In Gay America: Struggle for Equality (Abrams/Amulet, 2008)—the first comprehensive history on this subject for teens—Linas Alsenas chronicles how gay men and women have lived, worked, and loved for the past 125 years. Using archival images, illustrations, and full-color photos, Alsenas, a U.S. citizen who lives in Sweden with his partner, takes us from Colonial times to the present debate over gay marriage.Click the link at the top to read an interview regarding this book.
It's funny that this should be in the issue of SLJ:EH that arrived in my inbox this afternoon. Yesterday my 14yo daughter (I'll call her SV) told me that one of her friends at school was very excited by the ruling allowing same-sex couples to marry here in Connecticut. I jokingly asked her if her friend was gay (assuming the girl was happy because she was being raised by a same-sex couple and wanted her parents to be 'married'; not uncommon in a city this size). Well it turns out that her friend IS gay. And open about it at 14! How great is that? I'm proud of my daughter for not shunning her friend (I guess I've done some things right) and I'm so proud of my daughter's school that this girl can be open about her preferance without fear of repercussions.
We can only hope the next generation will be more tolerant of people who are different from themselves.
ReplyDeleteI certainly hope so. I don't want her to have to see one of her friends beaten up because they're different in some way.
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