The ballroom scene was created over a century ago by Harlem LGBTQ artists of color as a response to their marginalization. Ricky Tucker, a friend and insider, writes a love letter to this inclusive and joyful community. This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on OverDrive/Libby.

Zoë Playdon presents the untold story of Ewan Forbes, a trans man who was forced to defend his maleness in an inheritance case in 1968 Scotland. In his case, Forbes prevailed, but the proceedings and ruling were entirely shrouded in secrecy until now. This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on OverDrive/Libby.

Jeremy Atherton Lin mixes personal essay and social history in this study of the gay bar and the need for gay men to “go out.” He focuses on the scene in the cities he’s called home: Los Angeles, San Francisco, and London. This title is also available for checkout as an eAudio on OverDrive/Libby.

In this anthology, 19 trans, nonbinary, or agender writers provide stories of when they experienced “gender euphoria”: that powerful feeling of moving to your authentic self and way from the gender assigned to you at birth. This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on OverDrive/Libby.

Jill Gutowitz treats pop culture with reverence and weight in these hilarious essays, which range from Gutowitz’s own coming out process to her favorite topic: the sapphic implications of Taylor Swift’s discography. This title is also available for checkout as an eBook and eAudio on OverDrive/Libby.  

Journalist Green tackles the story of a spree of murders in 1990s New York City that targeted gay men. As he follows an investigation that was fraught with errors and missed opportunities, Green also individually profiles the victims and the people they left behind. This title is also available for checkout as an eBook and eAudio on OverDrive/Libby.

Novelist and playwright Sarah Schulman, who herself was involved in the ACT UP organization, presents a rich and engaging history of the AIDS activist group. Using interviews with over 180 individuals, Schulman puts the individuals who formed the movement at the forefront. You can also check out this title as eAudio on OverDrive/Libby.

Lifestyle influencer couple Beau Ciolino and Matt Armato provide tips for adding personality and love to your home, including tips for entertaining once you have everything just right. This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Hoopla.

The Women’s House of Detention, located in New York’s Greenwich Village, held women and trans people from 1929 to 1974. This book provides a proper history for this largely forgotten landmark of incarceration, which included inmates that were famous, like Andrea Dworkin and Angela Davis, but mostly included those whose crime of being poor and failing to affirm gender roles. This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on OverDrive/Libby. 

Jessamyn Stanley is proudly fat, black, and queer—all of which make her a unique yoga practitioner. Stanley writes candidly about how the lessons of yoga can operate in everyday life, including body acceptance and self-love. This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on OverDrive/Libby and eBook and eAudio on Hoopla.