A free download from freelancing platform Fivrr and TikTok stars The Old Gays, this story stars a young boy named Finley who loves to sing and perform, and can’t wait for the school talent show—until a classmate tells him to “Stop being so colorful.”
Finley then has a crisis of confidence. His mom and dad suggest he speak with his “four fabulous uncles” who may help him find his voice. Each uncle offers Finley a piece of wisdom about finding courage and being himself. On the day of the talent show, Finley performs to great applause!
The message here is inspiring, although readers unfamiliar with The Old Gays may not detect any LGBTQ content—at no point is it mentioned or even hinted at that the uncles in the book are gay. Not that the book should be “about” them being gay—but since Fivrr is pitching this as a book for Pride, one would expect there to be some obviously queer characters. Finley is perhaps gender creative—he certainly has a certain flamboyance—but flamboyance is not necessarily a sign of queerness. (I’m tagging this book as having a gender-creative boy, however, such so readers seeking this representation can evaluate it.) Still, some young queer readers may find a certain resonance with his experience.
Finley and his dad read as White; his mom has darker skin and hair. Three of the four uncles are White, and one Black.
The book is available in English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Dutch.
