves Norse mythology but is Hindu.
• Mia Wilson: Lesbian, Biracial (Mother- Black, Kenyan, Father - Black, English), English, Female, 20, unknown (WHY MUST I PROCRASTINATE SO MUCH!?)
• Mickie Gerry Reiger: Straight, white, English, Female, 26, Doesn't care.
• Millie Fawkes: Straight, Israeli, English, Female, 45, Catholic.
• Mrs Laverton: Bisexual, white, English, female, 70, unknown (DAMN IT THIS WOMAN DESERVES TO BE DEVELOPED!)
• Natori Wilson: Tis only baby so for the future: Pansexual, biracial (Mother- Black, Kenyan, Father- Black, English), English, Male, BABY, unknown.
• Oscar Louis Reiger: Straight, white, English, male, 10, Thinks that god is a very confused old man that just wants to make everybody happy but doesn't know how, so we've got to help him.
• Peter ?: not made yet. like not even a bit. Probably male.
• Peter Fawkes (changed last name to Schrieber): Straight, biracial (mother is Israeli, father is English), English, Male, died at 19, Catholic.
• Samuel Michael Fawkes: I really hate this guy, and I don't know what I would label his sexuality as. In the story he tried to… force himself on his son, and he had a wife. I guess that would make him a bisexual paedophile but he I think he'll only specify that he is heterosexual within the story. White, English, Male, 40s/50, Catholic.
• Shazi Aliyyah Naaji: Straight, Pakistani, English, Female, 11, Muslim.
• Toby/ Katie Bean Laskaris: Straight, white, English, gender-fluid (male but sometimes feels like they are female and dresses as such, identifies as the gender they feel at the moment), 2/3, None.
• Tora: Lesbian, black, English, trans-woman, 30s, unknown.

Sorry for the huge post but if anybody wants to comment on any of my characters, go for it, and if you want to do the same for any advise or to just share, go for it. Really love this community.

whoah that's a really impressive list

Love that list, things I really like in movies and books personally though is when it isn't obvious, or if it's implied but not said. Love it when sexuality is represented or shown, but in my stories at least, I sort of want to try and make sexuality and gender that isn't cis or straight normalised. There are maybe 3 characters in my story that I will probably write saying their sexuality at some point, mainly because the main is somewhat battling with his bisexuality, his boyfriend who is gay, and maybe another if it is relevent. But I won't hide their sexualities. Jack who is asexual loves to build and design incredible buildings and structures, despite being homeless and having ADHD which makes this love quite difficult. He has an aesthetic attraction in that he 'likes' to be around certain people more than others, but he doesn't want to be with anybody (however he can have a romantic attraction, and has before, but he finds this to be quite rare). If I wanted to say this then I'd probably bring it up in conversation in a way like, if they were talking about previous exes, and it came to him I'd imagine him saying, "I actually really loved my ex-girlfriend. She had an amazing way with words, every one seemed to curl at the end with excitement. She had this way about her, like you could just run up and cuddle her all night… but she wanted something that I didn't, she didn't understand, so she left." - "What do you mean?" - "I don't know. I guess she loved me in a way that I couldn't understand, and I loved her in a way that wasn't enough for her."
I like this in books just as much. But, I think you should try to either show, say or refer to their sexuality at some point. Not like how JK Rowling does it, with the same case, she has stated that Charlie Weasily is asexual, but with no written or shown proof. It's nice, but it doesn't feel real. Anyway this is just my opinion haha :P

Yeah! And irl, I'm biromantic, but I came out to my mum, brother and a few mates as Bisexual, because to me the sex part is between me and my partner. After that, I made a decision to be open, but not loud (unless at pride :P). I've just started Uni, and I've not hid it or said it. So I'll talk to a new mate of mine about boys because she has a boyfriend and it's what's come up. The other day there was a survey for specifically straight individuals so I verbally said, damn I can't get any credit from that then, and moved on, without being asked or saying anything else. Little things like this make a person openly gay/bi etc without them declaring it. With other mates I am very loud because they are loud too, for example my bisexual mate and I are constantly talking about girls and guys, and I once mentioned that I don't really see somebody and think that I'd have sex with them, or that I'd want to, it's just that I see them and want to 'be' with them romantically. She said something like, "Huh. I don't really get that but you agree she's cute as hell right?" - "Oh yeah she's fricken adorable."
It's easy to make things subtle, while saying "This person is gay etc." and if somebody relates to that short statement, then that's everything.

Me personally would like to see a bisexual, but I never really here a lot of stories about a non-binary Pan-sexual.

Hey guys, I'd like to ask random questions now and then in the forum and I really encourage everybody else to as well so that people who don't directly relate to this conversation or forum can still write LGBT characters :P . So, if you guys want to ask or answer, go for it.

awesome

I hope this hasn't been asked yet, but have any of you ever read a book about a blind queer character? bc there's already enough 'blind people can't fall in love' hate, I imagine it would probably be doubled if the person was blind

That’s so cool! And yeah that makes sense, writing from the perspective of someone gpimg through stuff completely different from you is hella tough

At least you tried, that’s what counts, and I’m sure they’re amazing regardless of blindness