UA University Libraries is celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Month by highlighting select print books, DVDs, streaming videos, eBooks, and streaming audio from our collections. In the spirit of acknowledging and celebrating inclusive stories, we invite you to learn about the lives and experiences of LGBTQIA+ authors, composers, characters, and historical figures by exploring the resources we've highlighted on this guide. If you're on campus during June please stop by and visit our display at Bierce Library.
We have many LGBTQ+ resources for you to discover! Please contact us through Ask Us (chat or email) if you have have any questions or need help finding LGBTQ+ resources.
Banner photo by James A. Molnar on Unsplash
DVDs and Books on Display at Bierce Library
If you're on campus during June, please stop by and visit our LGBTQ+ display at Bierce Library. All DVDs and Books on display are available for checkout according to current UL Circulation Policies.
DVDs on Display @ Bierce Library
Books on Display @ Bierce Library
Becoming Nicole by
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK * NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY PEOPLE AND ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY MEN'S JOURNAL * A STONEWALL HONOR BOOK IN NONFICTION * FINALIST FOR THE LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD FOR TRANSGENDER NONFICTION The inspiring true story of a transgender girl, her identical twin brother, and an ordinary American family's extraordinary journey to understand, nurture, and celebrate the uniqueness in us all, from the Pulitzer Prize-winning science reporter for The Washington Post When Wayne and Kelly Maines adopted identical twin boys, they thought their lives were complete. But it wasn't long before they noticed a marked difference between Jonas and his brother, Wyatt. Jonas preferred sports and trucks and many of the things little boys were "supposed" to like; but Wyatt liked princess dolls and dress-up and playing Little Mermaid. By the time the twins were toddlers, confusion over Wyatt's insistence that he was female began to tear the family apart. In the years that followed, the Maineses came to question their long-held views on gender and identity, to accept and embrace Wyatt's transition to Nicole, and to undergo an emotionally wrenching transformation of their own that would change all their lives forever. Becoming Nicole chronicles a journey that could have destroyed a family but instead brought it closer together. It's the story of a mother whose instincts told her that her child needed love and acceptance, not ostracism and disapproval; of a Republican, Air Force veteran father who overcame his deepest fears to become a vocal advocate for trans rights; of a loving brother who bravely stuck up for his twin sister; and of a town forced to confront its prejudices, a school compelled to rewrite its rules, and a courageous community of transgender activists determined to make their voices heard. Ultimately, Becoming Nicole is the story of an extraordinary girl who fought for the right to be herself. Granted wide-ranging access to personal diaries, home videos, clinical journals, legal documents, medical records, and the Maineses themselves, Amy Ellis Nutt spent almost four years reporting this immersive account of an American family confronting an issue that is at the center of today's cultural debate. Becoming Nicole will resonate with anyone who's ever raised a child, felt at odds with society's conventions and norms, or had to embrace life when it plays out unexpectedly. It's a story of standing up for your beliefs and yourself--and it will inspire all of us to do the same. Praise for Becoming Nicole "A profoundly moving true story about one remarkable family's evolution."--People "Fascinating and enlightening."--Cheryl Strayed "Exceptional . . . 'Stories move the walls that need to be moved,' Nicole told her father last year. In telling Nicole's story and those of her brother and parents luminously, and with great compassion and intelligence, that is exactly what Amy Ellis Nutt has done."--The Washington Post "If you aren't moved by Becoming Nicole, I'd suggest there's a lump of dark matter where your heart should be."--Jennifer Senior, The New York Times "Extraordinary . . . a wonderful and inspiring story."--Minneapolis Star Tribune "A downright necessary book--and a remarkable act of generosity by the Maines family."--BuzzFeed
Beyond Magenta by
A 2015 Stonewall Honor Book A groundbreaking work of LGBT literature takes an honest look at the life, love, and struggles of transgender teens. Author and photographer Susan Kuklin met and interviewed six transgender or gender-neutral young adults and used her considerable skills to represent them thoughtfully and respectfully before, during, and after their personal acknowledgment of gender preference. Portraits, family photographs, and candid images grace the pages, augmenting the emotional and physical journey each youth has taken. Each honest discussion and disclosure, whether joyful or heartbreaking, is completely different from the other because of family dynamics, living situations, gender, and the transition these teens make in recognition of their true selves.
The Black Flamingo by
Stonewall Book Award Winner * A Time Magazine Best YA Book Of All Time A fierce coming-of-age verse novel about identity and the power of drag, from acclaimed poet and performer Dean Atta. Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo, Jason Reynolds, and Kacen Callender. Michael is a mixed-race gay teen growing up in London. All his life, he's navigated what it means to be Greek-Cypriot and Jamaican--but never quite feeling Greek or Black enough. As he gets older, Michael's coming out is only the start of learning who he is and where he fits in. When he discovers the Drag Society, he finally finds where he belongs--and the Black Flamingo is born. Told with raw honesty, insight, and lyricism, this debut explores the layers of identity that make us who we are--and allow us to shine. "In this uplifting coming-of-age novel told in accessible verse, Atta chronicles the growth and glory of Michael Angeli, a mixed-race kid from London, as he navigates his cultural identity as Cypriot and Jamaican as well as his emerging sexuality." (Publishers Weekly, "An Anti-Racist Children's and YA Reading List")
George by
Knowing herself to be a girl despite her outwardly male appearance, George is denied a female role in the class play before teaming up with a friend to reveal her true self.
Hurricane Child by
Prepare to be swept up by this exquisite novel that reminds us that grief and love can open the world in mystical ways.Winner of the Stonewall Book Award!Winner of the Lambda Literary Award!Caroline Murphy is a Hurricane Child.Being born during a hurricane is unlucky, and twelve-year-old Caroline has had her share of bad luck lately. She's hated and bullied by everyone in her small school on St. Thomas of the US Virgin Islands, a spirit only she can see won't stop following her, and -- worst of all -- Caroline's mother left home one day and never came back.But when a new student named Kalinda arrives, Caroline's luck begins to turn around. Kalinda, a solemn girl from Barbados with a special smile for everyone, becomes Caroline's first and only friend -- and the person for whom Caroline has begun to develop a crush.Now, Caroline must find the strength to confront her feelings for Kalinda, brave the spirit stalking her through the islands, and face the reason her mother abandoned her. Together, Caroline and Kalinda must set out in a hurricane to find Caroline's missing mother -- before Caroline loses her forever.
Julián Is a Mermaid by
Winner of a 2019 Stonewall Book Award In an exuberant picture book, a glimpse of costumed mermaids leaves one boy flooded with wonder and ready to dazzle the world. 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.
Love Wins by
The fascinating and very moving story of the lovers, lawyers, judges and activists behind the groundbreaking Supreme Court case that led to one of the most important, national civil rights victories in decades--the legalization of same-sex marriage. In June 2015, the Supreme Court made same-sex marriage the law in all fifty states in a decision as groundbreaking as Roe v Wade and Brown v Board of Education. Through insider accounts and access to key players, this definitive account reveals the dramatic and previously unreported events behind Obergefell v Hodges and the lives at its center. This is a story of law and love--and a promise made to a dying man who wanted to know how he would be remembered. Twenty years ago, Jim Obergefell and John Arthur fell in love in Cincinnati, Ohio, a place where gays were routinely picked up by police and fired from their jobs. In 2013, the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government had to provide married gay couples all the benefits offered to straight couples. Jim and John--who was dying from ALS--flew to Maryland, where same-sex marriage was legal. But back home, Ohio refused to recognize their union, or even list Jim's name on John's death certificate. Then they met Al Gerhardstein, a courageous attorney who had spent nearly three decades advocating for civil rights and who now saw an opening for the cause that few others had before him. This forceful and deeply affecting narrative--Part Erin Brockovich, part Milk, part Still Alice--chronicles how this grieving man and his lawyer, against overwhelming odds, introduced the most important gay rights case in U.S. history. It is an urgent and unforgettable account that will inspire readers for many years to come.
Shortest Way Home by
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "The best American political autobiography since Barack Obama's Dreams from My Father." --Charles Kaiser, The Guardian A mayor's inspirational story of a Midwest city that has become nothing less than a blueprint for the future of American renewal. Once described by the Washington Post as "the most interesting mayor you've never heard of," Pete Buttigieg, the thirty-seven-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has now emerged as one of the nation's most visionary politicians. With soaring prose that celebrates a resurgent American Midwest, Shortest Way Home narrates the heroic transformation of a "dying city" (Newsweek) into nothing less than a shining model of urban reinvention. Interweaving two narratives--that of a young man coming of age and a town regaining its economic vitality--Buttigieg recounts growing up in a Rust Belt city, amid decayed factory buildings and the steady soundtrack of rumbling freight trains passing through on their long journey to Chicagoland. Inspired by John F. Kennedy's legacy, Buttigieg first left northern Indiana for red-bricked Harvard and then studied at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, before joining McKinsey, where he trained as a consultant--becoming, of all things, an expert in grocery pricing. Then, Buttigieg defied the expectations that came with his pedigree, choosing to return home to Indiana and responding to the ultimate challenge of how to revive a once-great industrial city and help steer its future in the twenty-first century. Elected at twenty-nine as the nation's youngest mayor, Pete Buttigieg immediately recognized that "great cities, and even great nations, are built through attention to the everyday." As Shortest Way Home recalls, the challenges were daunting--whether confronting gun violence, renaming a street in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., or attracting tech companies to a city that had appealed more to junk bond scavengers than serious investors. None of this is underscored more than Buttigieg's audacious campaign to reclaim 1,000 houses, many of them abandoned, in 1,000 days and then, even as a sitting mayor, deploying to serve in Afghanistan as a Navy officer. Yet the most personal challenge still awaited Buttigieg, who came out in a South Bend Tribune editorial, just before being reelected with 78 percent of the vote, and then finding Chasten Glezman, a middle-school teacher, who would become his partner for life. While Washington reels with scandal, Shortest Way Home, with its graceful, often humorous, language, challenges our perception of the typical American politician. In chronicling two once-unthinkable stories--that of an Afghanistan veteran who came out and found love and acceptance, all while in office, and that of a revitalized Rust Belt city no longer regarded as "flyover country"--Buttigieg provides a new vision for America's shortest way home.
Stand by Me by
From a prominent young historian, the untold story of the rich variety of gay life in America in the 1970s Despite the tremendous gains of the LGBT movement in recent years, the history of gay life in this country remains poorly understood. According to conventional wisdom, gay liberation started with the Stonewall Riots in Greenwich Village in 1969. The 1970s represented a moment of triumph -- both political and sexual -- before the AIDS crisis in the subsequent decade, which, in the view of many, exposed the problems inherent in the so-called "gay lifestyle". In Stand by Me, the acclaimed historian Jim Downs rewrites the history of gay life in the 1970s, arguing that the decade was about much more than sex and marching in the streets. Drawing on a vast trove of untapped records at LGBT community centers in Los Angeles, New York, and Philadelphia, Downs tells moving, revelatory stories of gay people who stood together -- as friends, fellow believers, and colleagues -- to create a sense of community among people who felt alienated from mainstream American life. As Downs shows, gay people found one another in the Metropolitan Community Church, a nationwide gay religious group; in the pages of the Body Politic, a newspaper that encouraged its readers to think of their sexuality as a political identity; at the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookstore, the hub of gay literary life in New York City; and at theaters putting on "Gay American History," a play that brought to the surface the enduring problem of gay oppression. These and many other achievements would be largely forgotten after the arrival in the early 1980s of HIV/AIDS, which allowed critics to claim that sex was the defining feature of gay liberation. This reductive narrative set back the cause of gay rights and has shaped the identities of gay people for decades. An essential act of historical recovery, Stand by Me shines a bright light on a triumphant moment, and will transform how we think about gay life in America from the 1970s into the present day.
Too Bright to See by
A haunting ghost story about navigating grief, growing up, and growing into a new gender identity A Newbery Honor Book . Winner of the Stonewall Book Award . A National Book Award Finalist "A gentle, glowing wonder, full of love and understanding." -The New York Times Book Review Cover may vary. It's the summer before middle school and eleven-year-old Bug's best friend Moira has decided the two of them need to use the next few months to prepare. For Moira, this means figuring out the right clothes to wear, learning how to put on makeup, and deciding which boys are cuter in their yearbook photos than in real life. But none of this is all that appealing to Bug, who doesn't particularly want to spend more time trying to understand how to be a girl. Besides, there's something more important to worry about- A ghost is haunting Bug's eerie old house in rural Vermont...and maybe haunting Bug in particular. As Bug begins to untangle the mystery of who this ghost is and what they're trying to say, an altogether different truth comes to light--Bug is transgender.
Banner photo by Dustin Humes on Unsplash
Films on Demand is a streaming video database of thousands of educational films, documentaries, and news programs. Films on Demand is available for on-campus and remote use by current UA students, faculty, staff, and emeritus.
Below are links to several of the many LGBTQ+ films available on Films on Demand. If you're off-campus you'll be prompted to enter your UAnet ID and password for access.
"Narrated by Melissa Etheridge. In 1969 the police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City's Greenwich Village, leading to three nights of rioting by the city's gay community. With this outpouring of courage and unity the Gay Liberation Movement had begun. After Stonewall, the sequel to Before Stonewall, chronicles the history of lesbian and gay life from the riots at Stonewall to the end of the century. It captures the hard work, struggles, tragic defeats and exciting victories experienced since them. It explores how AIDS literally changed the direction of the movement. The two films, Before & After, tell the remarkable tale of how homosexuals, a heretofore hidden and despised group, became a vibrant and integral part of America's family, and, indeed, the world community. Featuring Dorothy Allison, Michael Bronski, Rita Mae Brown, Barney Frank, Barbara Gittings, Arnie Kantrowitz, Larry Kramer, Craig Lucas, Armistead Maupin, Leslea Newman, Barbara Smith, and many more!"
Duration: 01:26:03
Watch via Films on Demand
America’s Most Unwanted: LGBTQI Foster Youth in America
"This documentary explores the lives of LGBTQ youth in California's foster care system. Many LGBTQ foster youth are thrown out of their homes for defining as LGBTQ before entering the foster care system, where they often encounter further abuse and homophobia. The statistics are staggering: 75% of LGBTQI foster youth in state care have experienced physical abuse and 66% preferred to live on the streets. America's Most Unwanted lends the case for more access to LGBTQ foster parenting and adoption by providing a human face to youth whose lives would have benefited from such support."
Description from Films on Demand
Duration: 21:00
Watch via Films on Demand
Ball Culture of New York City
"As far back as the 1860s, LGBTQ+ people created safe spaces where they could celebrate their identities freely. Known as Odd Fellow Balls, these safe havens became the birthplace of drag ball culture."
Description from Films on Demand
Duration: 21:00
Watch via Films on Demand
Being Gay: Coming Out in the 21st Century
"Today, while gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgenders are no longer forced to hide their sexual orientation, there is still prejudice and discrimination which can make coming out a difficult decision. And there are always internal pressures as well. This program presents the accounts and stories of people who have recently taken the step of coming out. Interviewees and experts discuss the benefits of this important transition by examining the six stages of coming to terms with one’s sexual identity. They also look at the dangers of running away from sexual self-acceptance—such as alcoholism, drug abuse, and suicide—and how finding support can greatly assist the process. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online. A Cambridge Educational Production. (25 minutes) An ABC News Production. An ABC News Production."
Description from Films on Demand
Duration: 24:37
Watch via Films on Demand
Coming Out
"Join Ann Curry as those whose lives were changed by the early days of the gay rights movement reunite. Tom wants to find the childhood friend who urged him to come out, while Paul seeks a fellow student who inspired him to stand up for his beliefs."
Description from Films on Demand
Duration: 53:12
Watch via Films on Demand
Drawn this Way
"From Tom of Finland to Bugs Bunny in a dress, animation has long been a place where artists can unleash and explore their sexuality. In this documentary, Andy Cheng and Cara Connors dive into the pages of comic books, animated series, films, and even video games to discover the LGBTQ characters portrayed, and to answer questions such as, how did these artists get their start; how did the genre develop; are these portrayals taken seriously in the mainstream?"
Description from Films on Demand
Duration: 24:37
Watch via Films on Demand
Marsha P. Johnson: Transgender Activist
"The story of Transgender Activist, Marsh P. Johnson, who dedicated her life to LGBTQ+ rights."
Description from Films on Demand
Duration: 21:00
Watch via Films on Demand
The Play Within": Performance
"Shepard and Clementi meet after they died. Shepard describes how he was tortured and murdered. Clementi committed suicide after his roommate streamed him having sexual intercourse with another man."
Description from Films on Demand
Duration: 18:23
Watch via Films on Demand
Stonewall Uprising
"Stonewall Uprising explores the dramatic events that launched a worldwide civil rights movement. When police raided a Mafia-run gay bar in Greenwich Village, the Stonewall Inn, on June 28, 1969, gay men and women did something they had not done before—they fought back. As the streets of New York erupted into violent protests and street demonstrations, the collective anger announced that the gay rights movement had arrived. Distributed by PBS Distribution. Distributed by PBS Distribution."
Description from Films on Demand
Duration: 18:23
Watch via Films on Demand
All UA University Libraries provides access to a variety of eBooks collections. Below are links to select LGBTQ+ titles from three of these collections. University Libraries eBook collections are available for on-campus and remote use by current UA students, faculty, staff, and emeritus.
Proquest eBook Central
Select LGBTQ+ Titles on Proquest eBook Central - If you are off campus, login in with your UAnet ID and password to access these ebooks.
OhioLINK Electronic Book Center - If you are off campus, enter your lastname, firstname and student/employee ID to access these ebooks.
Come Out, Come Out, Whoever You Are by Abigail C. Saguy
Female Husbands: A Trans History by John Manion
Out in the Periphery: Latin America's Gay Rights Revolution by Omar G. Encarnación
Out in Time: The Public Lives of Gay Men from Stonewall to the Queer Generation by Perry N. Halkitis
EBSCO eBook Collection - If you are off campus, login in with your UAnet ID and password to access these ebooks
Black. Queer. Southern. Women. : An Oral History by E. Patrick
Girls Will Be Boys : Cross-Dressed Women, Lesbians, and American Cinema, 1908-1934 by L. Horak
The LGBTQ Story by Yvette Charboneau
When Harry Became Sally : Responding to the Transgender Moment: Vol. First American edition by Ryan T. Anderson
You Are Not Alone: Finding Your LGBTQ Community by Jeremy Quist
Banner photo by Jasmin Sessler on Unsplash
Naxos Music Library is a comprehensive collection of major and small label recordings in streaming audio format, covering all eras and sub-genres of classical music, as well as some jazz, world, and popular music. Naxos Music Library is available for on-campus and remote use by current UA students, faculty, staff., and emeritus.
Below are links to two Naxos Music Library playlists featuring LGBT Composers . You'll need to login with your UAnet ID and password to listen to these playlists.
LGBT Composers Playlist Part 1
LGBT Composers Playlist Part 2
Banner photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash
If you're on campus during June please stop by and visit our LGBTQ+ display at Bierce Library!
