Whither LGBT Representation in Young Adult Literature?
If you accept the numbers at face value, it looks like LGBT representation in Young Adult (YA) fiction has been steadily on the rise the last few years. According to data compiled by author Malinda Lo, in 2009, mainstream American publishers only published 27 LGBT YA books. In 2017, the number increased to 84. In 2018, it was 108. The problem, however, is that when looked at proportionally, this growth is only negligible at best. Here’s why: