[1] Joe Rose was a Montreal gay activist who was attacked and murdered in 1989 by assailants who jeered at him and shouted, "Faggot," for having pink hair.

"[3] The stories are: A Vigil for Joe Rose was chosen by the American Library Association for inclusion in their 2010 Rainbow Book List.

[4] It was reviewed in the Journal of LGBT Youth, which described the book as an "engaging collection," and, having been based on interviews with students who were gay and out in their high schools at the time, made the work both "relevant and interesting.

"[5] Other critics found Whatling did "a superb job of shining the spotlight on the thinking of sixteen to eighteen-year-olds, who happen to be gay, out, and attending high school," although they did note a lack of "any real conflict" in some of the stories.

[8] In 2009, "The Last Coming Out Story," the novella included in A Vigil for Joe Rose, made the "Editor's Desk" on the HarperCollins Authonomy website.