Pride Month is a powerful reminder of the strides the LGBTQ+ community has made in the fight for equality, visibility, and love. But it’s also about embracing and celebrating the full spectrum of queer identities, histories, and futures. Books are one of the most impactful ways we can honor this diversity, both in our everyday lives and in our work.
Here are three great reads that help shine a light on queer history, career journeys, and the beauty of being yourself:
Queer Career by Margot Canaday
Work, identity, and queerness—these are the forces that collide in Queer Career, a groundbreaking exploration of how LGBTQ+ individuals have navigated the workplace throughout history. From employment discrimination to the fight for workplace equality, this book is a thorough and compelling look at how queer people have been integral to the shaping of professional spaces. It’s perfect for anyone who’s ever had to balance their authentic self with professional ambition. Queer Career offers a timely reflection on how far we’ve come and the ongoing work needed for full inclusion.
Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson by Tourmaline
You can’t talk about Pride without recognizing the trailblazers who paved the way. Marsha P. Johnson was a force of nature—an activist, an icon, and one of the key figures in the Stonewall riots that ignited the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. Marsha isn’t just a biography; it’s a loving tribute to a woman whose life was as bold as her activism. With moving art and insightful storytelling, this book offers readers a chance to reflect on Marsha’s legacy, which continues to shape our fight for trans and queer liberation.
So Many Stars: An Oral History of Trans, Nonbinary, Genderqueer, and Two-Spirit People of Color by Caro de Robertis
From the acclaimed novelist, a first-of-its-kind, deeply personal, and moving oral history of a generation of trans- and gender-nonconforming elders of color—from leading activists to artists to ordinary citizens—who tell their own stories of breathtaking courage, cultural innovations, and acts of resistance.
So Many Stars knits together the voices of trans, nonbinary, genderqueer, and two-spirit elders of color as they share authentic, intimate accounts of how they created space for themselves and their communities in the world. This singular project collects the testimonies of twenty elders, each a glimmering thread in a luminous tapestry, preserving their words for future generations—who can more fully exist in the world today because of these very trailblazers.
These three books offer a diverse exploration of what it means to be queer in the world today—whether you’re navigating career spaces, honoring history, or celebrating the beauty of being your true self. Pride is about visibility, empowerment, and love—something these books embody in different ways.
This Pride Month, let’s read, reflect, and continue to uplift the stories that make our world richer, more inclusive, and more beautiful.
