There are a lot of things society can take pride in but acceptance and tolerance are certainly not among them. MarginaliSed communities like LGBTQ+ have not exactly been at a very good place in the social hierarchy with public opinion and laws generally against them. However, a revolutionary change can be witnessed in recent times with society gradually starting to accept a more diverse culture and the LGBTQ+ community getting some amount of empowerment. With representation of the community in movies, literature and art, we now have more exposure to the struggles, pain and intolerance faced by people merely because of their sexuality. Movies, documentaries and books that talk about the queer will help us create a society where all can be treated equally. If you are intrigued, here is a list of LGBTQ+ books that are being anticipated this year.
‘Fiona and Jane’ by Jean Chen Ho
This fiction revolves around the titular couple, two Taiwanese-American woman who have been inseparable since childhood. It explores the ups and downs of their friendship and chronicles two Asian women’s stake to happiness in contemporary American society
All of You Every Single One’ by Beatrice Hitchman
A deeply moving tale of love, freedom and family, the story revolves around an unhappily married Julia who finds love in a handsome tailor. They elope and have a seemingly happy life in Vienna but things change when Julia starts longing for a child. Hitchman’s queer characters, set against the backdrop of the most legendary cities of the age battle oppression through decades from 1910 to 1946.
‘To Paradise’ by Hanya Yanagihara
This novel spans three centuries and features alternate realities. We see alternate versions of the 1890s, 1990s and 2093 and deal with societies where same-sex love is the norm and authoritarian societies.
‘High-Risk Homosexual: A Memoir’ by Edgar Gomez
This is a coming of age story of a gay man named Gomez and allows the readers to follow him through the queer spaces where he learned to love being gay and Latinx, including Pulse nightclub in Orlando, a drag queen convention in Los Angeles, and the doctor’s office where he was diagnosed a “high-risk homosexual”.
‘Young Mungo’ by Douglas Stuart
The second novel by booker prize-winning author Douglas Stuart can be called the gay take on ‘Romeo and Juliet’ set in the brutal world of Glasgow’s housing estates.’ It showcases the violence that queer people are subjected to in an engaging narrative.
‘A Previous Life’ by Edmund White
This is an inventive concept where the author has included himself in the story. It chronicles the confessions of a married couple’s sexual escapades which include a love affair between the husband and author Edmund White.
The Women’s House of Detention: A Queer History of a Forgotten Prison’ by Hugh Ryan
True to its title, the Woman’s House of Detention is largely forgotten today but the fascinating history of the queer, transgender men and gender-nonconforming people who were held there is chronicles by historian Hugh Ryan in this book.
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