I teach high school English, and I discreetly stock my classroom library with as many of these as I can. The moment a student quietly asks if they can borrow one, or lingers by the shelf, speaks volumes. Sometimes they just need to see the books exist, sitting there next to the classics and the fantasy series, normalized.
We analyze the themes, the symbolism, the character development—just like any other text. Seeing a queer relationship discussed with academic seriousness, as literature, validates its importance in a way casual conversation sometimes can't. It tells them their stories are worthy of study, not just tolerance.