Review of Love, Simon (2018) by Will F — 16 Mar 2018

A journalist for Time Magazine wrote an article about this movie and stated that teens today don't need this movie; that in 2018 individuals like Simon have a good chance of fitting in, and it is unnecessary.

Let me begin by saying he is wrong. This, first off, was a fantastic movie. It had a great mix of comedy, drama, and romance. That is something that is sorely lacking in LGBT film today. Many of them are far to serious and dramatic ("Call me by your name", "The Normal Heart", Etc.

) or are so flamboyant and ridiculous that no one can relate to it, but it is still a good movie ("Birdcage"). This is the only film that I have encountered that accurately portrays ones fears of coming out of the closet, and being in the closet trying to just survive high school.

What this Time writer doesn't realize is that coming out is not just about "fitting in". In fact, many individuals coming out in high school worry because they are essentially painting a target on their back for bullying.

It's terrifying because there are ultraconservative parents who kick their children out based on sexual orientation. Friends that get weird because they think "What if this person thinks of me in that way?".

Coming out changes the dynamic between you and the people around you, and some people become hostile towards LGBT youth. Whenever I myself came out with my first boyfriend on Facebook someone from his friends list messaged me and told me "What you are doing is wrong".

The fact that someone who is a complete stranger felt comfortable confronting me on my sexual orientation and thought it was their business to lecture me was just absurd. But anyway, as Simon said in the trailer for the movie, "announcing who you are to the world can be pretty scary", and I think really that is why this film is important.

It reminds people that while coming out is terrifying, all that matters is that you are happy with who you are.