Summary

In high school, the only openly gay student, a boy named David, started a Queer Straight Alliance club and Kobabe attended the first meeting. E immediately felt welcome, as is evidenced by a drawing of Kobabe holding eir arms up and shouting “I am here!” (48) with a rainbow in the background. At the first meeting, the students discussed Massachusetts legalizing same-sex marriage and “gay penguins” (50) at the Central Park Zoo. A new friend lent Kobabe books from a series called Strangers in Paradise. Kobabe explains that the Queer Straight Alliance became a Lord of the Rings fan club.

Later, a guidance counselor commented on Kobabe's body odor and asked em to start wearing deodorant to school. E overheard eir crush talking about David Bowie, so e asked eir father if the family had any of Bowie's music. Eir father gave em a cassette...