Set in a high school in Baldwin Hills, Los Angeles—aka the Black Beverly Hills—Star Fruit follows high school seniors Ari (a gay autistic teen), Atlas (a young trans man), and Ya, their cishet ally and best friend, as they navigate self- acceptance, unrequited love, and homophobia. A timely, heartfelt, and much-needed story for queer youth, Star Fruit illustrates the nuances of queerphobia and queer identity in the African Diaspora and unapologetically celebrates Black LGBTQIA+ joy and resilience. When the student theater committee rejects yet another one of Ari’s queer PGM (people of the global majority) scripts, Ya—Ari’s best friend and Atlas's cousin, as well as their cishet ally—takes matters into her own hands and convinces their principal to put on the play anyway. The only condition is that they'll have to fund the production themselves. Following Ya’s lead, Ari and Atlas reluctantly agree to take on a project that feels unconquerable. As the three race against the clock to gather the cast, crew, and funds, their friendships are tested when new relationships, jealousy, and resentment threaten to tear apart their lifelong bond. If that wasn’t enough, a queerphobic parent organization spearheads a series of protests, online transphobic and homophobic hate, and violence, after reading Ari’s script. All the while, Atlas struggles to fully accept himself, Ari grapples with the daunting challenge of navigating her autism and standing up for herself, and Ya confronts what makes a good ally. Told from Ari, Atlas, and Ya’s alternating POVs, Star Fruit invaluably reminds us that all Black lives matter – as do their joy and vulnerability.

Publication Year: 2025