As part of LGBTQ+ History Month, we have curated three media lists for you featuring content made by, for and about queer people. The first will be books, the second will be films and the third and final will be TV shows. We want to bring these to your attention, not only because you might enjoy them, but because by consuming content made by the community, you are helping further someone’s career, adding to the increase in marginalised voices in media, and you also learn about other people’s experiences, expanding your world view.

Here is our first list – books!

1. Fun Home - Alison Bechdel: A graphic memoir, described as a moving, humorous and dark ‘tragicomic’ about Bechdel’s life.

2. Her Body and Other Parties - Carmen Maria Machado: Said to be a fun collection of horror, sci-fi and fantasy influenced stories, this book is a collection of tales that dip into themes of queerness, love and femininity.

3. Boy Erased - Garrard Conley: A memoir which has now been made into a film about a young man outed to his religious parents and his experience of conversion therapy.

4. Juliet Takes A Breath - Gabby Rivera: A coming of age book full of feminism about a queer young woman who has just came out to her family and is looking to figure out her life. Described as relatable, humorous and charming.

5. We Are Everywhere - Matthew Riemer and Leighton Brown: A photographic look at the history of queer liberation. This is an intersectional book which looks at queer history in a visual format, considering historic events and movements like Stonewall and Pride, but also what came before and after.

6. Lot: Stories - Bryan Washington: Stories of a young man finding his place among family and community in Houston, from a powerful, emerging American voice.

7. Zami: A New Spelling Of My Name – Audre Lorde: This is described as a ‘biomythography’, a novel which combines myth, biography and history as narrative to detail Audre Lorde’s life as a black lesbian in 1950s America.

Disclaimer: We want to make it clear that within each of these lists, there might be content that not everyone will like. We’ve curated this list based on multiple resources and opinions and have gathered them because we believe they could be any of these or more – entertaining, inspiring and enlightening. It’s possible these stories may narrate experiences which do not coincide with your own, but these lists are here for you because they could be worth your time. If you have any suggestions on other media or with ideas about what we’ve suggested, get in touch.

For even more recommendations, have a look at the library’s reading list here. Make sure to book on to the events being held for LGBTQ+ History Month such as The Challenges of Discovering Sexuality and Coping with Disability and Being Gay and Being a Person of Colour - A Cultural Perspective. Find more information on these here.