#funny boy

Funny Boy (1994) by Shyam Selvadurai

In the world of his large family, affluent Tamils living in Colombo, Arjie is an oddity, a 'funny boy' who prefers dressing as a girl to playing cricket with his brother.

In FUNNY BOY we follow the life of the family through Arjie's eyes, as he comes to terms both with his own homosexuality and with the racism of the society in which he lives. In the north of Sri Lanka there is a war going on between the army and the Tamil Tigers, and gradually it begins to encroach on the family's comfortable life. Sporadic acts of violence flare into full scale riots and lead, ultimately, to tragedy.

Literary fiction, coming of age, 1980s

Am I Blue?: Coming Out from the Silence (1995), edited by Marion Dane Bauer

Endorsement from submitter: "Wonder YA book of short stories, dealing with being queer in a lot of different ways, some stories are humorous, some heart-wrenching. Lovely book."

Original stories by C.S. Adler, Marion Dane Bauer, Francesca Lia Block, Bruce Coville, Nancy Garden, James Cross Giblin, Ellen Howard, M.E. Kerr, Jonathan London, Lois Lowry, Gregory Maguire, Lesléa Newman, Cristina Salat, William Sleator, Jacqueline Woodson, and Jane Yolen

Each of these stories is original, each is by a noted author for young adults, and each honestly portrays its subject and theme—growing up gay or lesbian, or with gay or lesbian parents or friends.