THE LIGHT LOOKS LIKE ME

An anthology of verse and prose by a diverse range of young queer voices.

This latest anthology from Shout Mouse Press was created through a series of writing workshops in Washington, D.C., “with queer-identifying youth between 13-24 years old.” A foreword by award-winning YA author Malinda Lo praises the way these young people “write about the powerful experience of being seen across sexual orientation, across gender, even across time,” capturing the imaginations and lived experiences of queer youth in relation to love. Instead of looking only at romantic relationships, the definition of love here is wide enough to make room for friends, family, community, ancestors, animals, and oneself. In doing so, this collection both questions and provides an alternative to heteronormative conceptions of what it means to seek and find love. Many queer youths experience resistance from and abandonment by their families of origin; this work offers hope by showing how family can be found and created on one’s own terms. In addition to their varied sexualities and gender identities, the authors represent a variety of ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds, including Mexican, Haitian, Vietnamese, Hispanic, Filipino, Chinese, Black, and Muslim, thus challenging the idea that queerness is a white, Western construct and reinforcing the fact that LGBTQ+ people exist across all cultures.

Powerful, affirming, and important reading for young people and the adults in their lives.