Spotlight: This Book Is Gay

Part guidebook, part support group, and all honesty, This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson (2015) is an awesome addition to any teen’s library. For an LGBT+ teen, it is a lifeline reminding them that they are not alone and giving advice for the challenges they will face. For others, it’s an ally’s education.

Dawson employs a winking tone that will invite young readers in. But the flippancy is also there to help move through the truth telling, whether about homophobia and transphobia or the details of gay sex.

Yep, this book gives lots of details when it comes to sex! As a parent, I want my kid to have reliable information when it comes to sexual activity. Since most schools provide only heterosexual points of view when it comes to sex ed, this book is extremely valuable.

Dawson includes quotes from members of the LGBT+ community throughout the book. These perspectives emphasize the author’s point that there is no one way to be gay and that all folks’ experiences are valid.

There should be a copy of This Book Is Gay in every high school library, community center, or coffee shop so that whoever might need it, for curiosity or kinship, will be able to pick it up and feel less alone and less confused.