It's Pride Month! And we'd like to celebrate and read more LGBTQ books. Of course, we think you should be reading these titles throughout the year. But this month here's a list of books that you should grab.
Allies! A List Of Books To Read During The Pride Month To Celebrate And Learn
The information in this post might be outdated
Boy Erased By Garrard Conley
Boy Erased is Garrard Conley's memoir. A son of a Baptist pastor, he has a tough time dealing with his sexuality. When his parents find out, he is sent to religious conversion therapy. Of course, they hope the therapy will help him emerge as a heterosexual but Conley instead figures out more about love and life through this journey. This is a painful but brilliant read, and it was made into a motion picture too.
A Queer History of the United States By Michael Bronski
A Queer History of the United States is an essential read. Authored by Michael Bronski — an activist and scholar — this book talks about queer history in America from the 1940s to 1990s. It depicts how the LGBTQ movement began and transformed, therefore shaping American history. Every bit powerful and immersive, I strongly recommend this one.
Call Me By Your Name By André Aciman
Call Me By Your Name is probably the only instance where I watched the movie first and read the book later. André Aciman's writing is so evocative that I've spent a night wrapped in Elio and Oliver's love story. Set in the 1980s in Italy, Oliver visits Elio's as a summer guest to assist Elio's father in academic research, and then they fall in love. Elio narrates this coming of age story and in all honesty, it will leave you in tears. You'd definitely want to pick this one on lonely nights.
Boy Meets Boy By David Levithan
David Levithan's writing is total fun, and Boy Meets Boy is a light read that we totally dig. Why? For one thing, it's high school romance. This is the tale of Paul and Noah; Paul is a high-school sophomore and he falls in love with Noah, but Paul's ex messes up things and now Paul has to work harder to get Noah back. This story has everything — love, heartbreak, drama, friendship.
God In Pink By Hasan Namir
It's probably tough to sleep when you finish reading God In Pink. Written by Hasan Namir, this book is set up in Iraq in the early 2000s. This is the story of Ramy who is grappling with his sexuality and religion while trying to find a balance in his life. As it's set up Iraq during wartime, the book has glimpses of pain and violence. But if you are up for an end to end poignant reading, it's this. Grab a copy!
The World That Belongs To Us By Aditi Angiras & Akhil Katyal
The World That Belongs To Us is an anthology of the best South Asian queer poetry. Exploring themes such as vulnerability, heartbreak, desire, activism, etc. this book is a fine representation of diversity, aesthetics and ethics of queer life and politics, as the book claims. And can we please take a moment and admire the beauty of the cover art?
A People's History Of Heaven By Mathangi Subramanian
Set in a slum called Swarga (heaven) in rapid Bengaluru is the delightful read of A People's History Of Heaven. Mathangi Subramanian has based many situations and conversations on the ones from her time as a researcher at the Anganwadi Centres in the slums of Bangalore. The book follows the lives of five teenage girls, of which one is grappling with her sexuality and another is trans. The writing is almost poetic and touches upon themes of unequal urbanisation, young adulthood, sisterhood, and hope.
Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story by Jacob Tobia
Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story by Jacob Tobia is their memoir of growing up between labels and categories. Tobia is a gender nonconforming writer, producer, and performer based in Los Angeles, who grew up in North Carolina. The book is hard hitting, as it is hilarious without removing focus from some of the more difficult conversations around growing up non-binary. If there was ever a very human (the bits that are good, bad, ugly, shiny, whatever adjective you like!) account of the fluidity of gender expression, this would be the book to pick up.
The Stonewall Reader by The New York Public Library
The Stonewall Uprising was one of the most pivotal moments for anyone in the LGBTQIA+ community globally. The Stonewall Reader is an anthology of various sources of literature from the New York Public Library's archives. Find newspaper and magazine articles, personal accounts, diary entries, and other discourse curated to cover the leadup as well as the aftermath of the uprising. When it comes to highlighting the movement itself, it's a great example of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts.
Torch Song Trilogy by Harvey Fierstein
Based on a Tony Award winning Broadway Production, the Torch Song Trilogy is a set of three plays set between the 70's and 80's in America. Arnold, a young drag performer is out looking for love, acceptance, and a life to be proud of. Through a hilarious and dramatic set of events, watch as Arnold goes through a whirlwind of emotions, heartbreak, and comes to head with his mother.
With inputs from Ahalya Acharya
Want to pen down all your thoughts, learnings, feelings, and everything in between after a riveting reading journey? Choose the most ideal notebooks for that here. If you're queer, exploring, or looking to virtually connect with others from the community, here are some online groups to join for you. Other ways to support the community include amplifying voices, enjoying their content (and maybe buying some too!), and spreading the love. Here are some of our fav queer artists.