Read Queer Banned Books

For a long while now, books have been banned nationwide. You’d assume it would be for good reason. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. If it challenges the status quo, it is bad. This includes queer people. We are oftentimes seen as inappropriate for just existing. Me dressing the way I do, calling myself a different name, and calling myself a man is seen as a sexual act that shouldn’t be seen by children. Two men holding hands is too much for kids, too much for the public eye. God forbid we do the same things heterosexual people do. To combat this, I’m writing about the queerest banned books you can get your hands on.

Non Fiction:

All Boys Aren't Blue is an extremely powerful memoir. The author explores his experiences as a young black queer man. He delves into topics of identity, sexuality, and race in a deep and personal way. Those interested in the intersectionality of race and identity/sexuality will most definitely benefit from giving Johnson's memoir a read.

This Book Is Gay is a comprehensive guide on queer sex ed and more! Chapters break down things like terminology, naming, biology, stereotypes, dating, coming out, sex, and homophobia and transphobia. This book can definitely feel a bit heavy as it shows the truths behind how the queer community is more at risk of things like harassment, mistreatment, sexual assault, and suicide.

Beyond Magenta is a book consisting of interviews with six different transgender teens. These people cover a span of identities from binary trans men and women to a transmasculine nonbinary person who found out they were intersex. This book covers many tough topics like abuse of all sorts, discrimination, and mental health through the eyes of trans teens.

Fiction:

Two Boys Kissing follows eight gay high school boys, two of which plan on breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest kiss. Despite being exes, Craig and Harry take up the challenge after a hate crime against their classmate. The other boys in this story are affected by this kiss in different ways. The book jumps between each of their stories, narrated by a Greek chorus of deceased gay men (mostly from the 1980s aids crisis).

Lawn Boy is a coming-of-age novel that follows the life of Mike Muñoz, a young half–Mexican American who has a passion for landscaping. Mike faces many challenges, such as poverty, prejudice, and bad luck, as he tries to find himself and achieve the American dream of happiness and prosperity.

Better Nate Than Ever follows 13 year old Nate Foster, a boy who doesn't fit in in his small hometown. Bullied by his peers and living in the shadow of his older sports star brother, he feels like an embarrassment to his family. The only one that seems to get him is his best friend, Libby. Libby and Nate both share a passion for theater. After learning that auditions for E.T. The Musical are being held in New York; she urges Nate to try out. They hatch a plan to get Nate to New York, get the role of Elliot, and get back home without anyone realizing he's gone missing. But, as life usually goes, not everything goes to plan.

Jack Of Hearts (And Other Parts) is definitely a strange but hilariously bold book. Jack, who is extremely sex positive and not ashamed of it, decides to start a teen sex advice column on an online site. This takes an unexpected turn as he begins receiving creepy and threatening love letters that try to force him to restrain his sexuality and personality. Jack and his friends have to uncover the stalker before their love becomes dangerous.

We Are The Ants is a coming of age story that follows a teenage boy named Henry who's life is in shambles after his boyfriend commits suicide. Then, as they do, aliens come down to Earth. After being shown the destruction of humanity, Henry is given the option to save the world with a press of a button. Due to his grief and constant abuse, he believes the world is better off destroyed and the button is left unpressed. Will Henry's outlook change?

Last Night At The Telegraph Club is set in 1950s San Fransico. This story follows Lily Hu, a teenage daughter of Chinese immigrants, and her navigation through her identity and sexuality. Spending time at the Telegraph Club with a male impersonator and a close classmate named Kath. Their story is extremely beautiful and heartfelt. This book delves into stereotypes about Chinese Americans, the invisibility of the lesbian and gay community, and the role of women in the space program.

More Happy Than Not follows 16-year-old Aaron Soto who is struggling with the aftermath of his father's suicide. He forms a close friendship with Thomas, and as they spend time together, Aaron realizes he has feelings for him. But (ooh dramaaaaa) Aaron has a girlfriend away at an art retreat. The story is set in a fictionalized near future where a procedure exists to erase painful memories.

Obie is Man Enough is a coming-of-age story about Obie, a trans middle school swimmer navigating life and his boyhood after his transition. The book goes into the adversity that trans teenagers face as they traverse through life.

In the tiny town of Hawthorne, North Carolina, seventeen-year-old geeks Lula and Rory share everything—sci-fi and fantasy fandom, Friday night binge-watching of old X-Files episodes, and that feeling that they don’t quite fit in. Lula knows she and Rory have no secrets from each other; after all, he came out to her years ago, and she’s shared with him her “sacred texts”—the acting books her mother left behind after she walked out of Lula’s life. But then Lula discovers that Rory—her Rory, who maybe she’s secretly had feelings for—has not only tried out for the Hawthorne football team without telling her but has also been having an affair with his middle-aged divorcee boss. With their friendship disrupted, Lula begins to question her identity and her own sexual orientation, and she runs away in the middle of the night on a journey to find her mother, who she hopes will have all the answers.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a coming-of-age novel that follows Charlie, a shy and introspective teenager, as he navigates high school, friendship, love, and loss. The novel is narrated through a series of letters written by Charlie to an anonymous friend. Set in the early 1990s in Pittsburgh, the book delves into themes of mental health, identity, and the complexities of growing up.

Graphic novel:

Gender Queer is an autobiography that explores gender identity and sexuality, ultimately identifying as being outside of the gender binary. The book tackles topics such as gender euphoria, gender dysphoria, and asexuality using both narrative and illustrations. They begin telling their story from childhood to the present day and include many monumental experiences in their life: their first period, learning about what it means to be transgender, first relationship, and numerous others.

Fun Home is a graphic memoir by cartoonist Alison Bechdel. It follows Alison through the early years of her life as she navigates her relationship with her closeted father, discovers her own sexuality, and grapples with her father’s supposed suicide. Told in a non-linear fashion, the book touches on the themes of gender identity, sexual orientation, dysfunctional households, suicide, and literature as a way of connecting to life.

Drama focuses on the story of Callie, a middle school student and theater enthusiast that works with her school's tech crew. While navigating seventh grade, Callie deals with tween hardships. The book delves into themes of self-discovery and the excitement of being part of a creative community.

This One Summer tells the coming-of-age story of two teenage friends, Rose and Windy, during a summer in Awago, a small beach town. Set against the backdrop of family drama, secrets, and growing up, the novel captures the essence of self-discovery and friendship.

Children's Books:

I Am Jazz is a picture book based on the real-life experience of Jazz Jennings, a transgender child. The book tells the story of Jazz, who knew from the time she was two that she had a girl's brain in a boy's body. The book follows the gradual acceptance by Jazz’s parents and teachers of her transgender reality. The book is written for children in grades 1-3.

The reviews of this book had me cackling. Apparently, this is book is a jab at Mike Pence and a parody of his daughter's children's book. The main rabbit character is based off of Pence's actual rabbit. Marlon Bundo, a male rabbit who lives with Grampa (Mike Pence), finds love. His love interest is another male rabbit, which the Stink Bug (who... is also Mike Pence) disapproves of. This book delves into the message of being different is okay and democracy.

And Tango Makes Three is a children's book based on a true story of two male penguins, Roy and Silo, who fall in love and hatch an egg together at the Central Park Zoo. The book depicts their journey of becoming parents with the help of their zookeeper, Mr. Gramzay, who gives them a fertilized egg to care for. The book celebrates the diversity of families and the love they share.

This Day in June is a children's picture book that celebrates the enthusiasm of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their supporters as they participate in a Pride March. It follows a family attending the march. I always love seeing queer families getting normalized as well as the non-demonization of Pride marches.

Thank you to all of the book summary websites that have helped me through this post. I am a man with only so much time on his hands, but I will eventually get a chance to read all of these. Happy Pride Month, y'all.

-Dylan