October is LGBTQ History Month in the U.S. The month provides a time for commemorating the histories and contributions of people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and more gender expressions and sexual orientations (LGBTQIA+). It also invites us to redress injustices that LGBTQIA+ persons and communities have endured in the U.S. and to strive with these communities for justice, safety, and lives of flourishing for all who identify as LGBTQIA+.

To help Christian communities amplify and affirm LGBTQIA+ histories and experiences this month and throughout the year, we at Building Faith have compiled a list of new and recent resources on LGBTQIA+ history. It includes a selection of books and reading lists for all ages, podcasts, videos, virtual exhibits, and church resources produced primarily within the last 4 – 5 years. This list is by no means exhaustive, but we hope it offers a starting point for deepening understanding of LGBTQIA+ contributions to American and church history and for seeking justice and peace for LGBTQIA+ people.

Books

Note: Some of the books for adults listed below refer to topics that may be triggering, including physical violence, sexual violence, suicide, and homicide. Please use your discretion in consulting these resources.

Histories and Biographies for Adults

• Before We Were Trans: A New History of Gender by Kit Heyam (New York: Seal, 2022)
• The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. the United States of America by Eric Cervini (New York: Picador, 2020)
• The Engagement: America’s Quarter-century Struggle over Same-sex Marriage by Sasha Issenberg (New York: Pantheon, 2021)
• The LGBTQ+ History Book, edited by Michael Bronski, Kit Heyam, and Valerie Traub (DK, 2023)
• Making Room: Three Decades of Fighting for Beds, Belonging, and a Safe Place for LGBTQ Youth by Carl Siciliano (New York: Convergent: 2024)
• Queer: Powerful Voices, Inspiring Ideas by Coco Romack, Words of Change Series (Spruce, 2021)

Histories and Biographies for Children & Youth

• The Little Book of Pride Heroes: Icons of the LGBTQIA+ Community by Jared Richards, illustrated by Phil Constantinesco (Melbourne: Smith Street Books, 2024) – Recommended for ages 12 – 17
• Pride: An Inspirational History of the LGBTQ+ Movement by Stella Caldwell, illustrated by Season of Victory (New York: Penguin Workshop, 2022) – Recommended for ages 10 and older

Christianity Books for Adults

• A Brief Guide to Ministry with LGBTQIA Youth by Cody J. Sanders (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2017)
• Christianity, LGBTQ Suicide, and the Souls of Queer Folk by Cody J. Sanders (Lanham: Lexington, 2020)
• Hearts Ablaze: Parables for the Queer Soul by Rolf Nolasco, Jr. (New York: Church Publishing, 2022)
• Hidden Histories: Faith and Black Lesbian Leadership by Monique Moultrie (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2023)
• The Queer Bible Commentary, edited by Robert E. Goss and Mona West, 2nd edition (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2022)
• Queering Christian Worship: Reconstructing Liturgical Theology, edited by Bryan Cones, et al. (New York: Church Publishing, 2023)
• Queering Contemplation: Finding Queerness in the Roots and Future of Contemplative Spirituality by Cassidy Hall (Minneapolis: Broadleaf, 2024)
• Those Seven References: A Study of “Homosexuality” in the Bible and Its Impact on the Queer Community of Faith by John F. Dwyer (New York: Church Publishing, 2021)
• Transforming: The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians by Austen Hartke, updated & expanded edition (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2023)

Christianity Books for Children & Youth

• God, Gospel, and Gender: A Queer Bible Study for Teens by Margie Baker (New York: Church Publishing, 2024) – Recommended for ages 10 and older
• Pauli Murray: The Life of a Pioneering Feminist and Civil Rights Activist by Rosita Stevens-Holsey and Terry Catasus Jennings (New York: Yellow Jacket, 2022) – Recommended for ages 10 – 14
• Pauli Murray: Shouting for the Rights of All People by Deborah Nelson Linck, illustrated by Angela Corbin (New York: Church Publishing, 2022) – Recommended for ages 6 – 12
• Queerfully and Wonderfully Made: A Guide for LGBTQ+ Christian Teens, edited by Leigh Finke (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2020) – Recommended for grades 9 – 12

Reading Lists

• “A Nonfiction Reading List for LGBTQ History Month” by Hal Schrieve, New York Public Library website (Sept. 25, 2024) – A reading list for adults
• “Recommended Reads for Kids & Teens for LGBTQ History Month” by Hal Schrieve, New York Public Library website (Sept. 25, 2024) – A list with children’s nonfiction picture books, middle grade fiction and nonfiction, and young adult fiction and nonfiction

Podcasts

• “Making Gay History” hosted by Eric Marcus – A podcast that features interviews with “champions, heroes, and witnesses” of LGBTQ history; episodes range from 30 – 60 minutes long
• “Queer Serial” hosted by Devlyn Camp – A podcast on the history of LGBTQ+ liberation; it ended in 2021, but its three seasons are still available online, with episodes approximately 30 – 60 minutes long
• “Unboxing Queer History” created by Ari Mejia, Jen Dentel, and Erin Bell – An eight-episode podcast released in 2022 that tells the stories of findings in the Gerber/Hart Library and Archives collections on LGBTQ history; episodes are 20 – 60 minutes long

Videos

• “10 Must-Watch LGBTQ+ Documentaries” by Julia Pryor, PBS website (Aug. 23, 2024) – A compilation of documentary videos about various figures, locations, and events in LGBTQ+ history
• “Beyond Stonewall: Exploring LGBTQ+ History through the Smithsonian Archives,” Smithsonian Channel on YouTube (Jun. 3, 2024) – A video that highlights artifacts in the Smithsonian archives to tell more of LGBTQ+ history

Virtual Exhibits

• “Angela Davis: Outspoken,” GLBT Historical Society – An online exhibit curated by Lisbet Tellefsen and Amy Sueyoshi that highlights Angela Davis, whom the site describes as a “Black lesbian activist, scholar, political prisoner, and public intellectual”; additional virtual exhibits can be accessed at GLBT Historical Society website
• “LGBT History Month 2024 Icons” – The LGBT History Month website is showcasing an LGBTQ icon daily for each of the 31 days of October; features include a video about each icon as well as a biography and bibliography
• “You Are Here: Youth Ambassadors for Queer History Exhibition” – A youth-organized exhibition about “queer art, journalism, identities, and liberation” that released in 2020 on Instagram

Church Resources

• LGBTQ Religious Archives Network Resources – A resource hub that includes links to websites and other information about LGBTQ religious history
• “Resources for the LGBTQIA+ Community” by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – Articles, liturgical resources, and offerings from ReconcilingWorks that highlight LGBTQIA+ persons and ministries

Featured image is by Erik McIean on Unsplash