PRIDE 2021
Pride month is a month for everyone from the LGBTQ+ community to celebrate around the world.
The reason it takes place in June is because that’s when the Stonewall riots took place. The Stonewall riots was a seminal moment in LGBTQ+ history which helped to fight homophobia and campaign for equal rights. After police stormed the Stonewall Inn, they beat up a lot of the people there which triggered a week of protests who were being continually harassed by the police.
Pride marches take place all over the world, the biggest one in Sao Paulo attended by over 2.5 million people!
The LGBTQ+ community sometimes has a history of excluding anyone who is not white. Because of this, an organisation called UK Black Pride is ‘Europe’s largest celebration for LGBTQI+ people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Latin American and Middle Eastern-descent. They produce an annual celebration during pride month, as well as a variety of activities throughout the year in and around the UK, which also promote and advocate for the spiritual, emotional, and intellectual health and wellbeing of the communities they represent.’
Find out more about some of the wonderful books about the LGBTQ+ community for children and adults below.
YOUNG ADULT
The Black Flamingo
Dean Atta
“A boy comes to terms with his identity as a mixed-race gay teen - then at university he finds his wings as a drag artist, The Black Flamingo. A bold story about the power of embracing your uniqueness. Sometimes, we need to take charge, to stand up wearing pink feathers - to show ourselves to the world in bold colour.
'I masquerade in makeup and feathers and I am applauded.' “
Henna Wars
Adiba Jagirdar
“Nishat doesn't want to lose her family, but she also doesn't want to hide who she is, and it only gets harder once a childhood friend walks back into her life. A school competition invites students to create their own businesses, both Flávia and Nishat decide to showcase their talent as henna artists.
As the competition heats up, Nishat has a decision to make: stay in the closet for her family, or put aside her differences with Flávia and give their relationship a chance.”
CHILDRENS
When Aidan Became a Big brother
Kyle Lukoff
Kaylani juanita
“When Aidan Became a Brother is a heartwarming book that will resonate with transgender children, reassure any child concerned about becoming an older sibling, and celebrate the many transitions a family can experience.”
Umi and Uma: The Story of Two Mommies and a Baby
Nyesha and Samantha Davis-Williams
“The perfect children's book for any household looking to add diverse children's books to their library, Umi and Uma is the story of two mommies and a baby. Written by two real moms raising a new baby, this story within a story explains to baby Abigail how her two mommies decided to start a family in the far away land of Astrin.”
Julia is a Mermaid
While riding the subway home from the pool with his abuela one day, Julián notices three women spectacularly dressed up. Their hair billows in brilliant hues, their dresses end in fishtails, and their joy fills the train car
When Julián gets home, daydreaming of the magic he’s seen, all he can think about is dressing up just like the ladies in his own fabulous mermaid costume: a butter-yellow curtain for his tail, the fronds of a potted fern for his headdress. But what will Abuela think about the mess he makes — and even more importantly, what will she think about how Julián sees himself? Mesmerizing and full of heart, Jessica Love’s author-illustrator debut is a jubilant picture of self-love and a radiant celebration of individuality.
They, She, He Easy as ABC
Maya Christina Gonzalez and Matthew SG
”They, She, He easy as ABC shows that including everyone is all part of the dance. It’s easy. It’s fundamental. As the dance begins the kids proclaim, “No one left out and everyone free,” in a sing-song rhyme about inclusion. This sets the stage for readers to meet 26 kids showing us their dance moves.”
ADULTS
Rainbow Milk
Paul Mendez
“Rainbow Milk is an intersectional coming-of-age story, following nineteen-year-old Jesse McCarthy as he grapples with his racial and sexual identities against the backdrop of a Jehovah's Witness upbringing and the legacies of the Windrush generation.”
Mr Loverman
Bernardine Evaristo
Barrington Jedidiah Walker is seventy-four and leads a double life. Born and bred in Antigua, he's lived in Hackney since the sixties. A flamboyant, wise-cracking local character with a dapper taste in retro suits and a fondness for quoting Shakespeare, Barrington is a husband, father and grandfather - but he is also secretly homosexual, lovers with his great childhood friend, Morris. Mr Loverman is a ground-breaking exploration of Britain's older Caribbean community, which explodes cultural myths and fallacies and shows the extent of what can happen when people fear the consequences of being true to themselves.”
