Preorder Donation Drive for RILEY WEAVER NEEDS A DATE TO THE GAYBUTANTE BALL
As many of you know, books written by and about queer folks are coming under increasing attack. They’re being challenged or pulled from schools and public libraries, and the teachers and librarians who make sure queer teens have access to books with people like them in their pages are often threatened for having LGBTQ+ collections.
So, that got me to thinking how we could get queer books into the hands of teens who need them in safe spaces that can’t be challenged. This led me to reaching out to a ton of LGBTQ+ centers for teens or that have teen programs, and finding out that they do indeed often have libraries and they can help give books to teens who are hoping to read about characters like them. And here is where the Riley Weaver Needs a Date to the Gaybutante Ball Donation Drive was born.
I’ve partnered with three indie bookstores (Auntie’s Bookstore in Spokane, WA; Brain Lair Books in South Bend, IN; and Brazos Bookstore in Houston, TX) where you can preorder a copy (or copies!) of Riley Weaver to be donated to a LGBTQ+ youth center or a safe space teacher/librarian who will pair that book with a teen looking for a queer read. After months of constantly seeing books featuring characters like them banned or challenged, this will be an opportunity for queer teens to get a novel written specifically for them.
So far, we've had requests for hundreds of books! Thank you so much for your generosity!
-- Jason June
PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU ARE PURCHASING A BOOK AS A DONATION, PLEASE TELL US IN YOUR ORDER COMMENTS
Donation Centers include (but are not limited to):
| Austin Sexual Health + Wellness | Magic City Acceptance Center | Wyoming Equality |
| Grand Rapids Pride Center | Montrose Center | Youth Pride Inc. |
| Hawai'i LGBT Legacy Foundation | Odyssey Youth Movement | Teachers and librarians throughout the country |
| Just Us at Oasis Center | Orlando Youth Alliance | who provide safe spaces for their readers |
| Lambert House | SMYAL |
The next LGBTQ+ young adult rom-com from New York Times bestselling author Jason June (author of Jay’s Gay Agenda and Out of the Blue).
Femme, gay teen podcaster Riley Weaver has made it to junior year, which means he can finally apply for membership into the Gaybutante Society, the LGBTQ+ organization that has launched dozens of queer teens' careers in pop culture, arts, and activism. The process to get into the society is a marathon of charity events, parties, and general gay chaos, culminating in the annual Gaybutante Ball. The one requirement for the ball? A date.
Then Riley overhears superstar athlete, Skylar, say that gay guys just aren't interested in femme guys or else they wouldn't be gay. Riley confronts Skylar and makes a bet to prove him wrong: Riley must find a masc date by the time of the Ball, or he'll drop out of the Society entirely. Riley decides to document the trials and tribulations of dating while femme in a brand-new podcast. Can Riley find a fella to fall for in time? Or will this be one massive—and publicly broadcast—femme failure?
This new novel from Jason June explores how labels can limit and liberate us and shows just what can happen when you bet on yourself.
Jason June has planned to be a merperson ever since he first saw The Little Mermaid and strongly identified with King Triton’s daughters. While he waits for his fin to appear, Jason June is a New York Times bestselling author who writes young adult works full of queer joy and love and lust and magic. He is the author of Jay’s Gay Agenda, and can be found on social media @heyjasonjune, and on his website at heyjasonjune.com.
Official Riley Weaver Launch Event
