It's been almost two weeks since I bought a book entitled "Rainbow Boys" from Fully Booked at the new mall to top all malls - what else? - the Mall of Asia. It's an exceedingly easy read, but of course, it's intended for young adults. I have to commend Fully Booked for getting this book's classification right. Actually a friend (from way back), who turned out worked for the store, confided that he knew of this book (and he wasn't surprised that I bought it) and that some other branches usually stack this title up in the wrong shelves. (Ah, such intelligence from bookstore sales staff, reminds me of that movie "You Got Mail.")
Many sections of the story would indulge the reader of high-school-gurlish swoon, but hey, sometimes, especially when days get too hectic like mine did, escapist young-love romance ek-ek is just about the right prescription. But I've to say, Rainbow Boys is light reading of exceptional quality - and of extremely great value especially for young "questioning" adults. How I wished I could've read something like this way back when (God knows my life then needed some enlightenment like this book offered).
I quote here one of my favorite "scenes." On this part of the story, one of the Rainbow Boys, Nelson, and his mom participate in a school board hearing for Nelson's school's proposal to start a gay-straight alliance.
Nelson's mom was called next. She walked to the front and sat at the microphone. "It's said a picture is worth a thousand words. Since I only have one minute..." She opened her pocketbook and passed the photo of six-year-old Nelson to the board president.
Nelson squirmed with embarrassment as his mom continued: "That's my son, taken his first morning of kindergarten. Smiling. Happy. When I picked him up that afternoon, however, you would see a very different picture of him. Crying. Hurt. Sad. You see, his very first day of school he learned a new work: 'sissy.' The next morning he begged me not to make him go back."
Nelson had forgotten all that. Now he understood why she'd brought the photo.
"I promised him school would get better. I believed it then. Now I realize I lied. For the past twelve years, every single school day he's been called names and obscenities, while most teachers have stood by silently. Some school officials even told him he brought it upon himself."
She looked at Mueller [the school principal], who turned away from her gaze.
"Simply because he walks and talks differently from other boys, he's been hit, beat up, spit upon, and received death threats."
Nelson slid down his seat, wishing she hadn't told everyone he'd been spit upon.
She looked straight at him. "There have been days when I wished my son hadn't been born gay. Not because I love him less for it," she said emphatically, "but so he wouldn't have to endure so much suffering."
She looked at Fenner's dad [father of a student who seems to be a Bible-beating conservative]. "Some here talk about family values while in the same breath they disparage a group that would foster values of tolerance and understanding. I don't know what those families have as their values. But I know students should be able to attend school without being abused. I believe this group will help achieve that. Thank you."
School board members passed the photograph back, looked one another, and nodded.
Nelson sat thinking. In spite of his embarrassment, he sensed his mom had made the best point of anyone yet.
[Alex Sanchez, Rainbow Boys, pages 180-181]
Rainbow Boys is first of a series of three novels. Read about it from Alex Sanchez's, the author's, website here. And oh, by the way, Happy Pride Month to you all!
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