Reading with Pride: LGBTQIA+ Titles for Adults, Teens, and Children

We are celebrating Pride Month within the glow of the historic June 15, 2020 U. S. Supreme Court decision ruling, which states that the 1964 Civil Rights Act does, indeed, protect gay, lesbian, and transgender employees from discrimination based on sex.

The long, difficult, now stronger-than-ever fight for LGBTQIA+ rights has inspired and been inspired by books. Here is a list of recent outstanding titles for readers young and old—including nonfiction, poetry, and fiction—that spotlight often hidden histories and celebrate resplendent LGBTQIA+ voices everywhere. For more recommendations, please see Over the Rainbow Books: A Book List from Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Roundtable of the American Library Association.

Adult Books

Nonfiction and Poetry

Against Memoir: Complaints, Confessions, & Criticisms, by Michelle Tea

The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. the United States of America, by Eric Cervini

Gay like Me: A Father Writes to His Son, by Richie Jackson

Homie, by Danez Smith

How to Love a Country, by Richard Blanco

How We Fight for Our Lives, by Saeed Jones

In the Dream House, by Carmen Maria Machado

Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls, by T Kira Madden

Looking for Lorraine: The Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry, by Imani Perry

My Life on the Line: How the NFL Damn Near Killed Me and Ended Up Saving My Life, by Ryan O’Callaghan and Cyd Zeigler

No Ashes in the Fire: Coming of Age Black & Free in America, by Darnell L. Moore

Officer Clemmons, by François S. Clemmons

Real Queer America: LGBT Stories from Red States, by Samantha Allen

Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story, by Jacob Tobia

Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality, by Sarah McBride

We Had No Rules, by Corinne Manning

What We Will Become: A Mother, a Son, and a Journey of Transformation, by Mimi Lemay

When Brooklyn Was Queer, by Hugh Ryan

Fiction

American Dreamer, by Adriana Herrera

The Ascent to Godhood, by Jy Yang

Confessions of the Fox, by Jordy Rosenberg

Girl, Woman, Other, by Bernardine Evaristo

The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics, by Olivia Waite

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, by Ocean Vuong

Real Life, by Brandon Taylor

Red, White & Royal Blue, by Casey McQuiston

Right after the Weather, by Carol Anshaw

The Seep, by Chana Porter

Upright Women Wanted, by Sarah Gailey

Books for Youth

Young Adult

All Boys Aren’t Blue, by George M Johnson

Black Flamingo, by Dean Atta

Cemetery Boys, by Aiden Thomas

Dark and Deepest Red, by Anna-Marie McLemore

Everything Is Beautiful and I Am Not Afraid, by Yao Xiao and illustrated by the author

Felix Ever After, by Kacen Callender

The Henna Wars, by Adiba Jaigirdar

If It Makes You Happy, by Claire Kann

Juliet Takes a Breath, by Gabby Rivera
For updated bibliographic data, click here.

Mooncakes, by Suzanne Walker and illustrated by Wendy Xu

Like a Love Story, by Abdi Nazemian

Little & Lion, by Brandy Colbert

Odd One Out, by Nic Stone

Pet, by Akwaeke Emezi

The Stars and the Blackness between Them, by Junauda Petrus

You Should See Me in a Crown, by Leah Johnson

Picture Books

It Feels Good to Be Yourself, by Theresa Thorn and illustrated by Noah Gringi

When Aiden Became a Brother, by Kyle Lukoff and illustrated by Kaylani Juanita

Feature Articles

A Core Collection of LGBTQ YA Fiction

Notes from the Field: The LGBTQ+ Services Committee at the Indianapolis Public Library

On My Radar: LGBTQ Coming-of-Age Graphic Novels