Written by Ally Muterspaw
Pride parades and festivals commonly take place in the United States during the month of June to commemorate the Stonewall Uprisings that occurred in New York City in June, 1969. To learn more about the Stonewall riots read The Stonewall Reader, edited by the New York Public Library and Jason Baumann.
For younger audiences, The Stonewall Riots, by Gayle E. Pitman is recommended by School Library Journalfor grades 6-9.
Additional Pride Resources
The Indy Pride Festival
Pride Parades are the most widely recognized celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and are characterized by colorful rainbows, creative costumes, and celebrity appearances. The Indy Pride Festival is the largest Pride event held in Indiana. Find out information about the 2021 festival here.
PFLAG
Pride Month signifies more than colorful flags and fun parades. Pride celebrations stem from a need for visibility for the LGBTQ+ community in order to advance legal and societal protection and equality. PFLAG is a national organization that advocates at the state, local, and federal level for full legal equity for people who are LGBTQ and their families. Information about a local PFLAG chapter can be found here.
The Lambda Literary Awards
There is a growing selection of fiction for all ages featuring LGBTQ+ characters who are central to the plot. The Lambda Literary Awards began recognizing the best in LGBT literature in 1989. The society has published the Lambda Book Report since 1987 to bring critical attention to LGBTQ books. Last year’s Lammy Award for Gay Fiction went to Lot: Stories by Bryan Washington. With Teeth by Kristen Arnett, whose debut novel was a NYT bestseller, is an upcoming title of interest with a June publication date.
The Rainbow Roundtable of the American Library Association
The Rainbow Roundtable of the American Library Association has sponsored the Stonewall Awards for books of exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender experience since 1971. One of these awards, the Mike Morgan and Larry Romans Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award is presented each year to English language works published during the preceding year. The 2020 winners of this award were When Aiden Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff and The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta.
Please ask a librarian for more LGBTQ+ reading suggestions or to find community resources for LGBTQ+ individuals and families.