I found this article on diversity in books to be rather interesting. David Levithan essentially seems to feel that queer youth need to be represented in books for the same reason that any other group of people need to be represented in literature. It is humanizing to that group of people. By actively limiting the number of queer stories that get to be told, we are vilifying all queer people and saying that their stories are less important and less necessary. If anything, queer stories for children and young adults is even more necessary than most traditional YA stories. As a self-identifying queer person of color, I can testify to how a lack of representation in all media forms made it difficult for me as a young person. I came from a very religious family that refused to acknowledge queerness in any form as valid. Coming from this background, having a lack of other resources and media forms where I could encounter queer characters, I felt very isolated and alone, as if there was something wrong with me. As a queer writer, I hope to follow in Levithan’s footsteps and further push diversity in literature.