Queer Youth Literature Within the Context of the Evolving Recognition of Human Rights

Abstract

While law and literature written for adults is a long-established field, there is a paucity of research focusing on texts written for young people. Even more so, however, is a dearth in research on texts with queer characters and how those texts connect with the latter. My work aims to understand the relationship between law and youth literature’s representations of queer identities. This article provides a literature review of these emerging areas, connecting them with debates surrounding Section 28 legislation in the UK, a law that was spurred by queer children’s literature and which effectively silenced queer identities in schools and libraries across the UK. Finally, this article offers possible pathways forward.