Each year in October we celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month. This tradition began in 1994, when Rodney Wilson, a high-school teacher from Missouri, decided to dedicate one month out of the year to celebrating the lives and achievements of LGBTQ+ people. Along with other teachers and community leaders, Rodney selected October so that the celebration would happen at the same time as National Coming Out Day on October 11. This is now a national celebration where people in the LGBTQ+ community share their identity and celebrate their choice to be open and honest about who they are.
This year we’re celebrating with some of our best book recommendations, both picture and chapter books. Read along to discover the amazing stories of LGBTQ+ people of the past.
Picture Books
Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag
This book tells the story of the creation of the Gay Pride Flag. Dyed by hand and sewn together by friends, the Rainbow Flag was created in 1978 when the activist Harvey Milk asked his friend Gilbert Baker to create a symbol of the joy and pride in the gay community.
This classic story of love and family is celebrating its 20th anniversary! Whether you know the story well or are just discovering it, Roy, Silo, and their adopted baby Tango will show you that true families come in all shapes and sizes. (And a bonus for us: it's set in the Central Park Zoo!)
Sylvia and Marsha Start a Revolution
Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson might be heroes of LGBTQ+ history now, but before that they were two transgender women who had to fight for equality. They loved their community, they loved each other, and they used that love to start a revolution.
Door by Door: How Sarah McBride Became America's First Openly Transgender Senator
This book tells the story of Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender woman to serve in the US House of Representatives. Sarah knew from a young age that she wanted to become a politician and help the people around her, but she also knew that the people around her didn’t see her as the girl she was. As she grew up, Sarah showed everyone how being your true self and helping those around you go hand-in-hand.
Based on a true story and written to the son they adopted, this book tells the story of Danny, Pete, and the baby they find in the New York City subway. Danny and Pete were not planning on becoming parents, but when Danny finds a baby in the 14th Street station, he and Pete know this is meant to be their son. With help from their family and a judge who believes in love, they become Daddy Danny and Papa Pete.
Have you ever been to the Mermaid Party at Coney Island in Brooklyn? Julian hadn’t, but when he sees some of the gorgeous mermaids on the subway, he needs to be one of them. With his Abuela’s help, Julian and the mermaid tail he made with Abuela’s curtains join the parade.
Chapter Books
The Stonewall Riots: Coming Out in the Streets
This book is a great introduction to the history of the Stonewall Uprising and the start of the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. Each chapter is linked to the story of a historical object, and tells the story of the Stonewall Uprising through the connection of history and the material objects that we use to learn about history.
The Civil War of Amos Abernathy
Told through the story of Amos Abernathy, a gay student who loves history, this book is a wonderful introduction to the LGBTQ+ history of the Civil War and the transgender soldiers like Albert D.J. Cashier who fought in it. By trying to update his own local museum, Amos shows the reader the hidden parts of history and the ways that we must seek out the stories we’ve never heard.
Sam and their best friend TJ are given a social studies assignment to propose a historical figure for a new statue at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. They are excited to learn more about someone who isn’t straight and male. When they start researching Alice Austen, a photographer from Staten Island who lived for decades with the woman she loved, Sam and TJ get to embrace the joy of seeing themselves in the history they are studying and finding connections to their community in their own neighborhood.
When Silas Walker wrote his 6th grade history presentation about Glenn Burke, he meant to learn about the first high-five. Instead, he learns about Glenn Burke’s experiences as a Black gay baseball player in the 1970s. With this story, Silas finds the confidence to be honest about his own identity and to find his place as a gay young man who also loves baseball.
When Bug’s older brother, Danny, decides that he has gotten too old to spend the summer with her, she thinks her whole summer is ruined. Rather than spending the summer alone, Bug makes a new friend in her neighbor's transgender nephew, Frankie. The two don’t get along well at first, but as Bug and Frankie get to know one another better, they form a bond that will help them live through the challenges of being different in 1980s America.
Split between two time periods, this book tells the stories of Maren and Charlie. Maren is a 12 year old struggling to fit in at theater camp in 2015. Charlie just wants to be a director in 1950s Hollywood. Their two lives come together when Maren and her friends set out to solve the mystery of the missing diamond ring that disappeared the same day that Charlie disappeared. Ultimately, they find a truth that’s much more interesting and valuable than a diamond ring.
Let us know your favorites @nyhistory—from our list or add your own recommendations!
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