LGBTQ+ Pride Month is celebrated yearly in June, in remembrance of the Stonewall Riots that occurred in June of 1969 in a New York City gay bar. While the riots were certainly not the first demonstration by LGBTQ+ people fighting against discrimination, it is often heralded as the beginning of the gay liberation movement.
Pride month is about remembering those individuals lost in the fight for liberation, celebrating the steps they took, and those who continue to take steps towards equality for all people. This Pride month, let’s spend some time with LGBTQ+ writers not just from our modern age, but appreciate those that came before us. In 2022 we are living in a time of unprecedented production and distribution of LGBTQ+ books, graphic novels, and media. The problem has shifted from too few choices to too many choices! Salina Public Library has plenty of books to keep you busy this Pride, from fiction to YA selections, and even non-fiction resources, here are some recommendations to fill you with Pride!
Adult Fiction 
“The Death of Vivek Oji” by Akwaeke Emezi
“With Teeth” by Kristen Arnett
“The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde
“Giovanni’s Room” by James Baldwin
“To Paradise” by Hanya Yanagihara
“The Summer of Everything” by Julian Winters
YA Fiction 
“I Kissed Shara Wheeler” by Casey McQuiston
“Iron Widow” by Xiran Jay Zhao
“And She Was” by Jessica Verdi
“Cemetery Boys” by Aiden Thomas
“The Black Flamingo” by Dean Atta
Non-Fiction 
“Real Queer America” by Samantha Allen
“A Quick and Easy Guide to Asexuality” by Molly Muldoon
“The Stonewall Reader” by The New York Public Library
“When Brooklyn was Queer” by Hugh Ryan
“This Book is Gay” by Juno Dawson
“The Queer Advantage” by Andrew Gelwicks
If you’re looking to find friends, a community of LGBTQ+ readers, or simply don’t know where to start with LGBTQ+ books, make sure to check out the Library’s monthly LGBTQ+ Book Group! We read and discuss books with LGBTQ+ themes and serve as a safe space for people to talk about them – no matter who you are! Our book for June is “A Wild and Precious Life: A Memoir” by Edie Windsor. Copies of the book are available in the Book Discussion section of the Library. Register here for our next meeting on June 9!
About The Author: Ben
Ben is the Information Services Programs Coordinator, putting together the adult programs and crafts at Salina Public Library. After falling in love with theatre in high school, he went on to complete a BFA in Theatre with a focus on Stage Management from Emporia State University. He is an avid reader who enjoys Fantasy/Sci-Fi, Plays, Classics, and LGBTQ+ Fiction/Nonfiction. When not at the library, Ben enjoys watching true crime shows and comedies, trying out new recipes, seeing live theatre, crafts/sewing, and spending time with his partner.
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