Hello everyone! June is finally here and that means it's time for pride! Parades, rallies, picnics, markets, dances, there are so many events that come with pride. I’m personally excited for all the queer markets my city has this month.
For so many of us, pride month is the time we get to be loud and celebrate who we are and be with our community. But it's not all party all the time, unfortunately. Most of us have jobs we have to go to the next day or don’t live in a place where pride can be openly celebrated. So how can we connect to pride in the quiet moments? Through books, of course!
Books can connect us to the stories of our past, after all, pride started as a protest. They can also connect us to the people and the struggles of the present. Maybe they’ll help us feel less alone or maybe they will help us to recognize that there is still a lot of work we have to do as a community. So, without further ado, here are three books to read during pride month!
1. The Stonewall Reader
This is an anthology of first hand accounts from the Stonewall riots of 1969, one of the most significant events in the gay rights movement in the 1960s. It highlights the leaders and organizers of the movement, some well known and some that have faded into history, reviving their stories. It gives readers a look into queer life before, during, and after the riots. I highly recommend reading this, whether you’re queer or not. It takes you back to the roots of pride and what was fought for so LGBTQIA+ folks could have the life they live today. It also highlights the fact that to enact real change, we have to get loud and disruptive. A message that resonates in today’s world.
The anthology was put together through the New York Public Library’s archive collection and is available in paperback and audiobook form. The audiobook is very interesting because it includes excerpts of original interviews from the time, allowing you to hear the voices of the past! The ebook is available for free on archive.org, so it’s easily accessible for anyone who wants to learn some queer history!
2. Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen
Asexuality is a mystery to straight people and queer people alike. People from both sides say that it doesn’t exist, or that something must be wrong with anyone who identifies as ace. It’s just not possible for someone to not be sexually attracted to somebody, anybody. But the ace community is global, complex, and yes, really there (That’s what the “A” in LGBTQIA+ means!). Angela Chen dives into how much modern society places value on sex and marriage in relationships. We’ve come to expect that sex is part of any meaningful relationship, but what if you don’t experience sexual attraction? Chen explores what it’s like to be asexual in a world that’s hypersexual.
It’s definitely a book geared towards non-asexuals, or allosexuals. After all, ace people know what it’s like to live in a hypersexual world (it’s weird, btw). If you’re looking to understand more about the people in your community and how they experience the world, this is the pride book for you! It’s available as an ebook, hardcopy, or audiobook, so you can enjoy it anyway you like!
3. Pageboy: A Memoir by Elliot Page
Rounding out my top three books for Pride Month is Elliot Page’s memoir, Pageboy. This is a story from a trans person living through, and transitioning in the modern era. Covering his journey of self-discovery and life in Hollywood, it opens up a world few get to see, stardom, as well as life as a trans person.
One of the reasons I included this book is because of the hate and violence that trans people have been experiencing over the past few years. Canadian provinces and U.S. states have put forward numerous anti-trans bills in order to control and force our trans siblings to hide themselves. I put this here in the hopes that you read it and understand that the fight for rights isn’t over yet, and we must stand with the trans community.
So, those are my three books you should read this pride month! I’m so glad you joined me today, and I hope you’ll join me next time, too! If you enjoyed this article, let me know what queer books you’ll be reading this month in the comments below.
Happy Pride! 🌈✨