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
39,880 members
625 reviews
4
2
4,211 members
71 reviews
4
3
5,624 members
125 reviews
4.2
4
10,698 members
171 reviews
3.9
5
3,000 members
110 reviews
3.8
6
12,660 members
263 reviews
4
7
20,860 members
326 reviews
3.9
8
2,739 members
50 reviews
½ 3.5
9
10,825 members
176 reviews
4.2
10
1,124 members
35 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
2,122 members
49 reviews
½ 3.7
12
2,959 members
41 reviews
4.1
13
615 members
11 reviews
½ 3.7
14
3,260 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
3,155 members
59 reviews
½ 3.5
16
2,715 members
44 reviews
½ 3.6
17
2,668 members
85 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
2,570 members
50 reviews
3.8
20
521 members
9 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
2,966 members
135 reviews
½ 3.7
22
2,977 members
32 reviews
4.1
23
215 members
8 reviews
½ 3.5
24
197 members
1 review
½ 3.6
25
504 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
72 members
½ 3.7
27
1,029 members
9 reviews
½ 3.7
28
5,619 members
67 reviews
4
29
2,244 members
83 reviews
4
30
130 members
2 reviews
½ 3.4
31
1,774 members
25 reviews
½ 3.6
2 Members
Proclus, Stefcxjo
32
1,657 members
24 reviews
4
2 Members
hipdeep, -Pia-
33
692 members
6 reviews
4.1
34
5,503 members
123 reviews
4.1
35
2,635 members
39 reviews
½ 4.3
36
3,195 members
84 reviews
3.8
37
363 members
8 reviews
3.8
2 Members
FAMeulstee, alex68
38
92 members
1 review
½ 3.4
39
77 members
1 review
3.8
40
1,678 members
25 reviews
4.1
41
808 members
11 reviews
3.8
42
3,722 members
65 reviews
4
2 Members
pamelad, ahef1963
43
5,378 members
103 reviews
½ 3.7
44
957 members
12 reviews
3.8
45
1,814 members
25 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
352 members
10 reviews
4.2
2 Members
Aquila, susanbooks
47
361 members
11 reviews
½ 3.6
48
10 members
1 review
3
49
94 members
3 reviews
3.9
50
1,504 members
5 reviews
3.9
51
2,615 members
42 reviews
3.8
2 Members
amanda4242, alex68
52
489 members
6 reviews
3.9
2 Members
hipdeep, reesetee
53
2,650 members
53 reviews
½ 3.3
2 Members
hipdeep, quondame
54
476 members
13 reviews
3.8
2 Members
amanda4242, arachnepress,karenb
Explanations
karenb : Published after 1969 (2017)
amanda4242: Published in 1927.
55
2,410 members
33 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
1,841 members
13 reviews
3.9
Member
Proclus
57
1,330 members
29 reviews
½ 3.7
58
630 members
14 reviews
3.8
Member
aspirit
Explanations
aspirit: Pub. 1835
59
520 members
14 reviews
4
60
509 members
3 reviews
4
Member
noveltea
61
498 members
10 reviews
½ 3.6
62
437 members
9 reviews
½ 3.7
Member
pamelad
63
128 members
2 reviews
½ 3.5
64
50 members
3.8
65
44 members
1 review
4.1
Member
Heather39
66
39 members
1 review
½ 4.5
67
13 members
68
1 member
Member
Rommert
69
3,642 members
35 reviews
½ 3.7
Member
amydross
70
1,379 members
22 reviews
4
71
726 members
21 reviews
4
Member
gtross
Explanations
gtross: Unrequited homosexual love story, between a male professor and his male student.
72
149 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
75 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
2,218 members
29 reviews
3.9
83
697 members
6 reviews
4
Member
pamelad
84
412 members
8 reviews
½ 3.6
85
263 members
5 reviews
½ 3.6
86
93 members
1 review
3
87
47 members
3 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
1,241 members
18 reviews
4
94
976 members
23 reviews
½ 3.5
95
652 members
11 reviews
½ 3.6
96
544 members
19 reviews
½ 4.5
Member
pamelad
97
372 members
4 reviews
½ 3.4
Member
thorold
98
185 members
2 reviews
3.8
100
63 members
1 review
3.2
Member
Rommert