Throughout the month of February, LGBT History Month aims to promote tolerance and spread awareness of the historical and present-day prejudices faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. One way to understand LGBTQ+ communities is to listen, and what better way than cracking open a book. From newly popularised academy nominations to the everyday voices of a ‘Queer chick’, you’ll be sure to find something that peaks your interest.

Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman 

This year’s list would incomplete without this recently recovered gem. Most will recognise the name as the Academy Nominated film that hit the cinemas only weeks ago, selling out throughout the month. However, this newly loved masterpiece dates back to over a decade ago in the original novel written by Andre Aciman. Much like the film, the novel’s most evocative moments stem from its silences rather than chaos, the rocky and at points unequal relationship between Elio and Oliver envisions the unbridled joy of sexual exploration in the early stages of adulthood. Unlike any other book that deals with matters concerning LGBT, Aciman explores the many possibilities in which a minority experience can take place, through a coming of age rather than simply a forbidden relationship. Written at the height of homophobia in the 80s, the book takes a different turn, offering a glimmer of hope through unsatisfied circumstances.

Ask a Queer Chick – A Guide to Sex, Love and Life for Girls Who Dig Girls by Lindsay King- Miller

Ask a Queer Chick takes a comic spin through sex, gender and all other grey areas involved in the lives of lesbian, gay, bi and queer women. Basing its content on the recently taken down advice column ‘The Hairpin’, Ask a Queer Chick begins where online blogs end.The light hearted, laid back tone opens up the conversation to tackling issues that vary from your very first Pride to confronting discrimination in the workplace.

Lindsay King-Miller is the cool, queer aunt you never had but always wanted

Seasoned advice columnist and queer chick Lindsay King Miller cuts through common misconceptions and idealisations presented by cliché romance films to create an authentically real and funny experience of the lives of ‘girls who dig girls’.

Transgender Warriors: Making History from Joan of Arc to Dennis Rodman by Leslie Feinberg

In this compelling title, Leslie Feinberg unveils compelling evidence that there has always been people who have crossed the cultural and societal boundaries of gender. Transgender Warriors explores historical, cultural and economic landscapes that play with realities of exclusion and violation of those trying to live in their own bodies. Despite being written way back in 1996, this book remains a major cornerstone of ground-breaking LGBT literature.

More exists among human beings than can be answered by the simplistic question I’m hit with every day of my life: “Are you a man or a woman?”

A reclaiming of a rich and ruthless history, Transgender Warriors challenges the hostile and prejudicial voices found in history.

Featured Images: Call Me By Your Name Image: wiki commons,  Queer as Folk Image : wiki commons and Trans solidarity Image : Flickr

Categories: Books

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