LGBT+ History Month

"Raw and unapologetic, tough and tender, subtle and impactful. ‘Lot’ is a kaleidoscope of short stories portraying the complex lives of marginalized and stigmatized characters, elevating their voices as vital in the description of Houston’s communities. Through the eyes of a queer, mixed-race teenager trying to figure out who he is and finding his way in the world, Bryan Washington uses his characters’ voices to raise issues around identity, race, class, sexuality, addiction and homelessness in a nuanced and powerful way." (Sara, Library Support Assistant.)

"An unexpectedly tender novel that I'd best describe as a reimagining of Nosferatu's childhood, if he were raised in Brooklyn by an adoring biological and chosen family. A beautiful, weird, sweet little book that continually surprises in how much affection can be found in the monstrous." (Beth, Library Assistant)

"The Diaries of Mr Lucas is a fascinating time capsule into London in the mid 20th century. The titular diarist, the civil servant George Lucas (not that one), wasn't an especially likable person to me, but his diaries are an interesting piece of social history. The author of the book, Hugo Greenhalgh, assembles the diaries into a compelling narrative, with reflections on his own life and useful historical context, situating Lucas' first hand accounts into the context of the wider historical moment. The diaries are a fantastic resource for anyone interested in LGBTQ+ history." (Rob, Project Archivist in the Theatre Collection)

"To Paradise is a huge feat: an epic novel tracing three different stories connected by history and time. Yanagihara explores a past where being queer is the norm, a present full of identity crises, and a future ravaged by capitalism and heteronormativity. It’s a fascinating reimagining of queer history – both devastating and hopeful, I expected no less from the author of ‘A Little Life’." (Mia, Library Assistant)

"I am currently reading a load of stuff by Alison Bechdel (yes, the test person) namely a collection of her long-running eighties-starting syndicated comic strip 'Dykes to watch out for'. It rules! It’s very light, funny, and easy-to-flip through but with a lot of the deep insights and phenomenal character work that she dives into in the later 'Fun Home’ and ‘Are You My Mother?’ As a neurotic, endlessly self-reflexive but wide-ranging queer history of the past forty years it can’t be beat! (And it passes the Bechdel test with extremely flying colours, flying very far over your head)." (Richard, Library Assistant)

Tom Robinson looks back on the 1969 Stonewall riots, which were triggered by a police raid on a New York gay bar, and asks why they still have a powerful resonance for gay people.

A young black boy growing up in a rough neighborhood of Miami tries to find his place in the world as he becomes a young man and experiences the beauty and pain of falling in love while also struggling with his own sexuality.

Where does voguing come from, and what, exactly, is throwing shade? This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City’s African American and Latinx Harlem drag ball scene.

During the summer of 1984 in the United Kingdom, miners band together in order to go on strike in a political move with the National Union of Mineworkers, but when their movement is drawn out, homosexual activists join them in the fight.

LGBT Thought and Culture is an online resource collection which illuminates the lives of lesbians, gays, transgender, and bisexual individuals and the community. You can access books, periodicals, and archival materials documenting LGBT political, social and cultural movements throughout the twentieth century and into the present day.

This archive has material drawn from hundreds of institutions and organizations and illuminates the experiences not just of the LGBTQ community as a whole, but of individuals of different races, ethnicities, ages, religions, political orientations, and geographical locations that constitute this community.

This magazine archive allows access to many of the most influential, longest-running serial publications covering LGBT interests and chronicles more than six decades of the history and culture of the LGBT community.