Simon Says, "I Don't Think I Even Care"

When push comes to shove, Simon vs. The Homosapien Agenda is just another lame high school romance pocked with moments of adolescent self-discovery. Even “the great conflict” of Martin’s blackmail is relatively underwhelming. Simon does encounter some bullying as a result but it’s relatively standard fair. Don’t get me wrong, his peers’ behavior is highly offensive, bigoted, and inappropriate but it just doesn’t seem to get enough of a reaction from Simon to really warrant classifying his outing as a disaster. In fact, Simon himself seems more enraged by the fact that his moment was taken away from him than the taunting he endures from his classmates. He says to Martin, “This was supposed to be - this is mine. I’m supposed to decide when and where and who knows and how I want to say it” (Albertalli 196).

But as I reflected on Simon’s experiences, it occurred to me that the book’s (relatively) unremarkable nature was what made Simon vs. The Homosapien Agenda a genius piece of YA fiction. In the “open discussion questions” we posed, I had asked, “How do we normalize homosexuality in our society so that the pressure of ‘coming out’ is ultimately eradicated?” The answer is books like Albertalli’s that present homosexual teenagers in this typical angsty adolescent light.  

Simon is entirely relatable. He’s just another suburbanite teen dealing with overbearing parents, pesky siblings, evolving friendships, and elusive love. But what’s so amazing about this is it gives educators a platform to discuss homosexuality in society without framing Simon as a victim. In the “Books I wish I’d Read as an LGBTQ Teenager” it was heavily implied by the author that most literature that touched on homosexuality was “either deeply tragic or [was] short on character” development (Gall). I took this to mean that LGBTQ individuals never just got to have a story. Their “representative” literature was always wrapped in some twisted origin story (Augusten Burrough’s “Running with Scissors” is an autobiographical example of this) or failed to capture the full range of experiences that come with being gay in a majority hetero society.

Whether or not Simon’s homosexuality is a “big deal” is a recurring question throughout the novel. Personally, it’s a big deal for Simon but socially its impact is considerably understated. At least it is when we consider Simon’s experiences in the context of the other novels we’ve read this semester. There is teasing and taunting, yes, but there is acceptance in equal measure.  “One girl even confirms that Jesus still loves [him]” (Albertalli 188). Simon vs. The Homosapien Agenda normalizes the adolescent homosexual experience by not framing bigotry as the element that moves the story. It's about a kid who has to deal with provocations but, quite frankly, isn't overly reactive to them. "...A couple of pickup truck guys change my name to Semen Queer... I don't think I even care" (Albertalli 204).

Of course, Albertalli drops small bombs throughout the novel that remind us that the position of homosexuals in our society is more precarious than Simon’s experiences let on. We, unfortunately, are not surprised by the blatant trolling Simon experiences but Albertalli also draws attention to more subversive cultural elements that can negatively impact the healthy development of an adolescent homosexual identity. 

His father’s frequent gay jokes are one example, “That awkward moment when you realize you’ve been making gay jokes in front of your gay kid for the last seventeen years” (Albertalli 238). It speaks to a hetero flippancy that is offensive and demeaning yet accepted as standard colloquial practice. In essence, as much as Albertalli tries to normalize homosexuality our own language resists that idea and reinforces negative associations. 

However, the most disturbing part of the book is easily when Bram and Simon are leaving the talent show. “It’s too public to hold hands. This being Georgia. So, I walk next to him… Just a couple of guys hanging out” (Albertalli 298). The implications of this line are uncharacteristically dark for the novel. They are a reminder that no matter how accepting Simon’s community, family, or friends may be of his homosexuality the fact remains that being homosexual in our society still poses a significant danger.

 

Works Cited

Albertalli, Becky. Simon vs. The Homosapien Agenda. HaperCollins Publishers, 2015.

Gall, Amy. “Books I Wish I’d Read as an LGBTQ Teenager.” National Book Foundation, April 2018, https://www.nationalbook.org/books-i-wish-id-read-as-an-lgbtq-teenager/. 15 September 2020.