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