Their eyes are all asking are you in or are you out?

Dear Joshua,

I know you’re straight, so am I. But have I got a book for you to read anyway! It’s Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden. It’s about Liza, a girl in her senior year of high school at a private school in New York City. She meets another girl, Annie, at a museum and she instantly feels a connection but is unaware of what kind of connection it is. During the evolution of their friendship she begins to understand their connection and they start a hesitant relationship. Liza is the narrator who is telling the story as a freshman at MIT. She often gets sidetracked in her studies and has Annie, well, on her mind. Their relationship strikes some controversy, but I am not going to go any further. You’ll just have to read the book.

The book was published in 1982 and I am amazed at how sheltered the characters were. There were a number of Gay Rights movements in the ‘70’s through the ‘80’s, but there was little social change. Even today, we can see that the LGBT community is denied rights that you and I have. Reading the book, I felt the story was a little dated, as things have progressed somewhat, but it was still effective. It is not a gay love story where the kids wake up one morning and feel they need to resolve themselves of their sins. It is more of a finding-out-what-these-feelings-are-and-dealing-with-them kind of story. If anything, it can shed some light on us straight people as to what the LGBT’s of our lives go through. I know a handful of gay people and never gave their gayness a whole lot of thought. I figured everything was pretty much the same as hetero couples, but I was wrong. After talking to some of my gay peers, I know that their culture is vastly different. With Annie on My Mind we get a little taste of the gay culture, but more importantly, we gain a sense of empathy for gays and their experiences. It’s a step in the right direction, that’s for sure.

*The title is borrowed from a song by Ani DiFranco. If you haven't heard her, you must seek her out!*

--Paige