Who Is George M. Johnson's All Boys Aren T Blue?

The New York Times Bestseller titled "All Boys Aren't Blue," written by George M. Johnson (2020), offers a poignant memoir of the author's life regarding their experiences of growing up as a black gay man in New Jersey during the 80s and 90s. While writing this book, Johnson used he/him pronouns, but is currently using they/them pronouns. This book was banned in k-12 schools due to its "queer" nature. The author provides readers with their life story, to remind them they are not alone and to embrace their identity and love themselves. Although Johnson was nervous about sharing their vulnerable experiences with the world, they wanted to make sure that others could learn from their mistakes and provide a representation of queer life that is often

Author and African American studies scholar Shane Vogel notes how during the Harlem Renaissance, many "closeted" black queer people were open about their sexuality to certain people, even if they did not overtly state it, reinforcing the notion that the black queer community views disclosing one's sexuality as a less binary event than how mainstream queer identity is often presented (2015, 273). "All Boys Aren't Blue" offers multiple insights into queer life, including through the lens of black identity. The author shares how their blackness and queerness shaped their experiences growing up, often leaving them isolated and without friends. The author demonstrates that they were often excluded from the white community because they are black and from the black community because they are gay, showing the audience that they experienced multiple levels of oppression simultaneously. Johnson notes that their eldest brother, G.G., had a distant relationship with their dad due to his sexuality, stating that homophobia still exists within the black community but that it is