#something tragic

Upon the rolling hills of their Swiss vineyard - on the moors warm enough to grow grapes for Sebastian's new-retirement activity - wine-making, they sit on fold-out camp chairs feeling like kings.

Lewis glances over to his love, his life now that the sport has grown tired of them, and they have grown old together. Sebastian whistles, the sound cutting through their languid, flowing silence, and their border collie pup comes panting up the hill - covered in flecks of mud from his misadventures. It reminds him of Roscoe, just a little bit. His heart tugs - he looks distantly to the lone tree his beloved bulldog is buried under - but change is a part of life. Time doesn't pause - not for the old nor the young.

"So silly, Schatz," he watches the German pull a long blade of grass caught in the thick ruffles of black and white blotched fur away - and flick it into the wind.

With a cracking joint, Sebastian sits up, a small wince replaced by a smile lined by mischief - acceptance. Lewis loves him - he always has - loves the way that even in their quaint, slow, fluid hills and greenery of Switzerland - so opposite to the world full of cars, and lights, and roars and cameras they once shared together.

He truly loves him. From the tips of his toes, all the way to his eyelashes - his own dark and curling; Sebastian's blonde and almost invisible - something his lover used to always moan about.

"Are you happy?" it's not a moan - instead a quiet breath, like a soft gust of wind covering their stretch of land - hidden away from the world.

Lewis opens his mouth to answer; closes his eyes to think, but when he opens them again, there is no grapevines, there is no Swiss hills, there is no Sebastian. Instead, there is the familiar pillows of his motorhome. No one beside him.

me, knocking their heads together: talk! to! each! other!

With discussions about the Bury Your Gays trope seeping into mainstream media, it’s obvious that positive LGBT representation has always been few and far between. 

However, it seems the tides are finally changing with a wave of LGBT writers and artists who are trying to make their voices heard. One of those writers is Jessica Yeh, who has recently decided to turn a Tumblr fan-favorite work of hers into a novel called, Something Tragic.

Yeh, who works full time as a marketer for an electrical components company, has long seen writing as an escape and creative outlet. Sharing her experiences through fiction that could potentially help others is a passion from which she does not aim to exclusively profit. 

In fact, she has stated on her blog that she will be donating the excess proceeds to various LGBT charities, such as The Trevor Project, GLAAD, and the HRC.

It is crucial to support LGBT writers in their efforts to create authentic media, especially in a time where so many straight cis writers pat themselves on the back for writing flat or unrealistic LGBT characters for the sake of representation.

Helping LGBT writers succeed in telling their stories not only gives us more and better representation, but it also shows mainstream media that just because the stories are inherently queer, doesn’t mean they are too “out there” and can’t do well. 

In order to actually get her book published, Yeh has to meet a minimum of 250 pre-orders by May 7. She is calling on the LGBT community and its allies to help turn this dream into reality!

Pashionistas: Can you give us a quick summary of the novel?

Jessica Yeh: Sure! The book follows Addison Warren, who, after her parents passed away, moves in with her uncles and is starting at a brand new school where she forms an unlikely friendship with one of the most popular girls there, Crisa Grayson. Crisa is the constant subject of hallway gossip, and at first, it seems as though Addie and Crisa have nothing in common. But as Addison starts to peel back the different layers of the girl, she starts to realize that they aren't that different after all. In fact, while one girl appears to have nothing, she actually has everything the other needs. Feelings soon develop between the two, but it's hard to love someone when you don't know how to love yourself first.

P: What inspired you to write Something Tragic?

JY: A lot of things, really. First, there's a huge lack of LGBT representation in today's media. But we're working on it. Second, the LGBTQ+ community needs to know that they are equals in society. That it's okay to—and they should—embrace who they are. It's always easier said than done. Which is why I didn't sugarcoat anything in the novel. I wanted to stay true to them and their experiences so that they know they aren't alone in this. And finally, it's kind of my own way of coming out. I've never really shared my sexuality with the exception of to few close friends. But this is my way of really telling the community that I'm here. I'm with them. And our love does not have to be "something tragic."

P: You've already given away that the ending would be a happy one on social media. Why did you feel the need to do that?

JY: Well, the title can be a bit misleading. So I wanted to assure the audience that they'd get a real ending, but it’s not really your cliche, “and they lived happily ever after in a house with a white picket fence and 2 1/2 kids.”

P: Positive LGBT representation in media is very important, but is something that is lacking. What would it mean to you to be able to get your story out there and potentially make a difference within the community?

JY: It would be amazing! Even if it's just one person, that's one life that I'm hopefully able to change for the better. When I was growing up in high school, the negativity surrounding being LGBT was overwhelming. People were bullies, homophobic, judgmental, and just plain mean. A lot of LGBT teens are terrified to embrace who they are or ashamed because of what society deems should be “normal.” Even worse, some of them are so lost and scared that they contemplate suicide. That is not okay. No one should ever feel that their love is wrong.

P: If you could give one piece of advice to LGBT teens who are struggling with their sexuality, what would it be?

JY: It’s going to sound like such a cliche, but it's true. And it takes time to truly believe it but my advice is this: Loving someone, caring for them, supporting them... those are the essential parts to being human. And at the end of the day, we're all just humans. It shouldn't matter what gender is involved or what label someone tries to categorize you under. You are your own person. Your feelings are valid and there is nothing wrong with them. You deserve happiness. Offer yourself that. Repeat this to yourself in the mirror: Love is love. And that's a beautiful thing. (One day, you'll believe it.)

P: What about aspiring LGBT writers?

JY: Keep going! Putting yourself out there is terrifying. And even if you aren't sure of exactly what you're doing at times, keep pushing forward. It will be worth it.This is something greater than just your novel. This is a way to make a difference and positively support the community. So keep doing what you're doing and never lose sight of yourself or your dreams as you do.