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
39,656 members
637 reviews
4
2
4,179 members
72 reviews
3.9
3
5,564 members
126 reviews
4.2
4
10,656 members
174 reviews
3.9
5
2,965 members
110 reviews
3.8
6
12,618 members
265 reviews
4
7
20,697 members
331 reviews
3.9
8
10,793 members
178 reviews
4.2
9
2,727 members
50 reviews
½ 3.4
10
1,118 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
2,110 members
49 reviews
½ 3.7
12
2,944 members
41 reviews
4.1
13
612 members
12 reviews
½ 3.7
14
3,246 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
3,133 members
58 reviews
½ 3.5
16
2,701 members
44 reviews
½ 3.6
17
2,654 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
2,559 members
49 reviews
3.8
20
556 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
2,911 members
134 reviews
½ 3.7
22
2,962 members
32 reviews
4.1
23
215 members
8 reviews
½ 3.4
24
194 members
1 review
½ 3.6
25
503 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
1,025 members
9 reviews
½ 3.7
28
5,583 members
67 reviews
4
29
2,230 members
85 reviews
4
30
130 members
2 reviews
½ 3.4
31
1,726 members
25 reviews
½ 3.6
2 Members
Proclus, Stefcxjo
32
1,650 members
24 reviews
4
2 Members
hipdeep, -Pia-
33
690 members
6 reviews
4.1
34
5,475 members
125 reviews
4.1
35
2,619 members
39 reviews
½ 4.3
36
3,190 members
84 reviews
3.8
37
361 members
8 reviews
3.8
2 Members
FAMeulstee, alex68
38
91 members
1 review
½ 3.4
39
77 members
1 review
3.8
40
1,673 members
25 reviews
4.1
41
803 members
11 reviews
3.8
42
3,713 members
65 reviews
4
2 Members
pamelad, ahef1963
43
5,370 members
104 reviews
½ 3.7
44
946 members
12 reviews
3.8
45
1,806 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
360 members
11 reviews
½ 3.6
48
10 members
1 review
3
49
94 members
3 reviews
3.9
50
1,497 members
5 reviews
3.9
51
2,605 members
42 reviews
3.8
2 Members
amanda4242, alex68
52
486 members
6 reviews
3.8
2 Members
hipdeep, reesetee
53
2,632 members
53 reviews
½ 3.3
2 Members
hipdeep, quondame
54
475 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
1,828 members
13 reviews
3.9
Member
Proclus
57
1,327 members
30 reviews
½ 3.7
58
628 members
14 reviews
3.8
Member
aspirit
Explanations
aspirit: Pub. 1835
59
517 members
14 reviews
4
60
507 members
3 reviews
4
Member
noveltea
61
496 members
10 reviews
½ 3.6
62
437 members
9 reviews
½ 3.7
Member
pamelad
63
126 members
2 reviews
½ 3.5
64
50 members
3.8
65
44 members
1 review
½ 4.3
Member
Heather39
66
39 members
1 review
½ 4.5
67
13 members
68
1 member
Member
Rommert
69
3,499 members
34 reviews
½ 3.7
Member
amydross
70
1,375 members
22 reviews
4
71
721 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
2,214 members
30 reviews
3.9
83
694 members
6 reviews
4
Member
pamelad
84
412 members
7 reviews
½ 3.6
85
262 members
5 reviews
½ 3.6
86
93 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
1,235 members
18 reviews
4
94
973 members
23 reviews
½ 3.5
95
651 members
12 reviews
½ 3.6
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