June is Pride Month, celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community! Throughout June, we’ll explore different books and themes, all about Pride. To start things off, let’s read some graphic novels!
Its fourth volume recently published in 2021, Heartstopper (by Alice Oseman) is a graphic novel series depicting a budding romance between Nick and Charlie at their UK high school. Nick, Charlie, and their friends are navigating high school, while dealing with homophobic peers and family, and the pressure of trying to be in control. Heartstopper offers a heartwarming look into some teenagers’ experiences being gay, lesbian, and transgender in the modern world.
And before you ask, yes, the series was picked up by Netflix and the entirety of the first season is available to stream now!
The Times I Knew I Was Gay by Eleanor Crewes is a memoir in graphic novel form. Crewes examines her coming out journey and how she came to terms with her sexuality. She reminds us that coming out is a process, needing to come out over and over again to family, friends, and even to oneself. Funny, relatable, and a little meandering, Crewes tells a story that many will identify with and hopefully find solace in.
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel is another memoir graphic novel exploring the author’s sexual identity. Bechdel chose to write Fun Home to try to better understand her relationship with her father, a closeted gay man, and to analyze their life trajectories. Fun Home has won numerous awards, including the Stonewall Book Award for non-fiction and the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book.
These are just a few of the many graphic novels with an LGBTQIA+ focus. Book Riot has a great list to check out if you’re curious for more!
-Linnea
Read it or Weep 