As a queer Latina, I’m glad she was.Īs it turns out, that was the entire point.

'Roja' author Anna Marie McLemore writes that she inspired by fairy tales, along with her drive to see Latinas in these stories, and queer Latinas most of all. Each author was given the opportunity to write a note at the end of their story. It isn't a limitation or a problem to work over, but an inspiration. Her identity isn't an integral part of her story, and it isn't the conflict of the story. Yet the first short story in this anthology, 'Roja,' revolves around a young Mexican woman using her skills and a curse to avenge her lover. This anthology spans identities across the queer spectrum, but perhaps what really sets it apart is its attention to different cultures, races, and experiences within the LGBTQ community.Īs a bisexual Latina, I am seeing a growing number of characters that represent one aspect of my identity, but never both. What resulted is a wonderful combination: identity discovery at a 1970s roller disco, an eye-opening retelling of Robin Hood, a kiss shared during the Y2K hysteria. The other rules? No story could take place after 1999 (though one story comes very close to breaking that rule), and the main characters had to identify as queer. “Tell me the story you wish you had when you were sixteen and write that story for me.” This was one of three governing rules laid down by Saundra Mitchell, editor of All Out, when she approached authors to be a part of the anthology. With blurbs about transgender soldiers and asexual rollerbladers, I found an anthology that not only catered to a handful of stories, but truly embraced a variety of LGBTQ experiences.

However, it was the inside jacket that truly won me over. Its stunning images of rockets, roller blades, and a ship hint at the adventures the many characters have in this LGBTQ anthology. In a sea of rainbow labels and diversity declarations, I was drawn to the cover of the 2018 book All Out: The No Longer Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout The Ages. With movies like Love, Simon on the big screen and plenty of novels to choose from when giving Pride Month book recommendations, we can see the tide changing when it comes to opinions about LGBTQ characters and their stories. There has been a rise in LGBTQ representation in the book and movie industries recently.

All Out by Saundra Mitchell