June is Pride Month and Rainbow Book Month™
Pride month is a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community that takes place in June of each year. It originated from the Stonewall riots in New York City in 1969, when LGBTQ+ activists, many of them people of color, stood up against police raids and harassment of the LGBTQ+ community.
The following year, the first Pride march was held in New York City on the anniversary of the Stonewall riots, and it was followed by similar events in other cities across the US. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter declared the first National Gay and Lesbian Pride Month in June of that year. Since then, June has been recognized as Pride month in the US, and LGBTQ+ communities around the world hold events and celebrations during this time to promote acceptance, equality, and visibility.
The American Library Association designates June as Rainbow Book Month,™ a nationwide celebration of the authors and writings that reflect the lives and experiences of the LGBTQ+ community.
As LGBTQ+ rights are continually under attack nationally and globally, we invite you to browse these stories by and about LGBTQ+ lives as we stand in solidarity and celebration with the LGBTQ+ community this June.
Fiction
Young Mungo by Douglas Stewart (Booker Prize-winning author)
The Guncle by Steven Rowley
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka (Winner of the Booker Prize, 2022.)
Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison (Alex Award, 2019)
Love After the End: An Anthology of Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer Speculative Fiction edited by Joshua Whitehead (eBook on Libby)
Nonfiction and Memoir
How We Fight for Our Lives: A Memoir by Saeed Jones
We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib (Audiobook on Libby)
Let The Record Show: A Political History of Act Up New York 1987-1993 by Sarah Schulman (eAudiobook on Libby. Also available in libraries.)
Sorted: Growing Up, Coming Out, and Finding my Place by Jackson Bird (Audiobook on Libby)
The Natural Mother of the Child: A Memoir of Nonbinary Parenthood by Krys Malcolm Belc
LGBTQ+ youth have been disproportionately affected by an increase in book bannings and healthcare restrictions. Let these books and more be resources for teens who are looking for a place in this world to be loved and accepted for who they are.
Fiction and Memoir
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo (Winner of multiple awards. eBook on Libby. Also available as eAudiobook and in libraries)
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender (Stonewall honor book. eBook on Libby. Also available in libraries)
The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta (Stonewall Award winner. eBook on Libby. Also available as eAudiobook and in libraries)
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas (eAudiobook on Libby. Also available in libraries)
All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson
Nonfiction
The Pride Guide: A Guide to Sexual and Social Health for LGBTQ Youth by Jo Langford (eBook on Libby. Also available in libraries)
Queer: The Ultimate LGBTQ Guide for Teens by Kathy Belge (eBook on Libby. Also available in libraries)
Pride: An Inspirational History of the LGBTQ+ Movement by Stella Caldwell
Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin (Stonewall honor book. eBook on Libby. Also available at libraries in print and audio)
The Abc’s of LGBT+ by Ashley Mardell (eBook on Libby. Also available in libraries)
