'Love, Simon' Welcomed By LGBTQ Community

There have been many influential movies in the last year. Wonder Woman rallied women everywhere into a reimbursed girl-power movement, Black Panther has united people of color around the world to fight evil in a whole new way, and Love, Simon has brought LGBTQ romcoms to the mainstream media. Love, Simon is the story of a high school boy outed by a classmate and how he and his community copes with it. The movie speaks to many young LGBTQ people.

“Not going to lie, I teared up three times,” said one MHS student about the movie. “I wanted to see it because I’m gay and I felt like I would relate a lot to Simon, which I did. It also, in general, is a movie about a topic that is not as discussed as it should be in today’s society in our country, as it is in others, and the movie is a step towards more equality.”

With starpower like Nick Robinson, Katherine Langford, Keiynan Lonsdale, Jennifer Garner, Josh Duhamel, and director Greg Berlanti, Love, Simon was bound to be a hit. Many celebrities have actually bought out theaters for free screenings of the movie. Though it is not the only LGBTQ themed in the last year, it is one of the first mainstream movies to view being gay in a romantic comedy style.

Along with bringing LGBTQ rom-coms mainstream, Love, Simon has caused heartfelt conversations about society’s treatment of LGBTQ people, including locally. But, while the conversation will continue for a long time, it may not be a very difficult one to have.

“Just be supportive and not exclude or treat us any differently. I wouldn’t want to be treated any better or worse than if I was straight.”