1. unexpected discovery of love
2. realization of love through queer literature.
Accident – Death – Obituary News :
As a child, Kevin Tyler Norman had a deep love for books. However, he found himself struggling with traditional fairytales that only depicted happily ever afters involving a prince and a princess, never exploring relationships between two princes.
This lack of representation in LGBTQ+ stories during his formative years led Kevin to fear that being queer meant he would never find love.
In the literature available to him, queer characters were often relegated to sidekick roles, never given the spotlight as protagonists. Even among friends at his all-boys Catholic school who were questioning their sexuality, the weight of their religious upbringing prevented them from fully embracing their identities.
At the time, Kevin, who identified as a Non-denominational Christian, felt torn between his sense of community at church and the need to be true to himself. This internal conflict intensified as he approached the end of his teenage years, ready to come out.
Reflecting on that challenging period, the content creator from Los Angeles, California, shared with Metro.co.uk, “I felt like no one understood me. I was the only one of my friends who had grown tired of pretending and decided to accept my sexuality.”
Seeking solace in literature, Kevin embarked on a quest to find LGBTQ+ books that resonated with his experiences. However, during his search, he discovered that such books were not readily available and had to rely on scouring the internet for recommendations.
Kevin’s LGBTQ+ book recommendations:
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
All Boy’s Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
For those interested in exploring queer literature more broadly, Kevin recommends:
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
The Guncle by Steven Rowley
Rainbow History Class by Hannah McElhinney
Black Girl, Call Home by Jasmine Mans
Describing his initial struggle to find LGBTQ+ books, Kevin shared, “Most of the queer books back then were extremely traumatic and heartbreaking, like Giovanni’s Room. I kept finding stories where the struggle was coming out, but I really wanted to read about queer people living their life, not struggling through it.”
Despite the challenges, Kevin, who came out at the age of 20, persisted in his search and eventually discovered hope through young adult novels that portrayed queer characters as heroes rather than supporting cast members.
Recalling the impact of these books on his journey, Kevin said, “These books had a real impact on me because they were my first real introduction to Queer media. It was the first time I followed the story of someone who represented myself, and it was refreshing to be the hero of a story rather than a side character.”
Empowered by his growing confidence in his sexuality, Kevin felt compelled to share the books that had shaped his identity. In the autumn of 2020, he began posting online about his favorite LGBTQ+ literature, aiming to create a resource for others who might be on a similar journey.
Reflecting on the pivotal role of books in his coming out process, Kevin explained, “Books helped me understand myself more and alleviated so much fear that society instilled in me about identifying as queer. Since LGBTQ+ books helped me, I wanted to create an online resource for others who might need these stories, too.”
With over 251,000 followers on TikTok, Kevin has become an influential voice in the BookTok community, where readers champion queer literature, advocate for LGBTQ+ representation in publishing, and elevate authors who may have been overlooked.
Commenting on the impact of BookTok, Kevin remarked, “BookTok shows the importance of diverse and LGBTQ+ stories. It’s shown the publishing industry that we crave these stories and that there is a market for them.”
On a personal level, BookTok has also provided Kevin with a supportive community that embraces and understands him for who he is, filling a void he felt during his early days of coming out.
Kevin’s journey has come full circle as he recently authored his own book, a poetry collection titled The Transformation of Fruit, further documenting his coming out experience and first love.
Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
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1. “Find love through queer books”
2. “Realizing love is possible with queer literature”.
