15 Best LGBT Books UK 2023

This wonderful book was put together by the creators behind the Instagram account @lgbt_history. It's a smashing read, giving even total novices a solid background on queer activism, with European roots reaching back into the 1800s. 

The narrative weaves a compelling tale and the high-quality photographs illustrate the story marvellously, making this a pertinent choice of book if you're the kind of reader who enjoys visual stimulation to supplement your learnings. Heartwarming, uplifting and fierce!

Alok Vaid-Menon is a powerhouse when it comes to owning one's gender identity and this book is a glorious pocket-sized guide to both understanding your own and respecting others. This is a hugely important read, particularly in light of the current UK government's questionable approach to transgender and non-binary rights. 

Recommended by artists such as Sam Smith and Billy Porter, this book encourages the reader to see gender as a magnificent rainbow spectrum, rather than in black and white. It is truly a mood-boosting read that will inspire readers to embrace fluidity in themselves and others. 

Schools are a brilliant place to start when it comes to helping young LGBTQ+ people have the confidence to live their truest lives. Maybe you're a teacher hoping to centre queer stories in the classroom, or know someone working in education who has similar goals. 

This far-reaching and practical guide tackles the task of making classrooms LGBTQ+ friendly, with simple suggestions and bold ideas you can easily achieve in your own school and community. A top pick for heads of year, or those wanting ways to inspire their management team.

Queer: A Graphic History, is a top choice for visual learners and fans of comic books and graphic art. Packed with clear statistics, memorable quotes and infographics, the bite-sized information will help readers to digest facts. 

A useful and informative read, this book is a well-rounded exploration of queer theory and the lived experience of the LGBTQ+ community. It's written by activist and academic Meg-John Barker and brought to life with drawings from illustrator Jules Scheele. 

It's been 51 years since the Stonewall uprising kickstarted the gay pride movement in the USA, the effects of which are now seen and celebrated around the world. Yet, more than 70 countries still criminalise and punish homosexuality with imprisonment and death. 

This book is a curated collection of essays, diary accounts and news articles from the years leading up to the riots, and those that followed. It turns the spotlight onto the less-loudly-celebrated figures from the queer liberation movement, like Ernestine Eckstine, an openly gay activist who was one of few Black women demanding LGBTQ rights in the 1960s. 

For readers who love a true story, you can't get much better than this! Pride is a fun, frolicksome read with an intensely powerful message. Prepare to be deeply moved by the beauty of two marginalised communities coming together to support one an other at a time when breaking from the 'norm' was punishable with violence and hatred. 

The campaign of 'Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners' shows solidarity between the queer community and the miners striking against Margaret Thatcher's plans, inspiring feelings of togetherness and friendship, regardless of cultural and class background. 

This book is an excellent choice if you're after a sumptuously-told novel with vivid descriptions, multiple plot-lines and memorable characters. The story is set between London and Whitstable in the 1890s, telling the tale of a woman who develops a relationship with a male impersonator.

This book is thrilling at times, hilarious in others and explicit regarding the sexual relationship between its main characters. It toys with the notion of gender identity, and is ultimately a cracking good read!

Kate Bornstein's book is one that has inspired millions of readers who don't feel any more at home on one side of the gender binary than the other. Kate's wit and warmth are celebrated in the trans community and this book gives voice to the experiences she has lived.

It's partly a coming-of-age tale and at the same time an uplifting and inspiring call to arms. With emphasis on trans and non-binary joy, it's a powerful and thought-provoking manifesto for gender equality and freedom. 

This heart-wrenching memoir weaves together the themes of religion, personal identity and family relationships to create a touching, and at times horrifying, read. 

An account of a fundamentalist Christian childhood in a drab, oppressive Arkansas. The book explores Conley's personal terror at his own sexual desires, his experience of sexual assault and his parents' ultimatum; undergo conversion therapy or be ousted from the family and the community. 

Listed as one of the BBC's 'Top 100 Books that Shaped Our World', Virginia Woolf's Orlando is the story of a character we first meet as a man and then, generations later, as a woman. In this book, the matter of gender fluidity is simply stated as a fact, rather than the subject of scrutiny.

Virginia Woolf's highly evocative writing style seductively captures the magic of an English winter, with its chilly tone infiltrating the segments set in the much hotter climes of what was once 'Constantinople'. A brilliant and timeless read, interwoven with themes of exoticism and mystery.