10 Gay Books We Love

The term LGBTQ+ has taken a lot of precedence in today’s society and after it has been legalized by the Indian government, people of this community now feel a lot freer to express themselves through various means and they are even being accepted into high government posts such as judges, ministers etc. Not only this, they are doing all the normal jobs as well such as teaching which normal people do.

A new web series by the name of Taali will also release starring Sushmita Sen which revolves around the life of Gauri Sawant. However, the latter is not too happy with Sen playing her role. But, we must wait and watch for the story to unfold on OTT.

Nevertheless, there are many types of people in this LGBTQ+ community and we are focusing on gay people today. This term is used for men who feel sexually attracted to men rather than women. The sexual connection is so strong that they even get married as is happening nowadays. Marriages between two ladies and two men have gained prominence in India and are celebrated as normal marriages.

Previously, when any boy was found out to be gay, he would be humiliated by his family and friends and called various nicknames. This was mentally torturing for the boy and sometimes they took the path of suicide. But ending one’s life is no solution to get rid of people’s nasty comments. You need to stand up to them and give them a taste of their own medicine.

Gay people are now comfortable living in modern India’s society as they have equal rights as normal citizens. Now no one can abuse them and call them nicknames as they will be prosecuted by law courts.

People of LGBTQ+ communities either adopt or have children through surrogacy. They also have normal families and enjoy a lot of time with their children.

So, how can gay people handle all the bullying and criticism that they still have to deal with? Let’s take a look at some important pointers here.

1. Firstly, never underestimate yourself just because other people are mocking and making fun of you. There’s no problem with you; you’re a normal human being with a different sexual orientation. The problem is the other people as they are ignorant and intolerant towards you. So, don’t be scared of others’ comments.

2. Never stay with abusive people who make fun of you all the time and give you nicknames. Staying with such people will only give you mental torture and unhappiness in life. You must go and talk with someone who understands you and your lifestyle and is supportive.

And if gay people are struggling to come out openly about their sexuality, here are some more pointers on how they can do it more comfortably.

1. First and foremost, get some help and support from trusted friends and family who can help you come out about your sexuality. But, if you don’t want to talk about it to your loved ones yet, you can always take the help of a support service where you will be strictly anonymous and none of your details will be leaked out anywhere.

2. Don’t come out immediately and let the world know about your sexual preference straightaway. When you feel comfortable, then only tell your family and friends about your sexual changes. There’s no pressure for you to put a label on yourself straightaway.

So, these are some pointers that gay people should keep in mind when they are about to come out and when they deal with negativity.

In this blog, we will also explore some books that revolve around the theme of gay people. So, let’s take a look at some of these titles.

Top 10 books for Gay People

1. Less by Andrew Greer- The story of a struggling novelist, Arthur who is feeling existential and is quickly approaching his 50th birthday. He one day unexpectedly receives a wedding invitation from his ex-boyfriend to which he refuses to go. Arthur then decides to embark on a literary tour which is quite haphazard. Greer’s humour and funny approach are what make this novel a bestseller.

2. Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta- This is a lesbian love story about two star-crossed lovers. The story starts during the Nigerian Civil War in which Ijeoma, a young girl is sent away by her family to a safe place to escape the war. During this time, she meets another girl by the name of Amina who is also a separated girl. Both of them start a brief relationship only to find out that their love is forbidden. After some time, Ijeoma is sent back home where she is forcibly married to a man whom she doesn’t love and continues to grapple with her love for women.

3. Madness by Sam Sax- This is an excellent poetry book by Sax in which he has covered topics like sexuality, mental health, culture and heritage etc. This book can be read by those who love thoughtful and evocative prose.

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4. Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig- This is a dark mystery read for those who love this genre. This is a coming-out story masked as a mystery thriller in which Flynn, the protagonist is the prime suspect in an investigation when his girlfriend January disappears. But whatever Flynn tells the investigators doesn't seem to add up because maybe it has to do more with Flynn and less with January.

5. Nevada by Imogen Binnie- This book has two protagonists in the form of Maria and Melanie. Maria is a trans woman who lives in New York City with her girlfriend. She works in retail and is also trying to figure out the punk scene of the city. But, when her girlfriend dumps her after revealing to her that she’s been cheating on Maria, she becomes befuddled and depressed. Melanie is Maria’s girlfriend and as she wants to get rid of it all, she does a cross-country road trip where she meets James but she finds out that he is also just like Maria, confused and lost. This novel elaborates on the topic of identity and trans experience.

6. Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson, Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis and Brooke A. Allen- This is a comic book that revolves around the lives of characters like Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley. They have gone camping for the summer but find that their camp is plagued by many supernatural beings like yetis, three-eyed wolves and giant falcons. This is a perfect read for people of the LGBTQ+ community as this comic takes a diverse look at all of the different characters in detail.

7. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel- This is a very graphic memoir by Bechdel as she relates her story about her childhood and her coming out story after which her father resisted her identity. However, Alison suffers a tragedy when her father is hit by a car and dies in the accident. Bechdel starts to reflect on her father’s past and thinks that he may also have had problems with his sexual identity.

8. How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee- This is Chee’s own life as documented by him in this essay series. In this book, he has talked about his experiences as gay rights and HIV/AIDS activist, along with being a rose gardener, a writer and lots more. This is a very good book for those who want to dive deep into the author’s world to get an idea of what it means to be a gay person.

9. They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera- This is the story of Mateo and Rufus who get a call from Death-Cast telling them that they will soon die. While strangers, both boys try to tick off things on their bucket lists which they have yet not done, they develop a friendship which slowly develops into something much more. This novel tells us how we develop friendships with people with whom we have only a very limited time.

10. You Know Me Well by David Levithan and Nina LaCour- This book is all about how quickly we can make friends with total strangers if we have the same interests and similarities. This is the story of Mark and Kate who have been strangers to one another even though they have been in the same class for the past year. When both of them meet unexpectedly at a bar in San Francisco while dealing with their small problems, they become fast friends. This novel also tells us how friends can become our lifeline in times of need.

So, these are our top 10 books for gay people in particular and LGBTQ+ people in general that they can enjoy easily. These novels will surely help them to connect with the protagonists in these stories and they will feel as if they are a part of the novel themselves.