Pride Month Books: Banned Reads That Everyone Should Experience
Happy Pride Month, friends! Throughout the month of June, we celebrate Pride in being who we are, so it’s a perfect time to talk about some of the books that share the stories of folks in the LGBTQIA+ community. Of course, it wouldn’t be Pride Month without controversy, so I also present these often-banned books as windows into life experiences that may not be your own. They certainly aren’t mine, and that makes it that much more important that I read them.
So, with all the bright colors of the rainbow, I present you with this list of suggested reading for Pride Month. It isn’t comprehensive, but it’s a start.
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“Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe
It’s been a few years since I read “Gender Queer,” but what stays with me is having more of a sense of what life is like for someone who doesn’t fit into a gender binary. Maia Kobabe (pronouns e/em/eir) has shared eir experiences of growing up not feeling like a girl or a boy. It’s a coming-of-age story that can help some folks feel less alone and some to better understand an experience that is entirely different from their own. It was this latter thing for me.
“Gender Queer” remains one of the most banned books in the United States. The main reason given is the claim that it is “sexually explicit.” The book does include some panels about sexual exploration and discovery. In 2020, it received the Stonewall Book Award-Barbara Gittings Literature Award and the Stonewall Book Award-Israel Fishman Non-Fiction Award.
This graphic memoir is a gift, an opportunity to learn about others or to feel seen. It’s especially appropriate for Pride Month.
“All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson
“All Boys Aren’t Blue” is another one that I’ve personally read and can recommend. As with all of the books on this list, it is also frequently banned for being sexually explicit. It has also received several awards. As a sensitive person, I found some moments in this story hard to read, especially knowing that it is the author’s memoir. But it is specifically because it’s difficult that it should be read. This is his real life.
Johnson reveals what it was like growing up, the difficulties, and the love of family. It stretches to his life at college and, like the previous book, is a coming-of-age story. Though the book does include some discussion of sex, that isn’t the focus. This book could be a great comfort to teens and young men who are gay, and especially those of color. But you don’t have to be either of those things to step into his shoes and see what his life was like.
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky
Our first novel on the banned books list for Pride Month, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” is one that I haven’t read myself. However, it has been made into a movie and was a #1 “New York Times” bestseller. It’s described as following the life of high school freshman Charlie, through his letters. Specifically, it says, Charlie experiences, “First dates, family drama, and new friends. Sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Devastating loss, young love, and life on the fringes.”
I did read some of the reviews of the book, and it’s clear there’s quite a mix of love-it-or-hate-it. Nevertheless, it’s the kind of story that could move you and give you perspective on another life experience.
“Tricks” by Ellen Hopkins
“Tricks” frequently makes it onto the banned book list for “being sexually explicit, depiction of rape and drugs, and having LGBTQIA+ content.” But those who have read it have rated it very highly. This novel, told in verse, is the story of five teens (three girls and three boys) from different parts of the U.S. They come from diverse backgrounds, and one of them is gay. The description says:
“Five troubled teenagers fall into prostitution as they search for freedom, safety, community, family, and love in this #1 New York Times bestselling novel in verse from Ellen Hopkins.”
This is a young adult novel following five stories that weave together into one story “about making choices, taking leaps of faith, falling down, and growing up. A story about kids figuring out what sex and love are all about, at all costs, while asking themselves, ‘Can I ever feel okay about myself?'”
“The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini
“The Kite Runner” is a novel set in Afghanistan, beginning in the peaceful years before the Soviet invasion. A wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant become friends during this tumultuous time in the history of their country. It is described as, “A powerful story of friendship, it is also about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies.”
The novel has faced bans for “depictions of sexual assault, depression, and attempted suicide.”
An Aside
Of course, these books do discuss sensitive topics. They’re difficult situations, even for adults sometimes. I’ll be adding all of these to my “to read” list. But, if you’re the caregiver for a young person, I do support your right and obligation to decide what is right for your kid. Having said that, though, banning a book only makes it more attractive. If you tell me I cannot read something, that is exactly what I’m going to read next. And, these experiences, though some may be fictionalized, happen every day to real people. These stories are important. Even if they’re difficult. There is more to learn from the difficult things than from the idyllic ones.
More Pride Month Reads
Since we couldn’t possibly mention every outstanding LGBTQIA+ book, I’ll leave you with the American Library Association and its excellent resources. Visit their Rainbow Round Table page. It’s designed to support libraries, but you can also make use of their book lists to fill your own to-be-read pile. For example, here’s their list of graphic novels. These are books with valuable stories to be read year-round, not just during Pride Month.
I hope you have a happy, healthy, and peaceful Pride Month, friends!
You can find more from Michelle Kitz here: https://linktr.ee/michellekitz
