Answers in the Pages

by David Levithan

that moment Rick knew just how deeply he loved Oliver, and Oliver knew just how deeply he loved Rick, and the understanding of this moment would lead them to much of the happiness and adventure that came next.

If we’re going to defend this book—and I promise you, I plan on defending this book—the proper line of defense is not ‘But they’re not gay!’ Because that implies that there would be a legitimate problem if they were gay. The proper defense is ‘It doesn’t matter if they’re gay. The characters can be whoever they are.’

Surrounding the sentence, he had drawn lots of turtles. No two were the same. Some were realistic turtles. Some were cartoon turtles. One was a rainbow turtle. Gideon didn’t need to count them to know there were eighty-four total.

“While the meaning of a book may be informed by the author’s intentions, it isn’t defined by them. Meaning comes from the combination of what the author puts in and what the reader takes out.

His emotional press conference admitting his misdeeds caused one of Melody’s favorite newspaper headlines ever: ALLIGATOR TEARS: Embezzler Tearfully Admits to Being Governor of Florida.

But I think some of the parents who are most afraid of this book are actually afraid that the world you’re growing up in isn’t the world they grew up in. And rather than adjust, they think they can keep it the same. That never works, not in a free society.”

that’s what Rick and Oliver’s love should be, too. Whether or not you think they’re gay, it’s no big deal. It’s not the point of the story. Being gay is not the point of my life or Bert’s life. It’s an important part of it, definitely. But it’s not the point.”

There is nothing ‘inappropriate’ about being gay or lesbian or bisexual or transgender or nonbinary or questioning or any other identity within the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. There is nothing sinful about it. There is nothing to be ashamed of. There is nothing about being queer that deserves censorship rather than expression. Nothing. This should not be a matter of debate, because a person’s humanity should never be a matter of debate. Instead, it is a matter of the highest principle we can aspire to, which is equality.

Being ready is our choice, not yours.

if you want to know what kids really need, then you should talk to us. So now I’m telling you what we need: more books, not fewer books. More love, not less love.

“We haven’t wrestled any alligators or escaped from any cages, but we have had to wrestle against a world that has told us our love doesn’t count and we have had to escape through the bars of other people’s prejudices.

Time stopped long enough to deepen into a memory, and then time moved quickly again.