Thoughts On Bruce Jenner And Acceptance Of LGBT Individuals

Last Friday, like millions of other viewers, I tuned in to Bruce Jenner's interview with Diane Sawyer. To be honest, I'd expected it to be a fluff piece (he has spent the last few years of his life on the Kardashians' show after all), but I was moved by his bravery and honesty as he revealed, "I'm a woman." *Note -- I'm using the pronouns "He" and "Him" since this is what he requested for his interview.*

I think that Jenner is a flawed individual. On the one hand, I've admired him for his athletic accomplishments... but he was an absentee parent for many of his kids. Still, I applaud him for being so open about his life and hope his journey can help educate others about people who are transgender. I think that *every* person who strives to be his or her best self is brave, but it must have been especially tough for someone who is not only a very public figure, but upheld a very "masculine" image for so many decades.

On a personal level, his interview hit home for me since the male hero in my novel F#@! BOMB is a respected athlete who comes out as gay. My character, Griffin, doesn't have an easy time opening up to his friends, family and teammates, but he's still young when he does so. Jenner is 65 and kept his real life secret for a very long time. I'm glad he's finally found the courage to tell his story.

I happened to spend this weekend with my best friend, who is a gay man, and many of our mutual friends who are also gay. We had a long discussion about Jenner's interview, which ultimately turned into a discussion about how and when each guy came out. I was surprised to learn that one of my friends didn't officially come out until he was in his mid-30s. He mentioned that his teenage niece is already out as a lesbian and noted how times have changed. I hope they continue to do so and that LGBT people can continue to get the rights they deserve.

I don't expect my book to incite much change, but if it can help, inspire or educate a handful of people, I'll be really pleased. On the other hand, I do hope that Jenner can truly play a part in "chang[ing] the world" as he said.

Book Recommendations: Books About Gay Teens

First up: my Virtual Book Tour continues, and this time, BAND GEEK is featured at the blog Dream Big ... Read Often. You can read an excerpt of my novel and once again, sign up to win a prize of a free copy of the book, a CD and some handmade music earrings. Go for it -- it only takes a second to click!

Meantime, I'd like to recommend some more Young Adult novels that I think are worth reading. This time, they all have gay, lesbian or transgender protagonists. In the past few years, there have been so many tragic stories about gay teens who were bullied to the point where they killed themselves. Of course, there are many others who haven't made the news, but are also picked on at school or are not accepted at home. You'd think that in 2012 being gay wouldn't be a big deal, but unfortunately, it still is in some circles.

The following LGBT novels tackle some difficult topics, such as what it means to be gay and Christian, or what it means to be a girl trapped in a boy's body. I think that all are books that can help gay teens feel not so alone and can help straight teens understand what their gay friends, siblings and classmates are going through.

The God Box by Alex Sanchez: Sanchez has written several YA novels that star gay teens, but this is my favorite of his. The narrator, Pablo, a.k.a. "Paul" lives the seemingly-perfect life in Texas: he has a steady group of friends, a beautiful and sweet girlfriend and is a devout Christian who's active in his church and school's Bible club. However, his life is turned upside-down when he discovers that he has feelings for his classmate, Manuel, who's out and proud. Paul not only has to come to terms with being gay, but also questions his religious beliefs and his entire identity. This is an LGBT story that digs deeper than a typical "coming out" tale and takes on a rather controversial angle.

Something Like Summer by Jay Bell: A warning before I begin: though this book is YA and has young characters, there are some explicit scenes in this book! I suggest it for older teens, ages 17 and up. Still, while there are some hot sections, the tale is heartfelt and made me cry in parts. The story follows Ben, an out teen who begins a relationship with closeted jock, Tim. The first section shows readers how Ben went after the object of his affection and managed to win Tim's heart. it then goes on to cover the next 10 years or so of their on again/off again relationship. What I liked about this novel was that it wasn't really a coming out story, which is often what YA LGBT books are. Though it did involve on teen accepting his sexuality, the main portion of the novel focused on the characters' love story.

Keeping You A Secret By Julie Anne Peters; This story is similar to The God Box in that the main character, Holland, has a boyfriend and hasn't quite realized that she's gay. She then meets the school's new girl, Cece, who's an out and proud lesbian, and they fall in love. I enjoyed the romance between the girls, but I also liked that the story didn't neatly wrap up every plot. There were some messy scenes that made me want to smack certain characters and cheer for others. It's always a good read for me when characters make me so emotional!

Luna by Julie Anne Peters: In this novel, Peters introduces readers to a main character who's transgender. the story is told from the POV of Regan, whose brother Liam is a female trapped in a male's body. Regan is the only person who knows of "Luna's" secret and she struggles to accept and deal with the fact that her brother identifies himself as her sister. The one thing I wish is that we'd gotten the story from Luna's point of view; perhaps Luna and Regan could've narrated alternating chapters? Still, it's a moving story about love, identity and acceptance.

If you have any favorite LGBT books, feel free to share in the comments! Meantime, please read and review my novel REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD.