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LGBTQ+ History

Check out one (or all) of these books to learn more about the history of the LGBTQ+ community.  

A Queer History of the United States for Young People. This book is a collection of narratives in the form of letters, drawings, photographs, speeches, and more describing the queer history of the United States. The stories cover history from before the country was formed, with Native American communities to 21st-century America. 

The Right Side of History: 100 Years of LGBTQI Activism. It is a collection of accounts broken down into two sections, before and after Stonewall, and highlights the impact that the LGBTQ+ community has had on history. The chapters show how the community did not focus only on LGBTQ rights, but the rights of all people. There are accounts of individuals involved in the civil rights, anti-war, labor, and other social justice movements. 

We Are Everywhere: Protest, Power, and Pride in the History of Queer Liberation. In this book, Riemer covers activism from 19th-century Europe all the way through to today's activists. More than 300 images are included in the book so readers can see the history as they are reading about it. 

Stand By Me: The Forgotten History of Gay Liberation. In this book Downs recounts the LGBTQ history of the 1970s, the decade between the Stonewall Riots and the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. He explains the advancements made and communities built during this decade before they were overshadowed and forgotten about in the decade to come. 

The Gay Revolution: The Story of the Struggle. This book describes the nation's history of their treatment of members of the LGBTQ+ community through the decades starting all the way back in the 1950s. The authors weaves in interviews from LGBTQ community members from politics to everyday people. 

Want to learn more about LGBTQ+ history? Check out our LGBTQ+ Guide.