Jonathan Van Ness is making LGBTQ literary history with Let Them Stare—his first fiction book and a heartfelt young adult mystery starring a gender-nonconforming teen and a fabulous gay ghost. The Queer Eye star began writing Let Them Stare back in 2022, teaming up with bestselling author Julie Murphy, whom he calls “so incredible.” The book was just released after three years of love, labor, and learning.
It tells the story of Sully, a nonbinary teen desperate to escape their small Pennsylvania town—until a ghost named Rufus from the 1950s changes everything. Sully stumbles upon a vintage bag at a thrift store, only to discover it holds the spirit of Rufus, a gender-bending gay man with unfinished business. Together, they uncover Rufus’s mysterious death and the hidden queer history of their town—including an underground gay speakeasy.
In real life, Van Ness says he wanted the book to be a “possibility model” for queer youth, especially those in small towns facing increasing anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ laws. He asks, “Why can’t we make a world where people can find acceptance and success and fulfillment even in small towns, even if you’re queer?”
Van Ness, who grew up in Quincy, Illinois, says learning about his own town’s queer history—including a gay bar called Irene’s Cabaret and a pen pal magazine from the ‘60s—inspired the story. At the heart of Let Them Stare is the idea that queer community across generations is key to survival.
