June is Pride Month, a time to honor the impact the LGBTQ+ community has had on our culture throughout history. Although it’s been over 50 years since the Stonewall Uprising on June 28, 1969, there’s still lots of work to on the road to equality and understanding – particularly when it comes to literature.
Suggested Reading
Books with LGBTQ+ themes are the most frequent targets of book challenges. According to the American Library Association’s list of “Most Challenged Books,” seven of the 13 most frequent targets were challenged for having LGBTQ+ content, making it more important than ever to make sure we continue to read and share their work as widely as possible.
Here are some of the books that should be on your reading list this Pride Month.
“All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto” by George M. Johnson
The New York Times Bestseller, “All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto,” was one of the most talked-about books of 2020 and the target of many banned books lists around the country. The collection of deeply personal essays explores everything good and bad about Johnson’s experience growing up as a Black queer boy.
“The Prophets” by Robert Jones, Jr.
Fans of historical fiction will love “The Prophets,” Robert Jones, Jr.’s beautiful bestselling debut novel that centers around two young men whose love helps them deal with the pain of slavery – until a fellow slave, trying to gain favor with the slave master, exposes their romantic relationship and turns the community against them.
“Sister Outsider” by Audre Lorde
“Sister Outsider” is a collection of some of the most essential essays and speeches by writer and activist Audre Lorde. Originally published in 1984, Lorde reflects on the intersectionality of race, sex, sexual identity and class in a way that challenges people to use differences as catalyst for change rather than a way to create division.
“Giovanni’s Room” by James Baldwin
James Baldwin’s “Giovanni’s Room” is a beautifully written novel set in 1950s Paris that should be on everyone’s required reading list. David, an American man meets and proposes to a young woman, but finds himself involved in an affair with a male Italian bartender. You’ll find yourself drawn into the story as David struggles with his sexual identity while navigating the two relationships.
“My Government Means to Kill Me” by Rasheed Newson
From the writer-producer of hit television series, “The Chi” “Bel-Air” and “Narcos” comes “My Government Means to Kill Me,” a novel that centers around Earl “Trey” Singleton III, a young man from a wealthy Indianapolis family who comes to New York in the 1980s seeking independence from his overprotective parents. But volunteering at a home hospice for AIDS patients he sees firsthand the impact on marginalized communities – something that gives him a new perspective on life.
“Coffee Will Make You Black” by April Sinclair
April Sinclair’s “Coffee Will Make You Black” is the story of a young black woman growing up on the south side of Chicago during the Civil Rights and Black Power movements. After Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination, she struggles to find confidence in her race and her sexuality.
“These Heathens” by Mia McKenzie
Set in the 1960s South,“These Heathens” follows Doris Steele, a teenager who leaves her small Georgia town for a weekend in Atlanta to have an abortion after her teacher, Mrs. Lucas, and her best friend Sylvia agree to help her find a doctor. While there, Mrs. Lucas and Sylvia expose her to people who would raise eyebrows in her town, but who seem completely comfortable in their own skin – something makes Doris question what she really wants out of life.
“The Gilda Stories” by Jewelle Gomez
In “The Gilda Stories,” Jewelle Gomez takes you into the world of a black lesbian vampire. Gilda escaped from slavery in the 1850s and has been looking for friendship and community for over 200 years. When she joins a family of benevolent vampires, she finds herself on an adventurous and dangerous journey full of loud laughter and subtle terror.
“Lot” by Bryan Washington
“Lot,” Bryan Washington’s debut collection of short stories received lots of notoriety. It was a New York Times Notable Book of 2019 and one of Barack Obama’s “Favorite Books of the Year.” The stories are written from the perspective of the son of a Black mother and Latino father growing up in Houston. He struggles to find his identity while keeping the rest of his family from learning the truth about his sexuality.
“The Death of Vivek Oji” by Akwaeke Emezi
“The Death of Vivek Oji” is a 2021 Stonewall Book Award-winning novel about family and friendship which centers around the life and death of a young Nigerian man who struggles to find acceptance while growing up in a culture that does not accept him.
“The Black Flamingo” by Dean Atta
Stonewall Book Award Winner, “The Black Flamingo” was voted by Time Magazine as a Best YA Book Of All Time. The book tells the story of a young boy finding his way as a mixed-race gay teen in London. While trying to find where he fits in, he discovers the Drag Society and finds the place where he can be free to be The Black Flamingo.
“Cinderella is Dead” by Kalynn Bayron
“Cinderella Is Dead” takes a modern twist on the classic fairy tale, giving you all of the romance without the sexism. As a young girl goes up against a patriarchal system, she turns the idea of happily ever after on its head. Shelf Awareness Pro called this novel “A queer dystopian fantasy that questions written history and societal expectations.”
“Rainbow Milk” by Paul Mendez
“Rainbow Milk” is a novel which follows a young man, struggling with both his racial and sexual identity, who comes to London to find freedom from his family and his restrictive Jehovah’s Witness upbringing.
“Every Body Looking” by Candice Iloh
In Candice Iloh’s novel, “Every Body Looking,” Ada is leaving home for the first time for her freshman year at a Historically Black College. While she’s getting used to her newfound freedom, she finds dance and begins exploring her sexuality. But as she begins to struggle with issues from her past, Ada will have to decide to ultimately take control of her life.
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