LGBTQ+ Books You Should Read In Pride Month🏳️🌈
It’s pride month again or as I like to call it, the rainbow month🏳️🌈. Pride month is celebrated every June in commemoration of the 1969 Stonewall riots and to honour all the LGBTQ+ folks around the globe.
One of the challenges that queer folks are faced with is representation in the media. Often times, in books and movies queer characters are usually made to be on the sidelines, from the male best friend of the female characters to the weird tomboys. But there’s been a major change over the years in the representation of the LGBTQ+ folks in books, we now see more queer characters in lots of books. From bestsellers to YA to contemporary literature, I want to share some the best queer themed books I have read.
1. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Aging, glamorous Hollywood former It girl Evelyn Hugo tells her life story to Monique a novice journalist. Evelyn narrates the story of her journey in Hollywood, her failed marriages to seven men and her relationship with her one true love Celia spanning several decades. This book also gives us a glimpse to homophobia and racial discrimination in mid 20th century. This is not just a queer romance book, it’s the story of a woman’s life well-lived throughout the pages. And I can say I lived a glamorous life vicariously through Evelyn’s life.
2. Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Enemies to lovers gay romance? This is the perfect book. When Alexander Claremont-Diaz, the first son of the US is forced to form a friendship with Prince Henry of the British royal family to repair an international fiasco, sparks begin to fly. What started as an awkward, inconveniencing friendship grew into a love story. Red White and Royal Blue tells us about the challenges the two men go through trying to keep their relationship a secret, the world eventually finding out and them fighting for their love. A funny and witty debut narrated from Alex’s point of view, I enjoyed every minute of it.
3. The Death of Vivek Oji by Akweke Emezi
Set against the backdrop of Southeastern Nigeria in the 80s, the events of this book are told from different perspectives leading up from the birth, life and death of Vivek Oji. Vivek Oji is the genderqueer son of a distant father Chika and doting but overprotective mother Katvia. Vivek is a character that draws you in with his elegance and softness. This book highlights the issues of coming to terms with one’s sexuality and identity in a country that is firmly against queerness. There’s such tenderness, love and pain in this book that makes it a profound read.
4. Radiant Fugitives by Nawaaz Ahmed
During the last few weeks of her pregnancy, Seema an Indian-Muslim lesbian living in San Francisco is visited by her estranged mother and sister. What should have been moments of reconciliation and bonding quickly turned into an unearthing of decades old grudges and misunderstanding. Nawaaz does something unique by telling the story through the voice of Seema’s unborn baby. One of the beautiful things about this book is how the Quran and the works of Keats and Wordsworth are elements of the book. Nawaaz Ahmed has written a debut that is deeply moving and poignant.
5. Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta
Under the Udala Trees is the coming of age story of Ijeoma, a girl living in the 1960s turmoil of Nigeria. Ijeoma is sent to live with family friends where she meets Amina and begins to discover her sexuality as a lesbian. This book chronicles the struggles of living with homophobia as queer person in Nigeria. Chinelo offers a new perspective on religion and same sex relationship in this book. An absolutely brilliant read.
6. Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So
Afterparties is a collection of short stories about Cambodian-Americans living in California. The stories are humorous yet touching on controversial topics like sexuality, race, class, drug addiction and even the Khmer rouge genocide. Every one of these nine stories is strong in its own voice with very imperfect characters. Anthony’s Afterparties is refreshing and a little gut-wrenching. It was listed as one of the best books of 2021.
7. Vagabonds! by Eloghosa Osunde
Eloghosa Osunde uses a fantastical voice to present us with a book about the misfits, queer and otherworldly spirits of Eko. Vagabonds! is a startling debut of short stories that talks unabashedly about LGBTQ, capitalism, corruption and patriarchy. This book is narrated by an enigmatic spirit called Tatafo. It’s a loud and critical work of the ills of Nigerian society. Vagabonds! is an exception work of fiction.
8. Afterlove by Tanya Byrne
Ashana Persuad meets Poppy Morgan on a school trip and she instantly falls in love with her. Their relationship bloosoms and they begin to date. Soon after Ash dies in a car accident seperating her from Poppy. Ash becomes a grim reaper as she’s the last person to die on New Year’s Eve. What happens next are a series of events from Ash’s grim reaper, Poppy recognizing her in the world of living and Ash trying to reunite with Poppy. Afterlove is a bittersweet YA sapphic romance.
9. The Hairdresser of Harare by Tendai Huchu
Vimbai is an experienced hairdresser at a popular salon in Zimbabwe and considers her self the best. But when Dumisani a handsome, young man walked into the salon as the new hairdresser, she feels threatened by his skills. With time, a friendship develops between them when he becomes her tenant. Dumisani has a secret, he is gay. When Vimbai finds out he is faced with prejudice. As the story progresses, both characters develop with Vimbai overcoming her initial prejudice to homosexuality. Huchu tackles what it means to be a homosexual in a Zimbabwean society that is deeply homophobic.
10. God’s Children Are Little Broken Things by Arinze Ifeakandu
In nine excellent stories, Ifeakandu writes stories of Nigerian gay men with such tenderness. This book is written with precision that even as the past and present overlaps each other, the reader still doesn’t lose track of the story. God’s children are little broken things also highlights the effects of the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act (SSMPA) 2013 in an already homophobic Nigerian society. The characters in Ifeakandu’s stories are unapologetic, daring and written with compassion that evoke emotions in the reader.
11. Speak No Evil by Uzodinma Iweala
In Uzodinma Iweala’s second book,Niru is a Nigerian-American student who seemingly has a perfect life. But Niru is queer, something that his Nigerian parents consider perverse. When his father finds out about his sexuality he is beaten up and sent to Nigeria for “deliverance". This incident leads to a chain of events that will change Niru’s life as he grapples with what it means to be black and gay in America.
12. And Then He Sang A Lullaby by Ani Kayode Somtochukwu
Ani Kayode comes with a revolutionary gay story. This compelling debut is about two young Nigerian men, August and Segun who fall in love in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. August is an athletic star on campus passing of as straight and Segun is a student activist who is openly gay. Their relationship was a good one at first, but as time went on cracks begins to form as a result of external influences. August is weighed down by the disapproval of his family, Segun is scared of being with someone who is closeted. The cruelty of the society to homosexuals is spread across the pages of this book.
13. She Called Me Woman by Azeernah Mohammed, Chitra Nagarajan and Rafeeat Aliyu
She Called Me Woman is the true life narratives of the experiences of 30 queer women living in Nigeria. This collection of narratives covers the diverse experience, from discovering of sexuality to first loves and heartbreaks, loss and struggle, religion. The reader is exposed to what it truly means to navigate life as queer women living in Nigeria.
14. Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo
Bernadine Evaristo’s Girl, Woman, Other unites the struggle of twelve queer characters living in the UK. This book gives an interesting perspective on different types of queer feminine relationships. It’s not even just about the queerness of these characters, it’s about their race and their various struggles in life. It’s unconventional writing style makes you connect easily with each character. Girl, Woman, Other is a worthwhile read.
15. The Clothesline Swing by Danny Ramadan
The Clothesline Swing features the story of a gay Syrian couple. The book is narrated by an unnamed narrator simply known as "Hakawati", one of the men. The elderly Hakawati tell his lover different stories every night to keep him away from the cold hands of death. The stories told in flashbacks are of different experiences of both the narrator and his lover. From growing up in Damascus to fleeing the country because of war, traveling and navigating Syria as a gay man, becoming refuges in another country and finally settling down in Canada. The stories are haunting and sad with bits of humor. Ahmad Danny Ramadan wrote The Clothesline Swing with a poetic rhythm that is just hard to ignore. There’s so much about how devastating love can be and the reality of how inevitable death is in this book. Ramadan’s debut makes for an engrossing read.
I’m glad you stayed with me till the end of this rather long list. So whether you are queer or an ally, pick a book or two on this list to read for this year’s pride month.
Remember love looks better in color🏳️🌈