Summary

In his Note, the author writes that because he experienced many challenges growing up as a Black, queer teenager, he feels it is important to describe such challenges to teen readers who might find themselves in similar situations. Those challenges, he suggests, included or were related to “sexual assault (including molestation), loss of virginity, homophobia, racism, and anti-Blackness” (viii). He then outlines his reasons for using some of the language he has included in the text, including “nigger … nigga … fag and faggot” (viii). He says that he has chosen to do so deliberately and for a particular effect. He also writes that the book was written “to give a voice to so many from marginalized communities” whose stories have not been written about (viii).

The Introduction is titled “Black. Queer. Here.” Johnson begins by describing a misunderstanding about his gender...