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A review by sidhewitch
I Think Our Son Is Gay, Vol. 01 by Okura
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
This one was difficult for me to settle on an opinion of. It's sweet having the perspective of this mother, who loves and accepts her son, watching as he struggles with his own sexuality. And for the culture it comes from, maybe it reads as a lot more loving and accepting than it did to me, a queer adult American.
I guess what holds me back from liking it more is just seeing how obvious it is that the son already knows he's gay, but the mother does little more than I'd consider the bare minimum to support him. She doesn't tell him it would be alright if he was gay, lets him freak out at every slip of the tongue, and barely pushes back against the homophobia of the father. It's good to let your kid come out to you in their own time, but this just felt like a bit much to me.
That said, we have a bad habit of holding queer media to ridiculous standards of perfection and I am not trying to do that now. I am certain this will be a heartwarming and emotional read for some people, and I hope it can help more parents be supporting of their queer children. Worth a read, just keep in mind it may be coming from a culture much more conservative about LGBT issues than yours and adjust expectations accordingly.
I guess what holds me back from liking it more is just seeing how obvious it is that the son already knows he's gay, but the mother does little more than I'd consider the bare minimum to support him. She doesn't tell him it would be alright if he was gay, lets him freak out at every slip of the tongue, and barely pushes back against the homophobia of the father. It's good to let your kid come out to you in their own time, but this just felt like a bit much to me.
That said, we have a bad habit of holding queer media to ridiculous standards of perfection and I am not trying to do that now. I am certain this will be a heartwarming and emotional read for some people, and I hope it can help more parents be supporting of their queer children. Worth a read, just keep in mind it may be coming from a culture much more conservative about LGBT issues than yours and adjust expectations accordingly.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia