As a writer who studies the current trends in fiction novels, over the past several years, I have noticed that there has been a rise in LGBTQA+ literature with authors such as Adam Silvera bringing light to personal experiences and the experiences of the community as a whole with his books including More Happy Than Not, They Both Die At the End, and History is All You Left Me rounding out charts on Goodreads with other authors I do not have the space to mention.

From this community of writers, Becky Albertalli broke ground with her story Simon vs. the Homo Sapien's Agenda. However, while many are unfamiliar with the book, it is the source material for the new movie Love, Simon.

While I have not seen the movie as of writing this article, I have read the book and can describe it in a single word: sweet. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the premise, sixteen-year-old Simon is a closeted high school student who exchanges emails with another gay student from his high school. Simon and the anonymous "Blue" discuss their personal experiences in the closet without knowledge of the other's identity.

Without revealing any further plot points, I can only point to reviews from the novel's page on Goodreads. With nearly 100-thousand ratings with an average of 4.3 stars out of 5, clearly the novel is well-received and deserves the movie adaptation. Adam Silvera, in his own review, states that "I'm 27 right now and SIMON remains the book I wish I had 10 years ago." Meanwhile, Shawn David Hutchinson, another writer in the YA LGBTQA+ community, puts it best when he commented that the novel is "like a bucket of puppies inside a basket of kittens topped with a double rainbow."

While the book was well-received by thousands of readers, a look comments on the YouTube trailer for Love, Simon showed less-than-savory thoughts. For anyone who questions why the movie is important for the community, I direct attention to the following comments taken from the comments section: "homosexuality is unnatural and disgusting" and "Homosexuality is a sin, don't get me wrong I sin, but living one out, I'll be praying for these producers and all who liked this video!" are only two comments among stories about children coming out to their friends and parents, inspired by the film and representation.

Of course, though both the book and movie alike seem to have held under critics and viewers thus far, I feel the need to answer why I am bringing attention to the film. There are other movies I could speak about, surely, but Love, Simon is special. Why? Others comments on the trailer questioned why there was a need for a movie about gay teenagers.

I think the question alone is enough. An article for the Guardian comments on the casual take of the movie, and mentions how the sweet nature of the film contrasts the tragedy of LGBTQA+ media. Queer characters are very rarely put in the spotlight in media, are are often shoved as stock side characters. The 100 was praised for a lesbian couple between main characters, only for one to be killed shortly thereafter. 13 Reasons Why contained a closeted side character, but made her out as an antagonist, and The Walking Dead has ended several queer relationships over the seasons.

The sweet nature of Love, Simon is needed for young people who need to be made aware that their love life will not necessarily end in tragedy, and that they are valid in their sexuality and preferences. The casualty of the film also shows the steps that have been taken over the years, that it can be made into a casual movie to be enjoyed as any other young love story.

And to the YouTube comments asking why straight lives suddenly do not matter, or why a movie needs to be made in the midst of parades, I have answer for you. Your life does matter, and has always mattered, but you do not need to search for validation. Everyday is your chance to march the streets and proclaim who you are without condemnation, but not everyone has such a luxury. You have had every single movie and every single day of the year for generations, and it is time to share, because the world is changing for the better.