When Someone You Know Is Gay is a 1989 non-fiction book by Susan and Daniel Cohen.
 First edition cover (publ. M. Evans) | |
| Author | Susan and Daniel Cohen |
|---|---|
| Publisher | M. Evans |
Publication date | May 1, 1989 |
| ISBN | 978-0-87-131567-0 |
In 1990, When Someone You Know Is Gay was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature[1] and the American Library Association's (ALA) Gay and Lesbian Book Award.[2] According to the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom, the book is also regularly banned and challenged in the United States.[3]
Reception
editAccording to Kirkus Reviews, When Someone You Know Is Gay provides "straight readers with understanding and insight" and that "the Cohens' tone should be reassuring to a gay teen who has not yet found a support network".[4]
Publishers Weekly similarly indicated that the "book performs a needed service" and highlighted how "the emphasis is on understanding" the LGBT community.[5]
Carolyn Polese, writing for School Library Journal, highlighted the book's "excellent and thorough discussion of religion and homosexuality" and pointed out the "interviews with teenagers who are struggling to come to terms with their sexual orientation", which may "help straight readers understand the realities that their gay and lesbian counterparts face". However, Polese noted that "in trying to address the subject on a teenager's level, the Cohens have used some highly charged language", such as writing, "Being gay is a social disaster. Who wants to be known as 'the faggot's friend?'". Polese indicated that this language can "sell readers short", even if it is "intended to show that the authors understand teens' feelings".[6]
References
edit- ^ "2nd Annual Lambda Literary Awards". Lambda Literary. 1990-07-13. Archived from the original on 2022-03-15. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
- ^ "When Someone You Know is Gay | Awards & Grants". American Library Association. November 20, 2011. Archived from the original on December 17, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
- ^ "Frequently Challenged Young Adult Books". American Library Association. August 9, 2016. Archived from the original on August 11, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
- ^ "When Someone You Know Is Gay". Kirkus Reviews. May 15, 1989. Archived from the original on December 17, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
- ^ "When Someone You Know Is Gay". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on December 17, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023 – via Chicago Public Library.
- ^ Polese, Carolyn. "When Someone You Know Is Gay". School Library Journal. Archived from the original on December 17, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2024 – via Chicago Public Library.
Further reading
edit- Hyde, Margaret O. (Fall 1997). "[Know about gays & lesbians]; Forsyth, Elizabeth H; Miller, Ruth". The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality. 6 (3). Toronto: 255.