10 Must-Read LGBTQ+ Memoirs For Celebrating Pride Month

Writer’s Relief
4 min readJun 11, 2020

June is National Pride Month, and while there are many thoughtful, wonderful ways to celebrate and commemorate LGBTQ+ pride, we always like to celebrate with more books! So, of course, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite must-read memoirs by LGBTQ+ authors. Reading about a person’s life experiences can help us all connect and better understand each other. Be sure to add one (or two) of these memoirs to your summer reading list!

The Best LGBTQ+ Memoirs To Read During Pride Month

Boy Erased by Garrard Conley

Garrard’s story revolves around how he, as the gay son of a Baptist minister, was forced to go to conversion therapy as a teenager. It’s an emotional memoir about figuring out who you are and staying true to yourself. Bonus: The book was made into a movie featuring Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe!

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

If you’ve ever heard of the Bechdel test, then you’ve heard of Alison Bechdel. But if you haven’t read her “tragicomic” graphic novel memoir about growing up as a lesbian in a family where she didn’t learn her father was gay until right before his death — you definitely should. Her story is a great read and the illustrations are priceless. Bonus: The book was adapted into a musical which ran on Broadway, had a national tour, and continues to be performed regionally!

She’s Not There by Jennifer Finney Boylan

This best seller dives into Boylan’s experience recognizing and coming to terms with being transgender, as well as her experiences sharing this with the world. It’s funny, smart, moving, and a great read for anyone who wants to better understand what the world can be like for transgender people in current times.

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

From the author of Her Body and Other Parties, this memoir details the abuse Machado experienced at the hands of her partner in grad school. It’s a serious topic that needs to be addressed, and one that’s rarely talked about in the queer community.

Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love by Jonathan Van Ness

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Writer’s Relief

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