It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology-what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. YA)Ī miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.Įli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. Nonetheless, GLBT teens will find themselves in this important collection and likely come to appreciate the roots of their Pride all the more. The characters often lack background, and some of the scenarios are one note. The stories are, in most instances, more vignettes than full-fledged narratives. Others focus on more personal issues in the ’80s, Josh and Frank lose an adult friend to AIDS. Some of the stories center on big political issues of the decade in the ’70s, Catholic teen Teresa feels she’s crazy until she hears on the news that the APA has taken homosexuality off its list of mental disorders.

The essays include specific names, cases and dates unfortunately, however, there is no index. Each duo of stories is accompanied by an essay highlighting setbacks and strides forward within the GLBT community and in its quest for equal rights. There are two stories taking place in each decade from the 1950s to the 2000s.

Garden, the author of the GLBT teen classic Annie On My Mind (1982), offers this chronological collection of essays and stories.

Hear Us Out! by Nancy Garden