The Agenda

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Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli is a typical coming of age story, except the main character Simon is gay. Albertalli places Simon in a sea full of support and resources, but Simon is still uncomfortable to be who he truly is. This is intentional, so readers are aware of the struggles of those who identify as LGBTQ+. Our society has forced people to consistently "come out" to those around them instead of accepting all sexual orientations and preferences. 

Simon has two sisters, three best friends, and two supportive parents. Simon's mom is even a child psychologist. Everything about Simon's environment suggests to readers, that Simon will have no problem "coming out". As the book goes on, we see this is NOT the case. Once becoming blackmailed by Martin, Simon begins to think about who he truly is. "It's a weirdly subtle conversation. I almost don't notice I'm being blackmailed" (Albertalli 1). Simon has to not only protect his identity, but also the identity of a secret admirer, Blue. Once understanding that it takes more effort to hide who is, Simon decides to express his true feelings. 

The novel provides great representation to encourage students to express who they are. Sexual orientation and preferences should not be a taboo discussion in the classroom. The real world consists of individuals from all backgrounds, so our job as educators is to have a classroom that resembles this. Including this novel in our curriculum is a great start to creating an inclusive classroom. 

Comments

  1. Olivia BennettSeptember 23, 2020 at 6:55 PM

    Hey A'Keriah,
    I really like how you pointed out that in the novel everything points to Simon being able to come out rather easily and without fear of rejection. Interestingly enough, that is not the case for Simon. The reader really sees him struggle to reveal to anyone his sexual preferences. I love how that allows members of the LGBTQ+ community, no matter what their coming out story is or isn't, to relate to Simon's experience. I love how Simon's struggle with his sexuality also serves as a window for nonmembers of the LGBTQ+ community to be able to see what members of the LGBTQ+ community feel and experience when they come out. I like how you mention that the novels representation encourages students to express who they are. In middle school and high school, fitting in is everything. I think, as teachers, it is important for us to encourage our students to stay true to themselves.

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  2. Nalayna HyattSeptember 24, 2020 at 7:30 AM

    A'Keriah, I really like this post. The fact that Simon had an ideal environment to come out to and yet was still wary of committing to the "coming out thing" was a great move on Albertalli's part because it almost gives justice to LGBTQ+ adolescents who are in the same situation. People often sympathize with the LGBTQ+ kids who have rough coming out stories and un-approving families, but adolescents in Simon's situation are sometimes met with confusion as to why they were hesitant. This book shows why. Albertalli does a beautiful job of portraying the LGBTQ+ community's experience in many different ways in scenarios. It allows for the book to reach more adolescents and to be more relevant to a broader audience.

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