Especially with dating for the first time, there can be so many fun awkward moments that were such a blast to pull out, and I hope are relatable for many of us.īut I wanted to be sure too that this book had heart, so for every few LOL times, I wanted to make sure we explored why certain things were so pivotal for Jay’s development as a romantic and sexual being, or dive into why other characters’ life experiences shaped the decisions they made. Jason June: I’m so glad this made you laugh! I tried to pull out the humor in normal, everyday situations so many of us find ourselves in. How do you balance the humor in the novel with the very real emotions at play? And even after we come out that first time, we constantly come out for the rest of our lives in each new environment we find ourselves in.įor Jay, I wanted his story to be about what’s after that initial coming out so that we have more examples of how much fun life can be after that anxiety-ridden moment of sharing who we are with the world for the first time.Īll those firsts, like first kisses and first dates and first hookups, can bring so much magic into our lives, and I wanted this book to be about that magic.Ĭulturess: Jay’s voice is laugh-out-loud funny and chockful of puns. Jason June: Coming out stories hold such a special place in my heart because it’s such a pivotal experience in so many of our lives. By focusing on the checklist of experiences after coming out, what were you hoping to accomplish? This interview has been edited for length and clarity.Ĭulturess: Jay’s Gay Agenda is a coming-out story in a very roundabout way. ( Read our full review of Jay’s Gay Agenda before diving into the interview below.)

When Jay gets the chance to move to Seattle and no longer be The Only Gay, he jumps at the chance to actually live out his Gay Agenda and check off items like, Meet another gay kid,” to the more hormonal, “See another penis besides my own, IRL, and do fun things with it!”īut, of course, the Agenda quickly goes awry when two VSBs (Very Sexy Boys) cross Jay’s path and he has to choose between his heart and his…other heart, as he realizes the Agenda is more than just a game, it’s real life.Ĭulturess sat down with Jason June to discuss sex positivity in YA, how to balance humor alongside real emotion and the magic of queer beginnings. Jason June’s debut young adult novel Jay’s Gay Agendafollows newly out teen, Jay, on his quest to experience all the gay firsts in a riotous and sweet story.

The Spells We Cast by Jason June