While scientists argue over the causes of sexual orientation, most gay kids know at an early age (or are quickly made aware) they’re gender non-conforming, and their attraction towards the same sex also begins in childhood.
But children’s literature is still pretty squeamish about admitting this. Gay tales of self-discovery first found a home in young adult literature, the genre that by inventing “problem novels” provided a foot in the door to mainstream publishing for many nonconformist stories. But picture books – even playful picture books like King and King, or scientifically factual ones, like And Tango Makes Three – remain at the top of challenged and banned book lists.
Rainy Day Recess (Northwest Press) compiles Dave Kelly’s “Steven Comics”, covers and drawings, which ran from 1995 to 1998 in gay and alternative newspapers. “Steven’s Comics” are for teens and adults, but like Lynda Barry’s work, concentrate on the social life of kids. Steven grows up in the Pacific Northwest in the 1970s (and seventies fans will revel in Kelly’s astute attention to detail…remember record music clubs? Donnie and Marie? We are Family?) His life isn’t ideal; his parents’ divorce means an extend stay with his grandma, and Steven is often uprooted and distressed due to his parents’ instabilities. Read on…
Over the course of the comic, Kelly shows us Steven’s coming of age as a sensitive, queer kid. For example, we see Steven’s excitement when he discovers a Wonder Woman doll in the store next to the Spiderman doll his brother craves.
“At last, “ he thinks to himself. “…a doll I could get without being called a sissy…There was no way Mom could say no.” Steven’s indulgence is short-lived; sibling teasing eventually provokes Mom to take away the doll. But what sticks is the inspiration – Kelly includes a later Comic-Con sketch of Steven clad as Wonder Woman. And Kelly tips readers that his comics “Starwoman” are borrowing both from Wonder Woman and a superhero creation that he invented in his childhood.
“I remember my brother and his friends finding my Starwoman comics and being embarrassed, so I hid them and eventually lost them. I really wish I had them now!”
Though both Kelly’s and Steven’s creativity and queerness get pummeled by the bullies of childhood, they inevitably bubble up around the seams, and that is what these comics share with readers. In his introduction to the book, Dan Savage says about Kelly: “His work movingly brings to life the particular experiences of the outsider, the fantastical inner life of a kid whose essential, defining difference both isolates and liberates.” Like Savage’s It Gets Better project, this comic is one that bridges generations to let young LGBT kids know they’re not alone.
Though Steven survives, my only sadness is that due to the brevity of the comics (since they ran in newspapers), we don’t know what happens to many of the other kids he encounters. His crushes, his pals, his girl buddies, and most of all some of the other kids bullied by kids, or worse, by their parents, I wanted to know it gets better for them too. But I’m glad they had such an observant and talented friend as Steven (or as Kelly) to relay their tales to younger generations and by doing so, thwart the homophobes and bullies of today. (via Lambda Literary)
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about 1 year ago
I very much like the idea of books for teens (or even kids) with queer content.
But.
That should be no new way into mis concepts. To be gay does not mean to like dolls or dresses or pink. Even if (my) dislike of that sort of things might coming from a consent in society – I do not LIKE them.
The most important story that has to be told is: We are not different. Because there is no “we”. There is only a bunch of people.
about 1 year ago
And then there is “Niklas and Friends.”
http://www.niklascomics.de/intro.php
If I’m not mistaken, there have been attempts to have it removed from the web, but banning things from the web is not nearly as easy as banning it from libraries.
about 1 year ago
Unbelievable, thanks for that link! Comics like that should be available for boys all over the world. What self-respecting queer can’t remember his first hard-on wrestling another boy…;-)
about 1 year ago
Thanks for the heads-up on this. I’d heard about the original comics elsewhere, but found out on the website that I could get it from Apple’s iBooks for my iPad. It’s terrific!
about 1 year ago
“But picture books … or scientifically factual ones, like And Tango Makes Three – remain at the top of challenged and banned book lists.”
Of course. As long as religion has their ignorant foothold onto any and all societies, they will always find a way to keep factual information from getting to the public mass. Our societies are so fucking brainwashed (indoctrinated) with this crap, we are failing to see and understand the absolute necessity of providing true intelligence to the people. History is showing this all too real — we are now devolving into a more stupid and controlled system of societies that prefer to have the ignorant but wealthy few control the previously evolving intelligent society members by ignorance, superstitions and military force.
The religious are so fucking afraid of intelligence that they continually seek laws and other methods of keeping the ignorance flowing through the societies from early childhood through adulthood. I was always taught that I would continue learning things throughout my life. I wasn’t taught that science and human nature should never be explored and learned. And that’s exactly what’s happening by the banning of intelligent books designed to educate the younger members of society (as well as the adults).
about 1 year ago
Cool Story Bro.
about 1 year ago
“most gay kids know at an early age”
I didn’t know until I was late 15. Anyone else find out this ‘late’?
about 1 year ago
It depends on what you mean by “know”. I probably knew much earlier with ‘orgy’ camp and fooling around with my best friend, but dated girls anyway. Some queer boys just don’t face it until later….easier to deny and ignore it. Well, not really ‘easier’, but more helpful to fit in.
about 1 year ago
By ‘know’ I meant realise. I never looked at guys in a sexual way until about 15. before that would’ve been disgusted by the idea of it. Not uncertain about my feelings or hiding them – they just suddenly became apparent at this age. Weird I guess!
about 1 year ago
I dunno about “weird”. Our first sexual awakenings are extremely varied. Maybe part of you (even subconsciously), just blocked the part about homosexuality, or your personal situation made you extremely biased. And then, some boys just start late. You’re not giving all the clue pieces here…lol. Did you wank and fantasize about *girls* before 15?
about 1 year ago
Sorry if I’m a closed book! Lol.
Yes I did wank over girls before.
about 1 year ago
No queer is a closed book, dude! We’re constantly changing the def of what it’s like to be queer. If any group is a ‘closed book’, it’s heteros…..but that’s not fair either.;-)
I was programmed from an early age to think girls were sexy & sex objects. But my heart was really into the boys. Started out wanking to boys, then girls, then boys & girls and now just males.
And certainly, you can find both attractive to you…it’s whatever makes you feel comfortable in your own skin.
about 1 year ago
I was the same way. I actually started watching straight pornography then around 15 I just started noticing boys. Eventually I just wasn’t attracted to women anymore. I think it’s probably because I was shy and overweight and I would look at the thin athletic and handsome boys and wish I could look like them. It must have became sexual over the years.
about 1 year ago
I stumbled across that sentence as well – and I like how they put it: “…that they’re gender non-conforming,” It’s not about knowing that you are gay or trapped in the wrong body or whatever, but that you are different from most people around you. Why should gay boys be attracted to other boys before their peers are attracted to girls?
about 1 year ago
I knew when that part of puberty hit. Maybe there were earlier signs, but as my guy friends each started talking about girls body parts instead of toy trucks or sports, I expected my turn would come. It did. One day as we were leaving the locker room after PE, I found myself staring in kind of a daze at a boy by his locker. No one noticed, I shook myself out of that (probably just seconds long) daze and left the locker room thinking, “Oh, oh. This is not what I expected.” From then on (and this was at age 14), I started looking at other boys the way my guy friends were looking at girls.
about 1 year ago
Nice story….sometimes we just put off the inevitable. And lots of boys are hit like that…like a thunderbolt from the queer gods.
about 1 year ago
I love comics, so I should definitely order this.
about 1 year ago
Because you find 15-year-old boys extremely fascinating, does that make you a paedo? Even if you have nothing to do with them but admire their qualities from afar? I wish someone would tell me because I’ve had this “perversion”, if that’s what you call it, all my life.
about 1 year ago
If you want to slap a label on it that would make one ephebophile.
about 1 year ago
I completely agree with your introduction. I realised my attraction to the same sex when I was 7. Had consensual relations with a group of three more boys. Were found out by a teacher and was placed in front of the full primary school and called all kind of things and expeled from the school. At home they placed me in a dark room on my own until the end of term. This caused me a trauma that only after 30 years and many sessions of all kinds of treatments I am finally ovecoming.
I wanted to share because I feel safe with your group and to let others not to be ashamed of their feelings.
Thank you.
about 1 year ago
Latpro, I am so sorry you had to deal with ignorance and bigotry at such a young age. In mind, what you experienced was real child abuse both psychological and spiritual. I do hope you can tell your younger self that he did nothing wrong, then move on to fight against injustice.
about 1 year ago
i knew i was gay at age 5 to be honest my family knew i was gay all along but i really didnt start to have feelings for guys till age 12 when puberty hit my family has been ok with it but people in my school where not and i was bullied from 5th grade all the way to 12th grade high school im graduated now and since i got bullied all those years i have become more angry at the world and i snap easy