Spoiler alert: Teenagers think about sex. A lot. So not only are the characters in Will Grayson, Will Grayson supposed to be figuring out who they are, whom they love, and what's ahead for them in the future, they also have to figure out what's going on with this whole budding sexuality thing. Yikes. And it's only more complicated since one of them is gay and the other keeps his orientation secret for a while, too, to stave off a lady. Yeah, good luck, guys—you're going to need it.
Questions About Sexuality
- Compare the various gay characters in this book. How are they different? How are they the same? How does this inform the theme of sexuality in this book?
- How do Will's and will's struggles to embrace their sexuality mirror each other? What does this tell you about coming of age and sexuality?
- Why do you think the authors of this book chose not to explore the types of bullying and harassment that LGBTQ high school students sometimes face? What does this open up?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
While Tiny Cooper has some characteristics that could be considered gay stereotypes, overall he's just unapologetically himself.
Will Grayson might have been a more interesting character if he were actually asexual.