June is upon us! And with it comes the month-long celebration of diversity and freedom of expression that is Pride Month. Many of us don our most colorful duds and attend a Pride festival, parade, or concert. For those of us who tend to choose the low-key way of things, watching a film, or reading a book focused on the queer experience is the perfect way to pause and reflect on this community’s struggles and gains over the past 50+ years.
Below, the reader will find several media suggestions made by, about, and for people in the LGBTQ+ community and their allies. All picks are available to borrow in the Monarch catalog. Click each title to see a catalog listing.
Film
All of the movies I list below are available on Kanopy as of May 31, 2024. Titles are linked to physical DVD copies in Monarch (except Maurice which is on Kanopy only at this time).
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) starring Guy Pierce, Terrance Stamp, and Hugo Weaving
(big ol’ spoilers here, be warned)
Before he was Agent Smith or Elrond, Hugo Weaving played Tick, aka Mitzy Del Bra, the pansexual drag queen who is also secretly a husband and father. His wife needs a break from parenting, so the natural thing to do would be to load up a shiny silver coach bus with metric tonnes of drag gear, Tick’s two best drag queen friends, and drive from Sydney to Alice Springs through the massive and ancient Outback. Abba, choreography, and the most wonderful drag costuming to grace the silver screen will be your reward for going along on this adventure.
But I’m a Cheerleader (1999) starring Natasha Lyonne and Melanie Lynsky
A comedy about a gay conversion camp?! This film does provide the camp, in layers. Lyonne’s parents (played with great elan by the excellent Bud Cort and inimitable Mink Stole) are worried that despite her super girly cheerleader exterior, their daughter may be more interested in girls than boys. Horrified at the thought of having a lesbian daughter, they choose to send her to a conversion camp. Would you believe hilarity ensues? There isn’t another film like this in the world, and anyone who appreciates Lyonne’s oeuvre even a little bit should not miss this gem.
Maurice (1987) starring Hugh Grant and Rupert Graves
This film was based on an E.M. Forster novel of the same name. Forster insisted it be kept from publication until after his death, which was in 1971. At the time of its writing in 1914, loving someone of the same sex was punishable by imprisonment, and would have surely ruined Forster’s career. What a pity. During Pride I spend a lot of time thinking about the creative, scientific, and social gains we could have achieved if systems of power weren’t so focused on oppressing people deemed different. Please enjoy this gorgeous movie about beautiful men falling in love.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2020) directed by Celine Sciamma
Move over male gaze, this French drama is all about how ladies look at ladies, on- fire ones, sometimes. If you like your 18th century dramas filled with unreal cinematography, costuming, and set design, in addition to many lingering and meaningful looks across the room, this is the film to watch. Sciamma became the first woman director to win the Queer Palm at Cannes in 2019, and received almost unanimous critical praise for her work.
Tangerine (2015) directed by Sean Baker
Not only is this film innovative for centering the story of a trans woman, it is the first feature length film shot entirely using iPhones. I think this use of new technology helped to capture the freneticism, danger, anger, and joy being expressed in the film. Things that equalize access to consuming and making art in this way are appealing to me on a cellular level.
Not feeling moved by any of those picks? Kanopy has an entire LGBTQ+ Cinema subheading to click on under “browse”. There are dozens and dozens of wonderful films to peruse.
Books
This list of books is available in the Monarch Catalog, often in a variey of formats.
The Hellbound Heart (1986) by Clive Barker
Don’t you wish your horror fiction were a little queerer? Please enjoy these a-gender cenobites: Originally appearing in the anthology Night Visions, this Barker novella took on a life of its own when it was given the big screen treatment in 1987. “But I have never heard of a movie called The Hellbound Heart, Molly.” Well, inner voice of the reader, you may be surprised to learn the movie adaptation was called Hellraiser, and spawned several sequels of varying quality as well as a remake. Barker has been openly gay for most of the time he has been in the public eye, so of course his sexuality will impact the writing and reading of his work. Read more about how he made horror a little gayer with THIS excellent article.
The Stonewall Reader (2019)
This anthology was published in remembrance of the Stonewall Riots of June, 1969 that catalyzed the movement toward gay liberation in earnest, as well as determined which month we celebrate Pride. The anthology includes first-hand accounts of people who were there that day, as well as in remembrance of fighters who have passed, like Martha P. Johnson. This is a great book for people who would like to know more about the history of the gay liberation movement, or would like a Stonewall-specific overview.
Upright Women Wanted (2020) by Sarah Gailey
Gailey is one of the most exciting modern sci-fi/fantasy authors working today. From the blurb: “The future American Southwest is full of bandits, fascists, and queer librarian spies on horseback trying to do the right thing.” I read that and thought LET’S GOOOOOO! Love me some outlaw-style, gun-toting librarians. If this is too dystopic and close to home with the fundamentalism, please see Gailey’s fantastic western revisionist novella River of Teeth (2017). This book is best for people who like stories set in the wild west that are about feral hippos.
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty (2022) by Akwaeke Emezi
I haven’t read this book, but the reviews are positive, and I loved Emezi’s 2019 novel Pet. I’ve blogged about Pet in the past, likely multiple times, so today I encourage reading their latest work. Emezi is a fascinating author and I look forward to each of their new publications.
Role Models (2010) John Waters
This is a collection of essays Waters had been publishing in various magazines throughout the 1980s, 90s, and early 2000s. The subject matter ranges from Manson Girl Leslie Van Houten, with whom Waters has a warm, decades-long friendship, to fashion house Comme des Garcons, and just about anywhere else life has taken him. Waters is primarily known for his confrontational, campy and over-the top films like Female Trouble and Serial Mom, so it is with great pleasure that I found him to be a compelling and hilarious writer. A John Waters film festival would also be an appropriate way to celebrate Pride, even if he is being intentionally inappropriate. The gentleman is as thoughtful and insightful as he is depraved. Greatest American EVER???!
To search for more LGBTQ+ books on Libby, click on “Subjects”, then click on LGBTQI+ Fiction. There are nearly 3000 e- and audio books that fall into this category.
Additionally, here is a great list of 42 books published/to be published in 2024 that are about, and by, people in the queer community
Want a little community with your reading? Consider joining the Sheboygan County LGBTQ Alliance Book Club. We meet first Thursdays at Paradigm Coffee and Music from 6:30-7:30pm. Take a look at the event listing HERE.
There are as many ways to celebrate Pride as there are people celebrating Pride. If you are reading this before June 22, 2024, please consider stopping by Sheboygan’s City Green for the third annual Sheboygan County Alliance Pride Picnic. Mead Library will be there with a booth, stop and say hello!
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