‘Twirl’ – Jase Peeples spins a tale of gay teen love in high school color guard

Award-winning journalist and former color guard world champion Jase Peeples has debuted his first young adult novel, “Twirl.” A high-energy story of gay romance, rivalry, and self-discovery, the story is “Heartstopper” meets “Bring It On,” spinning a new spotlight on the world of competitive color guard.
The author and journalist’s work has appeared in The Advocate, Out, Healthline, and WGI Focus Magazine, and he’s previously penned the gay-friendly children’s book, “Square Zair Pair.” A lifelong performer, designer, and educator in the marching arts, he’s a three-time Winter Guard International World Champion with the Blue Devils World Class Winter Guard.

While you may know of color guard as the flag-spinning troupes that accompany marching bands at football games, winter guard (performed indoors during the off-season) is a competitive sport all its own. Teams of 20 or more perform routines of intricate athletic choreography, including the Twirling and throwing of flags, wooden rifles, and sabers.

A life-changing discovery
Growing up in California’s Central Valley with strict Pentecostal Christian parents, Peeples recalls that boys played sports, watched wrestling, and dreamed of driving monster trucks. The performing arts were an alien activity. In a phone interview with the Bay Area Reporter, Peeples revealed how discovering color guard changed his life, and inspired him to write “Twirl.”

Adam Sandel: When did you first discover winter guard, and what drew you to it?
Jase Peeples: I first saw a winter guard performance during an eighth grade school assembly, and it completely blew my mind. It felt like art and sport and theater all rolled into one. As a gay kid growing up in a conservative small town, I hadn’t seen many spaces where someone like me could be creative and expressive without apology. I knew instantly that this was for me.

What years did you perform, and what were your highest accomplishments?
I performed throughout high school and then went on to spin with the Blue Devils, an Independent World Class winter guard. We won three consecutive International World Championship titles during those years. The experience of competing at the highest level, and being part of something so big and beautiful, shaped who I am in a major way.

What was the attitude towards LGBTQ high schoolers in winter guard vs. other sports?
Winter guard was a safe space for me when I really needed one. In other sports or school settings, being openly gay in the 1990s often meant being a target. But in guard, I was surrounded by people who accepted me, sometimes even before I fully accepted myself. I think that’s one of the reasons winter guard attracts so many LGBTQ teens. It’s one of the few places where they can fully be themselves.

What drew you to coaching after high school, and how long did you do it?
Honestly, I just wanted to give back. Guard changed my life, and coaching became a way to help other kids find the same kind of joy, confidence, and connection I did. I coached for around 20 years, and some of my former students still feel like family to me. Watching them grow and succeed, on the floor and in life, was one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.

What was your inspiration for writing “Twirl”?
I wanted to write the kind of book I wish I had as a teenager: a story where queer teens are front and center. Where they get to be competitive and ambitious and flawed and romantic. I also wanted to capture what winter guard feels like when you’re in it, with that mix of beauty, intensity, drama, and found family. I hadn’t seen any stories set there. So I wrote the book I always wanted to read.

Did you ever have a winter guard romance as in your book?
Nothing like what happens in the book. The romance in “Twirl” is more of what I wish I’d experienced. But I will say that those intense feelings of connection, uncertainty, and first love? Very real to me. I poured a lot of those memories into the characters.

What was the most challenging part of writing the book?
One of the hardest parts was figuring out how to portray the world of winter guard in a way that felt completely authentic to those who have done it, while still making it understandable and engaging for readers who have never seen a show. Striking that balance between detail and clarity, between insider knowledge and accessibility, took a lot of time and revision. But I think I got there.

What do you hope young readers will take away from the book?
I hope they feel seen, especially if they’re figuring out who they are or trying to find where they belong. I want them to know there is strength in being yourself, even when the world makes that hard. I also hope readers come away with a real sense of how incredible winter guard can be. Not just as a sport, but as a community and creative outlet. That spirit is what I hope comes through most of all.

What do you hope older readers, who don't normally read young adult fiction, will take away from the book?
I hope it helps them remember what it was like to be a teenager: to feel everything so deeply, to want so badly to be understood. I also hope it gives them insight into what LGBTQ teens still face today, and how important it is to support spaces where young people can be their full selves. Young Adult fiction isn’t just for teens. It’s for anyone who wants to understand the world a little better.

Read Jase Peeples’ 2013 coming story in The Advocate.

‘Twirl’ by Jase Peeples, $5-$14, Evernight Teen
https://www.evernightteen.com/Twirl-by-jase-peeples/

Jase Peeples: http://jasepeeples.com

Jase Peeples will be at a book event at Oasis, 398 11th St., August 16, 5pm.
https://www.sfoasis.com

Peeples will also do a reading, Q&A, and book signing August 24, 11am, at Barnes & Noble at The Grove in Los Angeles.
https://stores.barnesandnoble.com/store/2089