Research Paper on LGBTQ+ Representation in Adolescent Literature

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 Essential Question: What does LGBTQ+ representation look like in adolescent literature currently and what can we do to create a more diverse and open dialogue in this genre of literature?

Focus Questions: What are the most popular LGBTQ+ novels and movies right now? What are some resources we can provide LGBTQ+ teenagers? Why are certain books regarding this genre banned, and what can we do to un-ban them? How can teachers integrate this content in their classroom?  What does the LGBTQ+ community lack in terms of representation? How would this directly benefit LGBTQ+ students and adolescents?

Overview: I know that the market severely lacks LGBTQ+ representation, especially for Y/A. I also know that schools and even certain libraries have trouble displaying these books and making them accessible. I know how important being seen and represented in the content you intake is very important to social development and esteem. I know that there are many avenues that can be taken to help provide the resources that we need.

WHY:  I was inspired by reading Simon vs. the Homosapiens Agenda and realizing that all of the books I read convey relationships that I can relate to (i.e. straight, typically white adolescents) and hardly any depict LGBTQ+ relationships. Literature lacks representation overall and I felt like society needs to begin opening up to reading about lifestyles that are not their own.

Titles: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Leah on the Offbeat, It's Not Like It's a Secret, and Being Emily are all good titles and two of them are even by the same author. Becky Albertalli writes a lot of good LGBTQ+ teen literature.

Resources: I plan to use some novels and movies as evidence of what we already have and also look into some real LGBTQ+ teen responses as to what the market is lacking and what they would like to see. I would also like to use some sources regarding where this media is not allowed and to see if there was any correlation between location and accessibility. I have a broad topic so I am still planning to narrow down some specific resources.

Argument: The argument that could relate to this novel would be in regards to how much LGBTQ+ lack when it comes to relevant media, and what is on the market is not always appropriate or relevant to teens. I would also argue that it is wrong to censor this type of literature from kids and they deserve the opportunity to read about the relationships that they would like to be in.

Challenges: I can predict that the research is only going to get me so far. This topic of mainstream LGBTQ+ literature is still rather new and many people have no had the proper amount of time to process and understand that this is an issue for many adolescents. I do not feel as though I will find many resources from an adolescent perspective.


Comments

  1. A'Keriah PraylowNovember 12, 2020 at 6:46 PM

    I like how you plan to make correlations between location and accessibility. Geography plays a huge role in the opinions of LGBTQ+ representation in literature. For example, you could mention how South Carolina is located in the bible belt. You have a great topic, this is something that definitely needs more attention in adolescent literature.

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  2. Aniya HallNovember 13, 2020 at 8:51 PM

    I love your proposal topic, I chose a very similar topic! I have to agree with your challenges you might face when researching.. I have some of those same concerns. I wish there were more representation of the LGBTQ+ community in adolescent literature so that we could incorporate them in our research paper. But I think we'll be able to include very valuable sources within our papers despite that set back. Good luck on your research process! If I come across any resources that might help your process, I won't hesitate to let you know! I'm interested to see your presentation and to add things to my mental list about this topic for my future as an educator.

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