Love, Simon was released in theaters on March 16th and earned around 11.5 million its opening weekend. This LGBTQ+ teen romantic comedy is the first of its kind; it follows Simon, a closeted gay 17 year-old, and how he navigates life as a teenager in high school. It is the classic teen movie (and big screen representation) that this community has been waiting for.

With that being said, there are also many debates around this film; many have to do with the fact that the main character is a white male.

Upon reading these various opinions online, I've come to realize that Love, Simon, the first mainstream movie to offer a plot centered around a teen's sexuality, is a great starting place for future films. I knew that the movie wasn't going to be perfect and that it wouldn't offer as much diversity as everyone had wanted but it's a jumping off point.

Now that the first has been established, future films will hopefully offer diversity among identities. The next one could be centered around a transgender individual or a Latino non-binary individual as a main character.

Overall, I recommend this movie to everyone; it's a story that needs to be heard and see while offering a roller coaster of emotions. I cried (a lot), laughed, and even cheered with the rest of the audience at the end.

This movie is going to help thousands if not millions of young LGBTQ+ kids and their families; by shining a light on this community, young people will understand that they are being heard and that there are other kids out there just like them.