In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQ+ activist George M. Johnson explores his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. From the memories of getting his teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to going to flea markets with his loving grandmother, to his first sexual relationships, this young adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys. Both a primer for teens eager to be allies as well as a reassuring testimony for young queer men of colour, All Boys Aren’t Blue covers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalisation, consent, and Black joy.
This memoir has frequently been censored. In 2021, a school board in Missouri banned All Boys Aren’t Blue, alongside three other books, from the district’s high school libraries. School boards in ten US states have subsequently removed the book from their libraries.
In 2021, a retired teacher from Florida filed a criminal complaint against the local school superintendent for carrying the book, objecting to mentions of masturbation and oral sex. The County Sheriff’s Office found that the content of the book was not a violation of law and did not warrant further investigation. The removal of the book prompted student protests.
Johnson, G. M. (2020). All Boys Aren’t Blue. Farrar Straus Giroux.