Six must-read books on LGBTQ+ legal issues

Reading time: four minutes

February marks LGBTQ+ History Month, and this year the theme is activism and social change. The law is at the heart of many LGBTQ+ issues, as rights have changed through time alongside anti-discrimination legislation. Engaging with LGBTQ+ media is a valuable way to stay informed, whether it's about understanding LGBTQ+ rights or recognising the contributions of LGBTQ+ individuals to broader societal issues. With this in mind, let’s look at some LGBTQ+ books, both fiction and non-fiction, to entertain and inform us this LGBTQ+ History Month.

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Outrageous! by Paul Baker, 2022

Outrageous! reflects on the introduction of Section 28 by Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government in 1988. The act prohibited the teaching of LGBTQ+ issues in schools, silencing LGBTQ+ teachers and students and sparking nationwide protests led by rights groups, like OutRage! and Stonewall. This book tells the full story, from the act’s inception to its repeal in the 2000s. Featuring both personal reflections and interviews with key figures like Ian McKellen, Michael Cashman and Angela Mason, the book is “entertaining, informative and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny”, according to critic Joyce McMillan.

Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai, 1994

Next up, Selvadurai’s debut novel Funny Boy, which is described as “a quiet masterpiece” by the Gay Times. The novel, set in Sri Lanka, where homosexuality is illegal but paradoxically so is anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination, follows Arjie, who’s referred to as a ‘funny boy’ as he prefers dressing as a girl. Set in the 1970s, Arjie comes to understand his sexuality amid the Tamil-Sinhalese conflict. Novelist and anthologist, Alberto Manguel, describes the book as “glittering and wise... Funny Boy keeps repeating that the human condition can, in spite of everything, be joyful”. In 2020, the book was adapted into a film by Netflix.

All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Matthews, 2022

All This Could be Different has received widespread acclaim since its release, earning a nomination for the 2022 National Book Award for Fiction and winning the prestigious New York Times Editor's Choice Award. The novel delves into the life of Sneha, a queer Indian immigrant living in America in 2013 – a period preceding the legalisation of same-sex marriage. As Sneha embarks on her post-college journey, she grapples with the challenges of immigration, corporate America and the cultural disparities between herself and her new girlfriend. Them magazine wrote: “There is so much here to chew on: economic and food insecurity, tenants' rights, coming into one's own, queer romance, immigration and the vitality of friendship.”

Tomorrow Will Be Different by Sarah McBride, 2018

Tomorrow Will Be Different is a groundbreaking memoir by Sarah McBride, the trailblazing first openly transgender member of the US Congress. With a heartfelt foreword by Outgoing President Joe Biden, this autobiography chronicles McBride's coming out, her unwavering activism and her remarkable career as the US representative for Delaware's congressional district. A significant portion of the book delves into the battle to pass a trans anti-discrimination bill in Delaware, despite the relentless opposition from the Family Research Council. Praising McBride's tireless dedication to equality, Outgoing Vice President Kamala Harris remarks: "The passion and determination that Sarah brings to the fight for equal rights shines through every page of this remarkable book."

Pride by Tim Tate, 2017

Pride, a BAFTA-winning film in 2014 and a book published in 2017, chronicles the remarkable journey of a small group of LGBTQ+ individuals in 1984. In a time of great turmoil caused by the AIDS epidemic and Thatcher's policies, a London-based group, Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM), makes its way to Wales to show support for the ongoing miners’ strike. Against all odds, the miners and LGSM form an unlikely alliance, united by their shared struggles. The book delves into the true story of this unexpected friendship, which not only provided much-needed assistance in terms of food and clothing for the Welsh miners and their families, but also played a pivotal role in advancing support for LGBTQ+ rights within trade unions and the Labour Party.

The Transgender Issue: An Argument for Justice by Shon Faye, 2022

Sunday Times bestseller The Transgender Issue outlines the realities that trans people face every day. The book notes how trans people are often reduced to a talking point and feel forced to become experts in every subject that might overlap with “the transgender issue” as they’re often pulled into public debates and media frenzy. Prudence Wade from the Independent explains that the book is “thorough and heartbreaking... it's a highly fact-based book backed up with statistics and case studies, but she manages to write it in a hugely emotive and powerful way”. Meanwhile, distinguished feminist theorist Judith Butler writes that the book is “monumental and utterly convincing – crystal clear in its understanding of how the world should be”.

Looking for some more legal reading, check out this LCN Says: Ten legal books by Black authors to entertain, educate and inspire you.

Ellie Nicholl is a content & engagement coordinator at LawCareers.Net.