LGBTQ+ Authors to Support During Pride Month and Beyond
Diversity in literature is vital to our culture. It helps us see things from another's perspective. Unfortunately, many LGBTQ+ authors have been underrepresented in literature. So this Pride Month we're highlighting dynamic authors from the LGBTQ+ community. From coming-of-age memoirs to captivating novels, here are eight queers authors and their latest books you should get to know. Have one of these captivating reads shipping right to your door.
Related: This Company Brings the Pride Celebration to Your Door
Gabrielle Korn
Gabrielle's latest memoir, Everybody (Else) Is Perfect: How I Survived Hypocrisy, Beauty, Clicks, and Likes ($11, Amazon), is powerful, witty, and extremely pertinent in today's digital age. The book details Korn's battle with an eating disorder, her rising career in journalism-an industry that perpetuates impossible beauty standards, and coming into her queer sexuality. Currently, Korn is an editorial and publishing manager at Netflix. Prior to that, she was a senior editor at Refinery29, and editor in chief at Nylon.
Ashley C. Ford
In her stunning and powerful debut memoir, Somebody's Daughter ($17, Amazon), Ashley C. Ford details the gravity of her childhood as a Black girl growing up in Indiana and her complicated relationship with her father who is in prison. An accomplished writer and podcaster, Ford's powerful writing has appeared in New York Magazine, Buzzfeed, Refinery29, and Allure.
Shannon Mustipher
When Shannon Mustipher became Beverage Director at Glady's Caribbean in Brooklyn (now closed due to the pandemic), she probably wasn't expecting to become an award-winning author. Mustipher's book Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails ($19, Amazon) not only teaches readers how to make vibrant and creative tiki cocktails but also highlights the rich and diverse cultural history of rum. It's the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) 2020 winner in the Beer, Wine, & Spirits category.
Zeyn Joukhadar
The recipient of the 2021 Stonewall Book Awards and the Lambda Literary Award for his second book, The Thirty Names of Night ($21, Amazon), Zeyn Joukhadar is an author making an exhilarating mark in the queer literary world. His award-winning novel explores gender identity, history, immigration, and the loss of a loved one through the lens of a non-binary protagonist.
R.O. Kwon
The Incendiaries ($14, Amazon) was published to critical acclaim. The novel tells a thrilling story about the susceptibility of religion and faith. It can give rise to joy and kindness, but it can also perpetuate diabolical motivations, wreaking havoc everywhere. The South Korean-born American author, R.O. Kwon's insightful writing has appeared in the New York Times and Vanity Fair.
Saeed Jones
Awarding-winning poet and writer, Saeed Jones is the founding editor of Buzzfeed LGBT. His work has appeared in major publications, including the New York Times and GQ. His latest book, How We Fight For Our Lives ($13, Amazon) is a gripping and raw memoir about race, family, grief, LGBTQ+ identity, and fighting to become comfortable in one's own skin.
Ijeoma Oluo
Named to the 2021 TIME 100 Next list, Ijeoma Oluo is an award-winning author and writer. The Seattle- based writer's debut book, So You Want To Talk About Race ($8, Amazon), is a New York Times Bestseller. Through nuanced history, Oluo's second book, Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America ($16, Amazon) evaluates race and oppression in America. You can read Oluo's writing in The Guardian and Seattle's newspaper, The Stranger.
T Kira Madden
A coming-of-age memoir by T Kira Madden, Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls ($16, Amazon) is compelling and honest. A life of privilege doesn't eliminate Madden's anguish from growing up with family secrets, addiction, abuse, and an absent father. All of which makes it more challenging as Madden is coming into her queer identity.
