Tomah, Wisconsin Aug 31, 2026 (Issuewire.com) - What happens when being yourself means leaving everything you have ever known?
In All Queer But One, author Asha Rebel-Lammersen takes readers on an emotional road trip across America through the eyes of Hunter Johnson, a young gay man forced to confront rejection from the people he expected to love him unconditionally.
Hunter is a closeted high school graduate living in Oklahoma with his deeply religious and overbearing parents. When they discover that their son is gay, they demand that he undergo conversion therapy through their church. Hunter refuses to surrender his identity. In response, his parents send him away.
With nowhere to go and uncertain of what awaits him, Hunter begins a journey toward New York, a physical road trip that becomes something much more profound: a search for freedom, belonging, love, and a place where he can finally live as his authentic self.
All Queer But One is a powerful LGBTQ+ story about what it means to choose yourself when the people around you refuse to accept who you are.
A Story of Queer Resilience and Finding Your People
At its heart, All Queer But One speaks to a universal experience within the LGBTQ+ community: the longing to be seen, accepted, and loved without having to hide.
Hunter's journey reflects the painful reality that coming out does not always lead to acceptance. For some LGBTQ+ young people, revealing their identity can mean facing rejection, isolation, or pressure to change something that was never wrong in the first place.
But this is not simply a story about rejection.
It is a story about what can be found after rejection.
As Hunter travels toward a new life, the road becomes a metaphor for self-discovery. Along the way, the possibility of friendship, community, love, and chosen family offers a powerful counterpoint to the rejection he experienced at home.
For LGBTQ+ readers who have ever wondered whether there is a place where they can truly belong, Hunter's journey offers a message of hope:
You deserve to be loved exactly as you are.
Representation That Helps Readers Feel Seen
Rebel-Lammersen's motivation for writing All Queer But One grew directly from her nearly two decades working in secondary education.
Throughout her career as a teacher, she witnessed both the resilience and struggles of LGBTQ+ students navigating adolescence, identity, family expectations, and the complicated process of discovering who they are.
As an avid reader herself, she also noticed a gap in representation.
While traditional romance and coming-of-age stories have long centered heterosexual relationships, LGBTQ+ characters and relationships have historically received far less space in mainstream fiction.
Rebel-Lammersen wanted to help change that.
She believes that young people deserve to see themselves reflected in the stories they read and that readers who have different experiences can gain empathy and understanding by stepping into the lives of characters unlike themselves.
Through her writing, she hopes to create stories that celebrate authenticity, diversity, kindness, hope, and the courage to live openly.
A Message for Anyone Who Has Ever Felt Different
The message behind All Queer But One extends beyond its protagonist.
It is for the teenager afraid to come out.
It is for a young adult who has been rejected by family.
It is for anyone who has ever wondered whether they will find people who understand them.
And it is for anyone who has discovered that family is not always defined by blood but sometimes by the people who choose to stand beside you.
Rebel-Lammersen's message to readers is simple and powerful:
“Authenticity is worth fighting for.”
She reminds readers that the journey toward becoming your truest self may not always be easy, but it can lead to something extraordinary: discovering people who will love you exactly as you are and exactly as you deserve to be loved.
Meet Asha Rebel-Lammersen
Asha Rebel-Lammersen is an author of Young Adult and New Adult LGBTQ+ fiction. Born in India and raised in the Netherlands, she now lives in the Netherlands with her diverse and loving family.
A lifelong reader, Asha began writing at the age of ten, filling journals with short stories, poems, and imaginative adventures. Although a nearly two-decade career in secondary education temporarily put her writing ambitions on hold, her passion for storytelling never disappeared.
Her experiences working with young people have had a profound influence on her writing. She draws on the resilience, challenges, and experiences she has encountered throughout her career to create stories that center LGBTQ+ representation and celebrate the importance of living authentically.
All Queer But One was her debut novel.
Her other published works include Me, Myself and Him, The Mum Job, The Queer Apocalypse, and Million Dollar Davey, all available worldwide.
Her sixth novel, Last Christmas, is scheduled for publication next year.
When she is not writing, Asha enjoys traveling particularly to Scotland and Ireland working out at the gym, spending time with family and friends, and relaxing with a good book or a cup of tea in front of the television.
A Timely Story of Love, Identity, and LGBTQ+ Hope
At a time when LGBTQ+ rights and representation continue to face challenges in many parts of the world, All Queer But One arrives as a reminder of why authentic representation matters.
Stories can create visibility.
Stories can create empathy.
And sometimes, stories can remind someone who feels completely alone that they are not alone at all.
Through Hunter's journey, Rebel-Lammersen invites readers to look beyond the pain of rejection and toward the possibility of a life built on authenticity, community, and love.
For queer readers, All Queer But One offers a story in which the journey toward self-acceptance matters and where finding your people can be just as transformative as finding yourself.
For allies and other readers, it offers an opportunity to better understand the emotional realities faced by LGBTQ+ young people and the importance of acceptance.
Ultimately, All Queer But One is a celebration of the courage it takes to say:
This is who I am. And I deserve to live.
About the Book
Title: All Queer But One
Author: Asha Rebel-Lammersen
Genre: Young Adult / New Adult LGBTQ+ Fiction
Format: Available worldwide
Where to Find the Book
Readers can learn more about All Queer But One and purchase the book through Amazon Netherlands.
Asha also shares updates about her books, writing, and LGBTQ+ literature through her social media platforms, including TikTok (@Prideinbooks) and Instagram (@airebel.25).
About the Author
Asha Rebel-Lammersen is a Dutch-based author of Young Adult and New Adult LGBTQ+ fiction whose work focuses on authenticity, representation, diversity, chosen family, and hope. Drawing from her years working with young people in secondary education, she creates stories designed to help LGBTQ+ readers feel seen while encouraging all readers to approach differences with empathy and understanding.
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