Pre-1969 LGBTQ Literature

List of the Month
June 2022 (see all)
Description
In honor of Pride Month, our June List of the Month is dedicated to LGBTQ Literature written and/or published before 1969. Given the wealth of Pride reading lists that highlight some of the great books of today, we wanted to draw attention to LGBTQ books from an earlier period. Titles may be either fiction or nonfiction, but they must have an LGBTQ connection, and they must have been written before 1969, even if they were not published until after that date. Ten titles may be added per person. Please only downvote titles if they do not fit the theme, or the parameters listed above.
1
39,583 members
634 reviews
4
2
4,170 members
72 reviews
3.9
3
5,544 members
126 reviews
4.2
4
10,641 members
174 reviews
3.9
5
2,961 members
110 reviews
3.8
6
12,591 members
265 reviews
4
7
20,686 members
330 reviews
3.9
8
10,775 members
178 reviews
4.2
9
2,723 members
50 reviews
½ 3.4
10
1,117 members
34 reviews
4.1
7 Members
ablachly, queen_ypolita, DouglasAtEik, amanda4242, Heather39, Tosta, FleetSparrow
Explanations
amanda4242: Renault is best remembered for her historical novels set in Ancient Greece, but I really like this one set shortly after Dunkirk.
11
2,109 members
49 reviews
½ 3.7
12
2,939 members
41 reviews
4.1
13
611 members
12 reviews
½ 3.7
14
3,244 members
59 reviews
½ 3.7
8 Members
richardderus, reesetee, ahef1963, tommi180744, quondame, FleetSparrow, jeancotchin, bonchcronch,karenb ,dianeham
Explanations
karenb : Published after 1969 (1973)
15
3,128 members
58 reviews
½ 3.5
16
2,693 members
43 reviews
½ 3.6
17
2,651 members
84 reviews
½ 3.7
6 Members
Rtrace, mysanal, amanda4242, sturlington, aspirit, bonchcronch
Explanations
aspirit: Pub 1966. | Queer main character written by an openly gay author.
18
72 members
5 reviews
½ 3.6
19
2,555 members
48 reviews
3.8
20
554 members
10 reviews
4
6 Members
Aquila, mysanal, Dilara86, AbigailAdams26, jeancotchin, Bking150,themulhern
Explanations
themulhern : No internal or historical evidence that Sappho was actually gay. The sort of poetry she wrote was conventionally written by lyric poets of her time.
21
2,912 members
134 reviews
½ 3.7
22
2,955 members
32 reviews
4.1
23
215 members
8 reviews
½ 3.4
24
194 members
1 review
½ 3.6
25
502 members
11 reviews
4
3 Members
EMoore1013, walterhpdx, aspirit
Explanations
aspirit: Pub. 1944 | Bisexual author's first novel, fictionalizing his real struggles with alcoholism and sexuality.
26
71 members
½ 3.7
27
1,020 members
9 reviews
½ 3.7
28
5,574 members
67 reviews
4
29
2,227 members
84 reviews
4
30
130 members
2 reviews
½ 3.4
31
1,725 members
25 reviews
½ 3.6
2 Members
Proclus, Stefcxjo
32
1,645 members
24 reviews
4
2 Members
hipdeep, -Pia-
33
688 members
6 reviews
4.1
34
5,466 members
125 reviews
4.2
35
2,617 members
39 reviews
½ 4.3
36
3,184 members
84 reviews
3.8
37
359 members
8 reviews
½ 3.7
2 Members
FAMeulstee, alex68
38
91 members
1 review
½ 3.4
39
77 members
1 review
3.8
40
1,672 members
25 reviews
4.1
41
803 members
11 reviews
3.8
42
3,706 members
65 reviews
4
2 Members
pamelad, ahef1963
43
5,357 members
104 reviews
½ 3.7
44
947 members
12 reviews
3.8
45
1,800 members
26 reviews
½ 4.3
2 Members
hipdeep, gtross
Explanations
gtross: Probably the best known body of gay verse in any language. Not every poem in the "Complete" Cavafy is on a gay theme, but his homoerotic verse is justifiably famous.
46
351 members
10 reviews
4.2
2 Members
Aquila, susanbooks
47
358 members
11 reviews
½ 3.6
48
10 members
1 review
3
49
94 members
3 reviews
3.9
50
1,495 members
5 reviews
3.9
51
2,601 members
42 reviews
3.8
2 Members
amanda4242, alex68
52
486 members
6 reviews
3.8
2 Members
hipdeep, reesetee
53
2,626 members
53 reviews
½ 3.3
2 Members
hipdeep, quondame
54
474 members
13 reviews
3.8
2 Members
amanda4242, arachnepress,karenb
Explanations
karenb : Published after 1969 (2017)
amanda4242: Published in 1927.
55
2,402 members
32 reviews
4
Member
gtross
Explanations
gtross: Published 1934. Two of the stories ("The Roads Round Pisa" and "The Monkey") explicitly thematize queer sexualities, and most of the rest inventively treat the same.
56
1,825 members
13 reviews
3.9
Member
Proclus
57
1,323 members
30 reviews
½ 3.7
58
627 members
14 reviews
3.8
Member
aspirit
Explanations
aspirit: Pub. 1835
59
514 members
14 reviews
4
60
507 members
3 reviews
4
Member
noveltea
61
492 members
10 reviews
½ 3.6
62
436 members
8 reviews
½ 3.6
Member
pamelad
63
125 members
2 reviews
½ 3.5
64
50 members
3.8
65
42 members
1 review
½ 4.6
Member
Heather39
66
39 members
1 review
½ 4.5
67
13 members
68
1 member
Member
Rommert
69
3,490 members
34 reviews
½ 3.7
Member
amydross
70
1,374 members
22 reviews
4
71
720 members
21 reviews
4
Member
gtross
Explanations
gtross: Unrequited homosexual love story, between a male professor and his male student.
72
148 members
4 reviews
½ 3.3
73
110 members
3.1
Member
Rommert
74
91 members
2 reviews
½ 4.3
75
77 members
2 reviews
½ 2.4
76
74 members
½ 3.5
Member
EMS_24
77
57 members
3.9
78
43 members
2 reviews
3.8
79
Member
aspirit
Explanations
aspirit: Published a century later but ~2/3 of the book consists of the letters from 1890 into 1918
80
17 members
3.8
81
10 members
82
2,212 members
30 reviews
3.9
83
692 members
6 reviews
4
Member
pamelad
84
410 members
7 reviews
½ 3.6
85
261 members
5 reviews
½ 3.6
86
92 members
1 review
3
87
46 members
2 reviews
4.1
89
20 members
4.1
Member
aspirit
Explanations
aspirit: Pub. 1902
90
11 members
½ 3.7
91
10 members
Member
Rommert
92
4 members
93
1,237 members
17 reviews
4
94
970 members
23 reviews
½ 3.5
95
649 members
11 reviews
½ 3.7
96
541 members
20 reviews
½ 4.5
Member
pamelad
97
371 members
4 reviews
½ 3.4
Member
thorold
98
185 members
2 reviews
3.8
100
63 members
1 review
3.2
Member
Rommert