Speaking of Stories

Queer stories are necessary and also hard

Photo by Edson Rosas on Unsplash

I’m a queer writer. I want to be a published queer author. And it scares the shit out of me.

There is such a need for queer stories — for the sweet and wholesome to the dark and problematic — but there is such a scrutiny that comes with that when they are published.

Is the author queer enough? Are the characters queer enough? Are the characters real enough? Are the stories being told the right ones to be told? Are the lived experiences relatable enough?

And there is no perfect answer. Because everyone has a different opinion, has a different lived experience, has different lines they won’t cross when reading, and that is perfectly valid and fine.

What is not fine is forcing authors to give you their entire backstory and queer identity to prove they are the ones to tell the story — authors should not be forced to come out.

What is not fine is telling authors their characters are not queer enough or that they are too queer — if you don’t relate to the characters that doesn’t mean they aren’t queer enough, it just means it’s a different queer experience, not a wrong one.

There is room for all of our stories. There is room for all of our lived experiences. There is room for all of us.