On the Shelf: The importance of Queer Representation in Literature

I’m certain we all have made a choice to pick up a book at least once in our life, whether to get lost in a science-fiction novel at 3 in the night, or to reminiscence about the time when we were not glued to our phones. The truth being, books play a huge role in shaping our perceptions, even if we aren’t avid readers. Someone or the other has definitely read a book and ranted to you about it (I’m that friend) or you might have read a book for school. Essentially, books have always been a powerful medium for exploring human experiences, identities, and imaginations.

And how does this relate to queer representation? Since books are such prominent players in our life, whatever we read is embedded into our understanding and opinions. For LGBTQIA+ members, if they are represented in literature, they feel validated and seen, and it brings normalization to the community; for other people, its embedded into their understanding, thus making positive representation imperative for fostering acceptance.

The Importance of Queer Representation in Literature

·        Validation: When books feature characters who are similar to oneself it makes a person feel seen and understand that they are not alone.

·        Expanding Perspectives: Diverse narratives can challenge stereotypes, break down prejudices, and foster empathy

·        Creating Safe Spaces: Queer readers may fins solace in books where their experiences are reflected, especially if treated with respect

Today, there are numerous accomplished authors who have released books relating to queer identities like Casay McQuiston and Becky Albertalli. Some of my favorites are Adam Silvera’s “They Both Die at the End” and “More Happy than Not”. And what’s really great about these books are that I dint pick them up because they had LGBTQIA+ inclusion, but because the storyline and plot was appealing even without considering the type of relationship and that’s what is going to encourage readers of all sexualities to pick up these books. But, despite the progress, there are still gaps in queer representation that need to be addressed.

What We Need

·        Variety of Genres: LGBTQIA+ stories need to extend beyond romances and coming of age stories. We need narratives where them being queer is not the focus but just an additional piece of their identity. Maybe a story about an accomplished scientist on their way to the other side of the universe who just so happens to be queer.

·        Intersectional Representation: Stories need to consider all aspects of a person’s identity. We need characters that are diverse in more than one way.

·         More narratives: We need to expand beyond just relationships in stories. Its time to look at job opportunities, healthcare, education and more.

In conclusion, Queer Representation in books is more than just a trend. Books have the power to write our stories and change them, making it essential to have realistic and diverse representation. We’re on the path to do so, but we still need to do some work and by reading and promoting books that have true LGBTQIA+ representation we can do our part in the same. So, the next time you go to the bookstore, take a look at a few Queer representing books.