Heartstopper & Queer and Trans YA

A 5-week club dedicated to the greatest show of all time

Do you always have something to say when a new show comes out? Do you eat up every last page of YA novels? Do you dream about ways that queer media could get better, more inclusive, more dramatic, or more hilarious? Queer and Trans Young Adult shows, films, and literature have exploded in recent years, an expansion that coincides with increased anti-queer anti-trans legislation that directly impacts young queer and trans people.

In this fan club-meets-media studies class for teens, we refuse to not “Say Gay.” We say, bring on the gossip, drama, giggles, and sighs of the beloved genre of queer and trans YA that does such important work toward creating more than just worlds. The Queer and trans YA genre acknowledges and celebrates us through expansive representations of identities. Scheduled to coincide with the release of Heartstopper Season 3, this class is a space to dish about our favorite characters, debate plot points, and meet other fans.

Led by two nonbinary queer media scholars and professional theater nerds, this Fanlink aims to deepen all of our understanding of media viewing and production while exercising our creative muscles with opportunities to rewrite scenes, draw comics, and act out alternate endings.

Fanlink integrates college-level media studies curriculums with valuable life skills that help teens become better consumers of media, better students, and better people.

This Fanlink is aimed at high school-aged teens, ages 14-18.

Dr. Julia Havard

Julia Havard (they/them, ze/zir) is a nonbinary white queer disabled scholar, educator, and artist based in Philadelphia, PA. They received their PhD from UC Berkeley in Performance Studies, focusing on queer disability arts and culture. They completed Postdoctoral Fellowships at Dartmouth College and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Their freelance practice, Fracture Access Consulting, supports teachers, artists, and organizations in cultivating belonging across differences. More about their work and publications can be found at www.juliahavard.net and www.fractureaccessconsulting.com.

Juztine Tuazon-Martin

Juztine Tuazon-Martin (ze/zir/zirs) has been involved in performing, directing, and working at theaters across California since 1989. Juztine has contributed to productions at La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe, The Disneyland Resort, and more on and off stage. Juztine’s directorial projects at OB Playhouse, Green Day’s American Idiot and Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead, won the 2019 BroadwayWorld San Diego Awards for Best Musical and Best Play. Most recently, ze directed Hedwig & the Angry Inch at Orange County's Maverick Theater. Ze earned two BAs from the University of California, Berkeley: one in Theater & Performance Studies and one in Gender & Women's Studies. Additionally, ze has a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion certification from Cornell University.