Gay Characters in Children's Literature

There are only a few books for children with openly gay characters available these days. Part of the reason why these books are not favored is that in some places they are even banned from libraries or due to constant complaints librarians removed them from the shelves. This issue deserves more attention and acceptance, too.
Alabama introduced in 2005 a bill that banned gay literature (books written by gay authors or books with gay characters) from libraries. Representative Gerald Allen told the reporters he would have banned some of the works of Shakespeare, too. Librarians rejected the idea, because it would have presented only one political view and one religious agenda. The representative made his point clear that those books are unhealthy for the children of Alabama and he was afraid of their souls, too. The bill died automatically, because there were not enough state legislators present on the day of the vote.

Presenting gay characters in children's and young adult literature is essential. Gay people are equal members of our society; therefore, it is normal for a child to know about them, too. Since children get a very deep impact from books, it would be a crucial move agains homophobia to introduce these characters in childhood stories.

In childhood, being gay is not an issue. First of all because even if there are homosexual characters in children’s books, the children won’t realize it at all. Their mind works differently: remember Little Red Riding Hood? She was eaten by a wolf, which is a very terrifying image, but no one has pictured Little Red in pieces rather then being saved by the Hunter. The way children imagine the stories and tales they hear is so different from what it really looks like. Moreover, if there is a gay character it means nothing for the child. The role models we learn while reading are more complex then being heterosexual or gay.

Homosexuality can’t be adopted by reading about it, but it can be understood and explored this way. Since homosexuality is not a crime or a disease, there is noting to be afraid of. In young adult books, it is also important to present the different sexual orientations because it shows the diversity of our society. If we don’t talk about something, it will still exist: this is the rule that everybody has to bear in mind when it comes to banning gay characters. If we ban those characters or the subject, children and young adults will look at the issue as something unknown, which is very dangerous.

Our sexual orientation changes during puberty. The sexual orientation changes during this time: young adults have to discover by themselves their inner drives and they need support during this crucial period. If they are not under pressure meaning they are not pushed towards the traditional roles of their sexes or, they are not encouraged to declare themselves either homosexual or heterosexual, these young adults will find what is best for them. Literature is a very powerful tool for giving a very complex and elaborate background on the different roles in a family, relationship or in the society.

Banning gay characters and literature is unnecessary and foolish since the diversity of our society is something that every child should discover as soon as possible. Traditional values have their place to be presented in literature, so do all the minorities in order to help our children to develop their mind and personality. Reading is important, because it helps to develop our imagination and mental capacity. Presenting all the different aspects of our world is one of the greatest achievements of literature so, no doubt that there is a place for everyone in a book.