Everyone Should Be Allowed To Love

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     Levithan's Boy Meets Boy reintroduces a taboo topic to the world through a new lens - one of acceptance and normalcy and eventually love. Love pertaining to those who are around us but not like us. Though it would be challenging to gain approval and support for teaching this book in a middle school classroom, it would greatly benefit everyone, as it would serve as a mirror and a window. Students within the LGBTQ+ community would finally have representation, while other students would gain insight into the lives, challenges, and feelings of their homosexual counterparts. 

    I think this book is more challenging for adults to accept than students, because students are more often and more easily influenced than parents, teachers, and others. When reading this book, one thing that struck me is just how unaccepting people are. There are some extreme concepts, such as the overall being of Infinite Darlene, but the way Levithan structured everyone around her was heartwarming.

    Although the almost unanimous acceptance seems unrealistic, I think it is more possible than we realize. I think the acceptance displayed in Boy Meets Boy is only unrealistic to those who don't want it to be reality. 



Comments

  1. Olivia TSeptember 28, 2021 at 12:52 PM


    "I think this book is more challenging for adults to accept than students, because students are more often and more easily influenced than parents, teachers, and others. When reading this book, one thing that struck me is just how unaccepting people are." I really appreciate how you note this aspect for those reading the book. I feel that this might be why the older adolescent group finds this book unrealistic because we have all lived through this stage, whereas younger adolescents are still living in this time for them and are still not sure what they should fully expect... I really think this idea of impression as something that is a big factor in how the book is received! Great job!!

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