This month, we’ve chosen five LGBTQ books focusing on education about this community and insights into the icons who shaped the way forward for human rights.
The Book of Pride by Mason Funk
THE BOOK OF PRIDE captures the true story of the gay rights movement from the 1960s to the present, through richly detailed, stunning interviews with the leaders, activists, and ordinary people who witnessed the movement and made it happen. These individuals fought battles both personal and political, often without the support of family or friends, frequently under the threat of violence and persecution.
By shining a light on these remarkable stories of bravery and determination, it not only honors an important chapter in American history but also empowers young people today (both LGBTQ and straight) to discover their own courage in order to create positive change. Furthermore, it serves a critically important role in ensuring the history of the LGBTQ movement can never be erased, inspiring us to resist all forms of oppression with ferocity, community, and, most importantly, pride.
More LGBTQ Books
GuRu by RuPaul
FOREWORD BY JANE FONDA
A timeless collection of philosophies from Renaissance performer and the world’s most famous shape-shifter RuPaul, whose sage outlook has created an unprecedented career for more than thirty-five years. GuRu is packed with more than 80 beautiful photographs that illustrate the concept of building the life you want from the outside in and the inside out.
“You’re born naked and the rest is drag.”
As someone who has deconstructed life’s hilarious facade, RuPaul has broken “the fourth wall” to expand on the concept of mind, body, and spirit. This unique perspective has allowed RuPaul to break the shackles of self-imposed limitations, but reader beware, this is a daily practice that requires diligence and touchstones to keep you walking in the sunshine of the spirit. Once you’re willing to look beyond the identity that was given to you, a hidden world of possibilities will open its doors.
Miss Major Speaks by Toshio Meronek & Miss Major
Miss Major Griffin-Gracy is a veteran of the infamous Stonewall Riots, a former sex worker, and a transgender elder and activist who has survived Bellevue psychiatric hospital, Attica Prison, the HIV/AIDS crisis, and a world that white supremacy has built. She has shared tips with other sex workers in the nascent drag ball scene of the late 1960s and helped found one of America’s first needle exchange clinics from the back of her van.
Miss Major Speaks is both document of her brilliant life–told with intimacy, warmth and an undeniable levity-and a roadmap for the challenges black, brown, queer and trans youth will face on the path to liberation today.
Her incredible story of a life lived and a world survived becomes a conduit for larger questions about the riddle of collective liberation. For a younger generation, she warns about the traps of ‘representation,’ the politics of ‘self-care,’ and the frequent dead-ends of non-profit organizing; for all of us, she is a strike against those who would erase these histories of struggle.
Miss Major offers something that cannot be found elsewhere: an affirmation that our vision for freedom can and must be more expansive than those on offer by mainstream institutions.
50 Queer Music Icons Who Changed the World
Featuring beautifully illustrated portraits and profiles, ‘50 Queer Musicians Who Changed the World‘ is a tribute to queer groundbreakers who changed the face of music and popular culture. LGBTQ musicians have been pushing for change since the 1920s, with singers such as Bessie Smith crooning about same-sex liaisons almost 100 years ago; long before Frankie Goes to Hollywood was telling everyone to ‘Relax’. This book is a celebration of artists who became icons and broke new ground through song. From legendary figures such as Freddie Mercury, Little Richard, and George Michael, to bands like Bronski Beat, The Scissor Sisters, The XX, and The Petshop Boys, and more contemporary figures including Frank Ocean, Beth Ditto, and Rufus Wainright, these are the people who made an unforgettable impact. Elegantly illustrated and packaged, these stories make utterly inspirational reading.
Non-Binary for Beginners
Whether you are exploring gender, you want to support a loved one or be an ally, or you have heard about LGBT folks on the news, your curiosity about non-binary, genderqueer, and transgender identities suggests that you are a caring and open-minded person.
This book is for nonbinary folks and for allies - to read, to get validation and talking points, and to pass this book on to your neighbors, your community, your acquaintances, and anyone who would like to better understand and empathize with others.
After reading, you will have a deeper understanding about:
- The difference between gender and pronouns
- Why nonbinary is seemingly so visible now
- How to navigate a nonbinary person coming out to you
- Simple action steps to take as an ally
- Where to find a community of like-minded people
- The benefits of defying black-and-white thinking in your own life
This easy read dives deftly into complex, nuanced topics without judgment, shaming, or hundreds of pages to work through.
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