Ten Books We Recommend for Pride 2024
Ten Books We Recommend for Pride 2024
In celebration of Pride and 2SLGBTQIA+ peoples throughout the world, here are ten books we recommend reading during Pride Month and beyond.
Happy Pride! June is Pride Month - a time dedicated to celebrating and honoring 2SLGBTQIA+ peoples around the world. While today Pride is known for its joyful parades, gatherings, and general aura of love and cheer, it originally began as a commemoration of the Stonewall Uprising of 1969. At the time, being out and queer was functionally illegal in most parts of the United States through anti-sodomy laws and anti “cross-dressing” or “masquerading” laws. In New York City, police frequently used these laws to target and arrest trans and gender non-conforming peoples, often singling out The Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village. Stonewall was one of the few places in the city where queer people were allowed to dance. At the time, the New York State Liquor Authority made it nearly impossible for bars to legally serve openly gay clientele (they were deemed “disorderly” and their liquor licenses were revoked). In order to circumvent these laws, Stonewall operated as a private club. This did not, however, protect them from being targeted under the city’s laws against cross-dressing.
On June 28th, 1969, the patrons of Stonewall Inn fought back. The “riots,” as they are often referred to, pushed back against the state-sanctioned brutality and violence of the police and demanded justice for the city’s queer communities. The following year, New York City held a parade to commemorate the events of Stonewall. However, it wasn’t until 1999 that June was officially recognized as Pride Month throughout the country.
Today, Pride is meant to celebrate queer communities, highlight the societal and policy gains made since Stonewall, and to call attention to the many ways that queer communities are still under threat. As the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) notes, there has been a drastic uptick in the number of anti-queer and anti-trans legislation across the country, including but not limited to: anti-drag laws, bathroom bills, laws banning gender affirming care, and laws prohibiting discussions of sexuality in public schools. This is further evidenced through the American Library Association’s (ALA) data on banned books: Maia Kobabe’s memoir, Gender Queer, has now been the most banned book in the country for three consecutive years.
Below are ten books we recommend reading for Pride 2024 (or whenever - read queer all year!). Admittedly, we struggled narrowing our list down to only ten. For more Pride Month recommendations, check out our Instagram page!
Look for these books at your local library, favorite independent bookstore, or buy online at Bookshop.org!
The Stonewall Reader, eds. New York Public Library, Jason Baumann, and Edmund White, Penguin Classics
2SLGBTQIA+ liberation, must-read history, oral history
About: Curated in 2019 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, this reader draws from the New York City Public Library’s archives to highlight the years leading up to the 1969 uprising (the legal persecution of queer communities in NYC), the riots, and the years immediately after, including the first Pride Parade. Using first-hand accounts, the reader highlights a diverse array of queer voices, pushing back historical forces that often white-washed the six days of protests at Stonewall.
Why we love it: This book is one we firmly believe everyone should read. The editors’ curation of voices (testimonials, personal essays) is diverse and sweeping. The book documents one particular moment in American history. However, the legacy of Stonewall has resonated throughout the decades and serves as inspiration for the ongoing fight for queer liberation at home and around the world.
My Government Means to Kill Me, Rasheed Newson, Flatiron Books
Literary fiction, Coming-of-age, 1980s, AIDS epidemic
About: From the writer/producer of Bel-Air, Narcos, and The Chi, and a 2022 Lambda Literary Prize Finalist, My Government Means to Kill Me is part coming-of-age story, part history lesson. The story chronicles the journey of Trey, a young, gay Black man, who escapes Indiana and his wealthy, conservative family, and moves to New York City with mere dollars to his name. Set against the backdrop of the 1980s AIDS crisis, Trey becomes a passionate, deeply-involved activist for LGBTQ rights and healthcare.
Why we love it: Meet us at the intersection of race, sexuality, and politics in this bold, riveting novel that’s equal parts heartbreaking and inspiring. Newson blends a poignant coming-of-age narrative with the inclusion of real-life activists and organizations (including The AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power - ACT UP). My Government Means to Kill Me is a powerful and necessary read for anyone looking to learn more about the history of queer activism through a fictional story.
Hijab Butch Blues, Lamya H, Dial Press
Coming-of-age memoir, queer, Hijabi Muslim immigrant perspective
About: Hijab Butch Blues is a coming-of-age memoir about a Hijabi Muslim immigrant, who, through stories from the Quran, seeks to understand her identity, her sexuality, and the world around her.
Why we love it: Brilliant and breathtaking, Hijab Butch Blues is a memoir like no other! It’s evocative, lyrical, and creative. Lamya H weaves together her personal experiences - from childhood to adulthood - with reflections on stories from the Quran. This memoir is a must-read for anyone looking to explore the intersections of faith and queerness.
Yerba Buena, Nina LaCour, Flatiron Books
Contemporary fiction, sapphic love story, coming-of-age
About: Told in alternating perspectives, LaCour’s adult debut is the story of two women, each on individual journeys of self-discovery, whose paths converge in unexpected ways. The novel delves into themes of loss and grief, healing and recovery, identity and belonging, and the importance of human connection in the process of personal growth.
Why we love it: Through gorgeous prose, a vibrant California setting, and richly drawn characters, LaCour delivers a deeply moving novel about the enduring power of love, and the ways in which life is richer and more meaningful when we share it. And while this does have a love story at its center, it is not a romance novel, and so we can confidently recommend it to any and all readers seeking an emotionally-charged novel that will linger long after the final page.
Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution: An Oral History, eds. Liam Warfield, Walter Crasshole, Yony Leyser, Introduction by Anna Joy Springer and Lynn Breedlove, PM Press
Oral history, queer music, radical politics
About: Queercore is a one-of-a-kind book - an oral history of the rise of a music and art scene that pushed queer people and women to the front. Highlighting their “radically gay politics,” the book shares first-hand accounts from such iconic figures as Jayne County (the first openly trans rock/punk musician), Bruce LaBruce, Lynn Breedlove, and Kathleen Hanna (ally).
Why we love it: This book is fascinating. We love the way its contributors discuss their personal experiences and how they worked to create a “scene” from their music, zines, art, and drag performances. Their call to reclaim punk music for society’s outcasts (their words) and their critiques of the gay respectability politics of the time is well worth the read!
Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches, Audre Lorde, Crossing Press
Feminist theory, queer theory, social justice
About: Sister Outsider is a collection of fifteen essays and speeches by renowned Black feminist, lesbian, poet, and activist Audre Lorde. Written between the years 1976 and 1984, Lorde’s pieces explore themes of race, gender, sexuality, and social justice. Using both personal experience and observations about the world at large, Lorde examines topics such as: the mainstream feminist movement’s neglect of women of color, the concept of self-care as a form of political action, the insistence that personal experiences are inherently political, and that the intersectionality of race, gender, sexuality, and class are intrinsically linked to experiences of oppression. This 2012 edition by Crossing Press includes a foreword by Lorde-scholar and poet Cheryl Clarke, who celebrates the ways in which Lorde’s words continue to resonate decades later.
Why we love it: It’s no secret that Sister Outsider has had a lasting impact on feminist theory, queer theory, and social justice activism, and rightfully so. This powerful collection is a call for a more inclusive and intersectional approach to social justice and change, which remains as crucially important today as it was the day it was published.
Don’t Cry For Me, Daniel Black, Hanover Square Press
Epistolary, father-son, Black masculinity, tear jerker
About: Don’t Cry For Me follows Jacob - a Black man on his death bed - as he seeks to make amends with his gay son, Isaac. Through letters, Jacob shares parts of himself and his history with Jacob that he had held at bay - from his ancestral home in Arkansas, his relationship with Jacob’s mother, his struggles with what it means to be a Black man, and why he was unable to accept his son’s queerness.
Why we love it: This book broke both of our hearts when we read it. Black’s writing is teeming with empathy. As readers, we are never expected to agree with Jacob’s choice to reject his son’s sexual identity, but we are expected to understand how social constructions of Black masculinity and fear for his son compelled him to act as he did. It’s a breathtaking story of fatherhood, redemption and love.
Confidence, Rafael Frumkin, Simon and Schuster
Millennial, con artists, heartbreaking
About: One of The Washington Post’s 50 Best Works of Fiction of 2023, Confidence is about two young men who meet at a boot camp for delinquent youth and form an intense bond rooted in their shared disaffection with society and their love of a good con. Spanning roughly a decade, the two go from juvenile delinquents pulling small cons to running a multi million dollar lifestyle pyramid scheme that is part Theranos, part tech-bro Scientology. It’s the story of a young man, literally blinded by glaucoma, who is also blinded by love for his partner in crime. It’s also the story of another young man who slowly comes to believe the lies that surround his cult of personality, falling for his own con.
Why we love it: Confidence had us hooked from the very beginning. Frumkin is a masterful storyteller - it’s hard not to fall in love with the novel’s two anti-heroes, flaws and all. We really enjoyed the main characters’ arcs and the blurred lines between truths and lies.
Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon James, Riverhead Books
Fantasy, African history and mythology, epic
About: Listed as one of Time’s “100 Best Fantasies of All Time” and written by Booker Prize winning author Marlon James, Black Leopard, Red Wolf is an epic fantasy like no other. The novel follows a mercenary hired to find a missing child. As he traverses dense jungles, ancient cities, and fights fantastical creatures in search of the boy, he begins to question his mission and why the boy is so important.
Why we love it: This novel is a masterpiece of fantasy writing. James’s prose is intricate, literary, and virtuosic. The world-building is impeccable and vast, drawn from the mythologies and histories of Central and West Africa. It explores themes of queer love and gender politics. The novel is structured following oral storytelling traditions, forcing the reader to question the reliability of the narrators (some might find it hard to follow at first, but we promise it’s worth it!).
The Civil War of Amos Abernathy, Michael Leali, Harper Collins
Middle grade, U.S. history, epistolary
About: Meet Amos Abernathy, a young history enthusiast and reenactor, who, after meeting a new friend at his Living History Park, finds himself questioning history the way it's been told. Surely LGBTQ+ people like Amos and his new friend existed throughout history, right? Amos’s search reveals Albert D. Cashier, a Civil War soldier who might have identified as a trans man if he’d been alive today. Through a series of letters, Amos devises a plan to share Albert’s story with the town, with the hopes of reuniting a divided community. The Civil War of Amos Abernathy is an ALA Rainbow Book List top selection, a Golden Kite Award winner, a New York Public Library Best Books for Kids, a Jane Addams Award finalist, and a Lambda Literary Award finalist.
Why we love it: This book is brimming with heart and hope! Amos is a protagonist that readers of all ages will come to care for. He’s brave, compassionate, and determined, and we love the parallels between Amos’s own journey of self-discovery, with his mission to uncover missing pieces of U.S. history. The Civil War of Amos Abernathy is engaging, thought-provoking, and a must-read for adults and children alike.