A Positive View of LGBTQ

Ellen D. B. Riggle and Sharon S. Rostosky

A Positive View of LGBTQ, written by Ellen D. B. Riggle and Sharon S. Rostosky, is a

self-help book intended to encourage people, specifically members of the LGBTQ community, to

embrace their identity in order to live a positive and fulfilling life. The authors support and create

their claims by providing evidence from surveys and interviews that they conducted of over 1000

people in the LGBTQ community. Riggle and Rostosky categorize the findings of their study

into eight main themes that represent positive aspects of being an LGBTQ person. These topics

go beyond words of encouragement and connect to larger universal human themes.

The inclusion of genuine stories and feedback from real members of the LGBTQ

community is powerful evidence which allows for a deeper resonation and connection with

readers. As opposed to our previous readings by Sommerville and Blank, the evidence is not

historical and is more accessible and applicable to the books intended audience. However, the

book could have benefited from some additional historical sources. It could be interesting to

compare the recent studies and interviews with previous older ones such as those conducted by

Kinsey that Sommerville and Blank included in their studies. Inclusion of historical evidence

could provide insight about how benefits and disadvantages of being an LGBTQ person have

changed over time, and could provide interesting information about social progression and

changing ideas. Riggle and Rostosky could have provided more concrete data or scientific

evidence to further support the survey results as they are psychologists.

In the spirit of the self-help medium, Riggle and Rostosky provide ideal end goals and

steps to embrace ones identity and live a positive and fulfilling life. In doing so, however, the
authors risk painting happiness and the path to finding ones self as a straight road or a one-time

achievement which is unrealistic and potentially discouraging to LGBTQ people whose path is

not that simple. The most obvious example of this is in chapter two which focuses on

authenticity. Riggle and Rostosky view the idea of authenticity through a narrow lens, claiming

that by coming out, one is therefore authentic and will feel more fulfilled, happy, and honest.

However, they only briefly discuss the factors that could discourage people from coming out or

make life harder after the fact, such as safety concerns and unsupportive families. While there is

a small mention on page 26, the book could have benefited from more time spent discussing the

privileges associated with coming out. I did appreciate the idea discussed in the chapter on

community, specifically on page 131, that cultivating an LGBTQ community and safe spaces can

help counteract safety concerns. This chapter reminded me of the article by Oswald, Blume, and

Marks about queering families and communities. Both the article and this book made me wonder

what one can do if there is no community available to them.

The book fails to discuss privilege yet again when the authors write about style. While it

can be empowering to express ones self through style, fashion, and appearance, it is important to

note that doing so requires privilege. Caitlyn Jenner is a great example of privilege allowing for a

gender expression that is largely accepted by society. It is also important to note the

intersectionality between race, gender, and sexuality at play. For example, people of color are

often pressured away from certain styles as articles of clothing like a du rag can amplify ones

presence as a person of color. The authors portray an authentic self as just one thing, where, in

reality, authenticity is multifaceted and ever changing. I think it would also be important to note

that it is okay to not know who your authentic self is. They also portray coming out as one action

or event instead of the reality that it is a constant process which begins with ones self, the first
step being the most important, especially due to safety concerns, systems of privilege, and

oppression.

These are just some of the many ways in which A Positive View of LGBTQ is over

simplistic. This simplicity lead me to be surprised to find that the book was published in 2012

instead of much earlier as many communities have accepted the fact that being LGBTQ is okay

and can be a positive thing. However, there are many other communities that do not believe that

one can have a fulfilling or happy life as an LGBTQ person, so in reference to that audience, the

simplicity has benefits. This medium and content can also reach people in ways that scholarly

historical and literary based texts cannot by connecting with people who are still questioning and

can use support and hope in knowing that their lives can get better and that they can thrive as

LGBTQ people. For example, someone who was not in support of the LGBTQ community, or

someone who was not a scholar would most likely not gain much from reading Queering the

Color Line by Siobhan Sommerville, for example, due to the dense academic writing style and

in-depth analysis of literary and historical evidence. The authors make the lessons in the book

applicable to all audiences by writing simply about universal human themes by sharing peoples

stories. These universal themes can allow non-allies to see connections between their lives and

aspirations and those of LGBTQ people, therefore humanizing LGBTQ.

Like the previous books we have read, A Positive View of LGBTQ left me dissatisfied by

the discussion about LGBTQ POC communities. On page 137, the authors suggest that the

LGBTQ community could be a space used to connect different communities, but they neglected

to elaborate on how and why this rarely happens and I found the people interviewed in this

chapter to be unaware of their white identities and privilege. I found myself disagreeing again,

with Riggle and Rostoskys use of the word Queer, as I did with Sommerville in her analysis of
Jean Toomers use of queer. While it is an umbrella term that can be used by people not of

color, both of the texts neglect to elaborate on the significance of the label in LGBTQ

communities of people of color.

Many of these themes resonated with me. I connected to the need to be out to yourself, or

in touch with yourself, and that, as referenced in chapter seven, being in touch with ones

sexuality and gender can allow one to further and more deeply examine other aspects of ones

self. I especially enjoyed and resonated with the section on humor and found it refreshing and

much needed in the discussion. I appreciated the reference to different cultures and the

differences in terminology as I have been craving a shift from the Western lens in our studies.

The most interesting new point that I discovered was discussed on page 158 when the authors

argue that it is a privilege to be able to claim identities and I was struck by the fact that few

people in the time periods discussed by Sommerville in her book had that privilege. I also

connected with the discussion on role models on page 115 because during the questioning

process I depended on role models, and later on, became one as I wanted to pay it forward.

This book was a breath of fresh air, and while it was often overly optimistic and lacked in

some areas, it covered core concepts and human themes in a way that made the LGBTQ

community and its positive aspects accessible to a wide audience. It proved that there is power in

simplicity, and that books do not need to be complex and scholarly to be impactful and important

to a field of study. I enjoyed reading about what makes the LGBTQ community so beautiful and

vibrant.