It’s that time of the year, kids! 

We celebrate Pride Month during June to commemorate the Stonewall Uprising, which took place in June of 1969. Over the years, we’ve recognized this as a time to celebrate LGBTQ+ identities, raise awareness about LGBTQ+ issues, and advocate for equality and inclusivity. That’s why we’re talking about LGBTQ+ books, but we’re going into the historical fiction/fantasy niche this time. There’s something profoundly interesting about LGBTQ+ historical fiction for two main reasons: 

1. We unveil the realities of the community during time when sexual identity/expression was incredibly repressed. LGBTQ people have always existed, but the world used to be extremely homophobic, sexist, and racist (and it still is, unfortunately), reason why it’s important to understand where we used to be and  what our journey as a community has been.
2. We can fantasize about what would have happened if the world had become more inclusive back then

Below you’ll find some of my favorite reads divided by time period

Bridgerton-ish Airs

• Infamous by Lex Croucher
• The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
• The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite
• The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles
• Perks of Loving a Wallflower by Erica Ridley
• That Could Be Enough by Alyssa Cole
  

Medieval-y Vibes

• Solomon’s Crown by Natasha Siegel
• The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
• The Dance Tree by Kiran Milwood Hargrave
  

18th Century

• Sailing by Orion's Star (The Constellation Trilogy #1) by Katie Crabb
• Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg
• Lord John and the Private Matter by Diana Gabaldon

• Dangerous Remedy by Kat Dunn
• The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian
  

19th Century

• Outlawed by Anna North
• The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris
• In Memoriam by Alice Winn
• A Marvelous Light by Freya Marks
  

Early 20th Century

• The Color Purple by Alice Walker
• Orlando by Virginia Woolf
• In the Absence of Men by Phillippe Besson
• The World and All That It Holds by Aleksandar Hemon
• The Sleeping Car Porter by Suzette Mayr
• Proper Scoundrels by Allie Therin
• The Magician by Colm Toibin
  

1930s - 1980s

• Junie by Cheyene Knight (1930s)
• The Night Watch by Sarah Waters (1940s)
• Hither, Page by Cat Sebastian (1940s)
• Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo (1950s)
• My Policeman by Bethan Roberts (1950s)
• Fellow Travelers by Thomas Mallon (1950s)
• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
• Under The Udala Trees by Chívelo Okparanta (1960s)
• Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson (1970s)
• Notes of a Crocodile by Qiu Miaojin (1980s)
• Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman (1980s)

Extras:

• The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Ancient Greece)
• Yerba Buena by Nina Lacour (Present)
• Heartstopper series by Alice Oseman