BE AMAZING

Meet some popular (and amazing) individuals involved with the LGBTQ+ rights movement.

Twelve-year-old drag artist Desmond is Amazing narrates this glimpse into popular names and faces that make up the recent history of queer rights in the U.S. Along the way, the author introduces himself (“I like to play video games, read, sing, collect toy trains, dance, and model. I enjoy going to school and have many friends”) and his drag inspirations. Following a brief glimpse at life before the Stonewall riots, readers learn about this historic uprising. Important figures from this time period, including Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, are introduced; RuPaul also warrants a double-page spread a little later on. Additional names and faces appear, such as Pepper Labeija, Stormé DeLarverie, James Baldwin, and Laverne Cox, but only as labeled portraits; it will be up to readers to seek out more information. No drag queen likes to be upstaged, but that’s what happens with Glynn’s artwork. The bright, bold colors evoke the energy of fingerpainting and add much-needed depth and vibrancy to the work. It’s a jolt of energy, doing its best to elevate a pedestrian text: “We look back on those who took a stand at the Stonewall Riots as heroes who should be celebrated for giving LGBTQ people, like me, the freedoms we enjoy today.”

Its heart’s in the right place….