Thirteen-year-old Jake has just come out as gay in his small Ohio town—a village, really. His family and friends are supportive, even though some in their community are not. Jake’s father, in a perhaps overly enthusiastic show of support, even raises a giant rainbow flag in their yard.
This triggers panic among some of the less welcoming members of the community—including the conservative mayor—who are afraid the flag might signal the start of an actual Pride celebration in the town. Jake, however, reads an online post from another boy who started a Pride celebration elsewhere, and wonders if it might just be possible. Could his town have a Pride parade and maybe even become as welcoming as the virtual one in his favorite video game, the place he goes to escape? Might he finally feel like he belongs in his real town?
He and his friend Jenna start making plans, and soon even his crush, Brett, wants to support the project. Brett, however, is also the mayor’s son, and is worried about what his mother might think if she finds out he’s involved. Jenna’s father is on the town council, which has long been swayed by the domineering mayor, and she’s not sure if he’ll back their plans. They soon get caught up in small-town politics and the complication that a candidate opposing the mayor wants to use Jake and Jenna’s efforts to launch her own campaign. Is she a real ally or just using them?
Author Phil Stamper, who comes from a small-town background himself, uses his experience to create an authentic setting filled with realistic details. More than this, however, he creates believable, sympathetic characters and manages to avoid making the mayor and her supporters into caricatures. Some characters, too, offer differing opinions of LGBTQ inclusion—they are complex and not always clear-cut, just like real life. Others, however, give readers great examples of allyship. There’s even a clergyperson who is supportive of the parade and of LGBTQ youth, to show that even people of faith can be LGBTQ allies. And one significant secondary character is a bisexual boy, a rare and needed bit of representation. Jake himself, still newly out, grows into a more confident person over the course of the story as he also learns more about what it means to be proud.
Stamper writes in an author’s statement, “This story was inspired by the many small towns across America that have thrown their first pride celebrations, but it’s also a story for any kid living in a town that doesn’t celebrate pride. It’s also a story for anyone who feels a little out of place and wants to see a future for themselves.”
The future for many LGBTQ youth in small towns has often been to leave their homes for larger and more welcoming cities. Stamper, however, explores whether it is possible to create change in small towns themselves. At a time when some of the most vicious battles for LGBTQ inclusion are taking place in town councils and school boards across the country, this book not only reflects the state of our world but also shows us one possible, hopeful way forward. That’s no small feat.
