A Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School — Matthew’s Book Club
By Rashauna Herm
Recommended reading age: 16 & up
“I want to be able to hold someone’s hand whenever I want, or talk to someone on the phone until we fall asleep. Or kiss someone that I’m actually attracted to. I want to kiss a girl. I want to hold a girl’s hand. I want to cuddle with a girl. I want a girlfriend.”
Yamilet (pronounced Yah-me-let) Flores is a sixteen-year-old Mexican–American girl navigating the unique intersections of being gay, Mexican, and Catholic. Yami has transferred to a new school, Slayton Catholic, after a homophobic response to her coming out from her once bestie Bianca. Her main priorities at this new school are to: protect her little brother, Cesar (who also transferred), make her mom extra proud of her, and stay firmly in the closet by playing it extra straight. But Yami immediately notices that her new school is much less diverse than her old one, making her feel like she sticks out like a sore thumb.
When Yami makes a fresh group of friends, including Bo, the only openly gay student at Slayton — she finds that it’s not very fun to pretend to be someone she’s not. Her goal of staying under the “gaydar” is more tricky than she previously hoped, since she is crushing on Bo hardcore. Yami is envious of Bo’s freedom to live honestly because she greatly desires to be out and proud with a girlfriend on her arm, but the fear of her mother kicking her out if she finds out she’s gay is greater. All of this stress has Yami wondering: what would a straight girl do?
In The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, author Sonora Reyes, who uses they/them pronouns, writes such fun, well-rounded characters, especially female characters. Discussions of religion, colonialism, and the rights of LGBTQIA+ people all fit perfectly in this book, reminding the reader that so many things in life are interconnected. Yami lives at the intersections of multiple identities — and often she feels like she has trouble balancing certain aspects of her personality as if she isn’t Mexican enough because she is concerned with her sexuality, or if she isn’t outspoken about issues like immigration or police brutality, she feels like she is letting her father down, an activist who was deported back to Mexico.
The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School also deals with the very real fact that queer kids are still not safe in the world. People think that because some aspects of gay culture are so widespread, the urgency for protesting injustice and raising awareness of the dangers that the queer community face isn’t necessary. This novel is a gentle reminder of why liberation and education surrounding LGBTQIA+ lives should still be at the forefront of our minds.
Being young and queer can be a lonely experience, mostly because ignorant (straight) people in power make it so difficult. Queer people are seen as inherently sexual to straight people and they project it upon queer folks. When Yami finds the bravery to come out to her best friend Bianca, she recoils in horror and tells Yami that she wouldn’t have held her hand if she had known she was a lesbian. Bianca treats Yami differently as if she is a predator.
My heart broke for Yami as she struggled to accept this treatment from her former best friend. I remember feeling like a pariah as a young sixth grader when a friend of mine figured out (before I even realized myself, mind you) that I was queer and stopped hanging out with me because she was afraid of me crushing on her or “something weird like that”. Queer kids are capable of platonic friendships, and they deserve the same amount of affection that straight kids receive. Yami goes through a lot of emotional growth in this novel, and the moments where she stands up for herself made me squeal with delight. Yami might be a fictional character, but I want to give her a giant hug and let her know that she’s doing an amazing job. I’d also love to have a dance party blasting the incomparable Selena Quintanilla! I was bewitched by Yamilet and I love that she is a positive representation, especially for young queer Mexican American girls.
Yami and her friends can be emotionally insecure and messy at times, but seriously, what teenager isn’t? I’ve said this before in my previous article for The Luis Ortega Survival Club, also written by Reyes. Still, I can feel Sonora Reyes celebrating each of their characters through their writing, and it feels like love. I feel safe whenever I pick up a book with Sonora Reyes’ name on it! The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School is an inspiring reading experience. My only regret is that I let this book sit on my “to-read” list for way too long. Grab a copy of this book, read it with reckless abandon, and pass it on to your friends!
About the Author
Rashauna Herm is a 30 something Denver local. She enjoys a good potato-based dish, scary movies and glitter.
