As the world is changing, so is literature – while LGBTQ characters have always existed in literature, representation is improving every year to create diverse characters that propose perspective for every letter in the alphabet.
The long and necessary boost in LGBTQ characters is no coincidence, more and more young people are changing the culture by expanding their own identities and demanding representation if not creating it themselves. Various studies across North America have found that close to 30 percent of Gen Z identify with the LGBTQ community.
Literature and the big screen keep up with the times, creating positive book-to-film adaptations such as Heartstopper and Red, White, and Royal Blue, but it doesn’t end there!
Check out these 10 books with excellent LGBTQ character presentations, specifically that their identity is not the focal point of the story as much as celebrating their existence.
A Few Notes
- The list is definitely not complete – Just a heads up, my list might not cover all the goodies out there. I mean, seriously, I could read forever and still not hit every mystery under the sun! With new books dropping left and right, it’s like trying to catch a runaway train. So, if your favorite book isn’t on here and you think it’s a must-read, my bad! Let me know, alright?
- We will keep updating this list over time – We’ll probably be tinkering with this list every year, given all the cool new books hitting the scene. But you know what? That’s part of the fun! Each update is like a little treasure hunt for your next favorite books featuring LGBTQ characters.
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10. The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This TikTok viral book by overnight success author Taylor Jenkins Reid may be deceiving in the title. Yes, the book is about Evelyn Hugo who is a 1950s light-skinned Cuban woman taking over Hollywood, and she was married seven times, but the real love of her life is a woman.
No more spoilers, but this page-turner will through you through more than one loop on the rollercoaster that was Hollywood, Evelyn navigating it all as a Queer woman of Color and ultimately what love and family really come down to.
9. Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman
The 2019 film that broke the internet and sent Timothee Chalamet’s career flying is based on a book. If you love the angsty love young love triangles in the film, the book goes into even deeper detail.
This book is a great representation of LGBTQ characters because it allows them to explore their sexuality without boxes, while also bringing in the real emotion and confusion that both heartbreak and intimacy can cause. This book is less about the character’s identity, and more about human emotion which is what makes it such a beautiful read.
8. Less by Andrew Sean Greer
This Pulitzer Prize-winning 2017 novel follows a gay author on a press tour, but while performing at his job mentally he is getting over a massive breakup.
As the protagonist travels the world in what would be a dream, he is facing the darkest corners of his mind that are so often brought up in the midst of a heartbreak. If you like the film Lost in Translation, this book is about the loneliness in travel and success, versus the happiness we find outside of it.
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7. The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
Nigerian author Akwaeke Emezi’s sophomore novel offers up Agatha Christie’s mystery novel vibes, except the real mystery is not about life and death but life and love.
In the first sentence of the book, Vivek Oji dies and the book revolves around the perspectives of his friends and family, all of whom remember him in a different light, and hide their own secrets surrounding his death. The biggest secret of all is held by Vivek’s secret lover Osita.
6. Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
Amy and Reese are living a happy and fulfilling life as successful trans-women until Amy decides to become Ames and rocks the boat in his relationship with Reese. While he loses Reese, he takes on a lover Katrina who becomes pregnant his his child – putting him in a tough spot as he longs to be with Reese.
The three of them work to challenge family and love dynamics to raise a child, and this book examines the complicated intersections of motherhood, identity, and sex.
5. Here Comes The Sun by Nicole Dennis Benn
Jamaican writer Nicole Dennis Ben challenges the social norms in her culture that are deeply rooted in women and LGBTQ oppression. Her protagonist Magot uses her sexuality to make money, mostly to send her sister to school. Despite being from paradise, the two sisters fight for a place in their community.
The book challenges what outsiders see as paradise, versus what Queer Black women go up against to be successful. This book is a moving tale of self-discovery, autonomy, and the relationships between women,
4. The Price Of Salt by Patricia Highsmith
Surprise, one of the LGBTQ community’s favorite films Carol, is actually based on the book The Price Of Salt.
When a 1950s housewife meets an elegant stage designer, a spark is lit that both of them cannot explain. They set out on an epic road trip that brings them pure bliss but the real story is in facing the consequences of society.
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3. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
While The Color Purple is not the first representation of LGBTQ characters in history, it sure has made a mark on history for being revolutionary.
Celie is a teen African American growing up in the 1900s, and through the letters that she writes, she expresses her pain, trauma, and loss of situation growing up in abuse and losing agency of her body. In the original book, there is a slight hint of romance between her and her best friend. While it might seem like a small nod, history views it as a trailblazing moment in literature that opened the door for more conversations and representation.
2. Boy Queen by George Lester
Senior year of high school is bittersweet, as big changes approach which means that relationships change, including the one you have with yourself. Robin is getting rejected from college, and in his sorrows goes to his favorite place – the local dag bar – to realize his future might be filled with a lot of glitter.
In this sweet coming-of-age novel, Robin juggles his dreams, a neglecting boyfriend, and family dynamics as he makes his place in this world.
1. Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown
This autobiographical novel follows Molly Brown and her life as a young lesbian. She is the adopted daughter of a traditional and boring family, but what is most stressful to her is growing up in Florida.
The story really begins when Molly can finally embrace who she is in the Big Apple, away from constraints that once confined her she is free to embrace her life to the fullest and find a new community.
