I chose to write in the LGBTQ
YA genre for many reasons. One of the main reasons I leaned toward this genre
was because when I was growing up there weren’t books available to me that
didn’t focus solely on the negative aspects of homosexuality. There was no one
that I could relate to that was experiencing the same feelings that I was.
Things have improved but we need to do more to support this group of teens.
I found that a large number of
the LGBTQ books were geared toward gay males and not lesbians. My books have
both gay and lesbian teens in them but I have decided to have my main
characters be lesbian teens. In addition, I will also include LGBTQ characters
of color. We all develop a better understanding of things when we can relate to
the experience. These kids, teens, and young adults deserve to be able to read
about reflections of themselves as their heterosexual counterparts do.
Realizing that you aren’t like
your peers is difficult even when it’s a small issue (weight, hair color,
etc.). When you start to think and feel “different” it can be frightening. The
coming out process begins then. One either accepts or rejects those feelings.
Some people never accept these feelings and live a life they think others want
for them. Once the feelings are accepted one makes the decision to share it
with those that are closest to them. The response after the admission is
powerful and directly affects their journey. There are kids that “come out” to
their families and are ostracized or disowned. Others may be embraced. These
responses and reactions direct the individual’s journey toward self-acceptance.
The issues I address in my
books are universal issues that we all face. My characters just happen to be
LGBTQ. I write my books to empower these teens. I believe that if we empower
them they will become healthier adults. The goals of my stories are to show
them the positive aspects of their experiences. My characters offer a glimpse
into what some teens face along their exploration toward finding their truest
self. Love is love but it becomes challenging when we live in a society that
uses religion to define what love is.
In some ways society has made
it easier to come out but a large number of families haven’t changed. Religion
and geographic locations isolate some teens more than others creating different
experiences for them as well. 40% of America’s
homeless youth are LGBTQ. That’s incomprehensible to me. I have chosen to
donate a portion of my proceeds to The Ali Forney Center in NYC and Time Out
Youth in Charlotte, NC.
Both of these agencies do tremendous work with LGBTQ homeless youth. In
summary, I write in this genre since it wasn’t done for me.
Stacey
aka Coffey Brown
Stacey's books are available on Amazon, Smashwords, iTunes, Kobo, Sony, B & N, etc.
Amazon links:
Find out more at
Coffey Brown Books
Twitter:
@CoffeyBrown1
Thank you for joining me today!
Next week (January 18th), I'll have an interview with Special Effects Makeup artist Michele Mulkey, where we talk about her work and inspiration.
You know, I love the idea of writing books to help out LGBT teens. I've been trying for a while now to come up with a way to help young people come to grips with their identity and I've also wanted to some way help them stand up to their tormentors in school. Excellent work Ms. Brown. I'll help spread the word to teens about your books and I may just take your idea and come up with a YA series of my own dealing with these issues.
ReplyDelete-Alison Holt
www.alisonholtbooks.com