I wish that more heterosexual people would write books about homosexuality. I wish heterosexuals would start writing stories with real, non-stereotypical gay characters, so that all the people in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) community know that they are not alone, and they have support.

It is important that queer people write their own narratives; however, homosexuality affects both gay and non-gay people alike. ‘Heteronormative’ people normally choose to do one of two things with homosexuality: they can either choose to ignore/ discriminate against homosexual people, or they could embrace and empower gay people.

Valmiki’s Daughter by Shani Mootoo is my favourite queer text mainly because that book shows the fluidity of sexuality and the gender performance that the Trinidadian society expects. The book interrogates issues of race, class, culture and sexuality while not rigidly defining a single character in the book or relegating them to that identity. It is important to see characters undefined by their sexuality, where the most important thing about the character is who they are rather than only who they love.

Books like Valmiki’s Daughter should be read widely by everyone so that people could experience and understand what it is like to be queer and to become queer in Trinidad. It is familiarity that breeds acceptance, and understanding life from a queer person’s perspective is an utterly foreign concept to many Trinidadians. It is this lack of understanding that breeds so much of the stigma and hate experienced by the LGBT community. Parents should read the book. It should be reacquired reading in all schools. Being gay in secondary schools is the biggest offence a student could make. Imagine if students actually understood what being gay meant, bullying may even decrease. The government, as unlikely as it sounds, should have a serious reading drive to get people to read this book— perhaps as part of the literature syllabus or in public libraries. A converted effort to increase understanding of such issues should be a matter of public concern.

I was once told by a gay activist that the television show Modern Family does more for the gay voice than any person can, but television is limited and superficial as compared to the immersive experience of reading. If the population of the people who do read, read this book, they would see the complexities of being gay and the tumultuous life that person would have if they embrace that gay identity. So many who believe that sexuality is a choice might rethink that opinion, and the many attitudes instilled in them that remain unquestioned.

I’m drifting away from my point a bit, but not really. Heterosexuals almost always have an opinion on being gay, but in literature, heterosexuals write the gay character as either cliché, in a derogatory manner, or they are not even acknowledged. It is time for the gay body to be represented fully, and not become a new form of tokenism. I know half of my friends identify as some form of queer, but if you look at our pop culture, books and all, they are only seen in niche books (much like African American literature).

You see, the problem with only gay writers mainly writing about gay characters is that they do not represent the view of many heterosexuals. Heterosexuals, especially those with ingrained anti-gay sentiments, are unlikely to take seriously the work of those they perceive as different and even deviant. Where the representation is from an ‘acceptable’ source, it is often a poor portrayal — either cliché, derogatory or nonexistent. Sounds familiar?

One thing I wish Mootoo had pushed further in her book was the relationship the gay characters have with their heterosexual friends. In the book, Viveka constantly questions her attractions and one day she catches herself looking at her best friend, Helen’s legs. I wondered what Helen would say if she knew that her friend was interested in women and occasionally looked at her legs. Would she be disgusted, or flattered? Would Helen now hate her friend, or would she not care? I don’t know, but I wish I did.

I personally wrote about a lesbian who once had a crush on her best friend. When the best friend found out she was flattered, said “I love you too” and then said “let’s move on.” They did, as people who truly love each other do, but I don’t read that, and I wish I did.