Malinda Lo

Since Ash was published just over a year ago, I’ve had the opportunity to talk to LGBTQ teens several times, at their high schools and LGBT community centers. I’ve really loved these visits, and I wish I could do a lot more of them! Unfortunately I’m limited by geography and my travel budget, so I ... More→

It’s been two weeks since the fabulous Sirens conference and I’m still thinking about it. That’s how great it was! Today I’m going to recap the roundtable I led, which was about “queerness and fairy tales.” A roundtable is not the same as a panel. It involves one person leading a discussion about a specific ... More→

Today is Spirit Day, a grassroots effort to honor the teenagers who have taken their own lives recently in reaction to anti-gay bullying. As GLAAD says, “it’s also a way to show the hundreds of thousands of LGBT youth who face the same pressures and bullying, that there is a vast community of people who ... More→

Like many of you this week, I’ve been completely stunned to learn that six teens have committed suicide because of homophobic bullying. Stunned — and angry. This is 2010. This fall, we’ve seen an incredible series of victories for gay rights in the federal courts. And yet: Teens are still being bullied for being perceived ... More→

Over at Brooklyn Arden, editor Cheryl Klein has an interesting post about the elements of a great fictional romance. She pulls out 13 characteristics of a great romance, while acknowledging “the highly general, even stereotypical, gender roles” involved. One of the commenters (Nona) asked “How would the rules of romance change for LGBT characters or ... More→

In today’s post, the last of my 5-part series on avoiding LGBTQ stereotypes in YA fiction, I’m listing a number of resources you might find helpful for further research. Here are the other posts in this series: Part 1: Major LGBTQ stereotypes Part 2: Gender Part 3: Words to watch out for Part 4: Secondary ... More→