What We Loved: Pride Month 2023
What We Loved: Pride Month 2023
Sharing a rainbow of things to read, watch and listen to for Pride.
It’s Pride month, babes. And we think that deserves its own newsletter. Of course, there are SO many amazing queer books and shows we love, but here is a small selection of some of our faves.
We’ve accidentally chosen all YA books just because we wanted to share our absolute FAVE reads with you, but maybe next Pride we’ll have some adult recs, too.
Please share your recommendations with us in the comments so we can check them out!
*denotes review copy
Read
Loveless by Alice Oseman*
This is the book that made me realise I’m asexual, so Loveless will always have a special place in my heart. It’s a brilliant contemporary novel for an older teen/early 20s audience, following Georgia as she heads to university. She’s ready to find romance and tick off the ‘teenage dream’ wishlist. That is until she starts to question why love seems easy for others, but not her.
We had a ball interviewing Alice when Loveless was released in 2020.
– Michelle
How It All Blew Up by Arvin Amadi*
This is the first book I thought of to recommend. I read it, and we interviewed Arvin back in 2020, but I still think about it regularly. How It All Blew Up follows Iranian American teen, Amir, as he runs away after being blackmailed by school bullies. Escaping his failed relationship, the bullies and blackmail - he lands in Rome. While he succeeds in escaping by making new queer friends and enjoying the freedom of exploring a new place, eventually his real life catches up with him. The structure of this novel is so compelling, told as Amir tells a customs officer everything in an airport interrogation room.
Listen to our chat with Arvin here!
– Caitlin
Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher*
Okay, I know I literally just recommended this in our monthly wrap but it’s too good not to be included in our Pride Month round-up. This truly delightful, banter-filled novel builds on the myth of King Arthur to create a wonderfully queer love story with four teens finding themselves and falling for one another. It’s just been released and should absolutely be on your TBR.
Don’t forget to listen to our chat with Lex, which wrapped up season 10 of the podcast.
– Michelle
Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales*
I’m sure the name Sophie Gonzales is familiar to many readers, her queer retelling of Grease and (let’s be real) One Direction inspired novel are incredible. But Perfect on Paper is a wonderful novel following Darcy. She is the one who runs Locker 89 and gives the whole school relationship advice, but no one knows. She’s in love with her best friend, Brooke. But Brooke can never find out she was behind Locker 89... One day, hot jock Brougham catches her checking the locker and blackmails her into being his personal dating coach. Cue delightful YA romcom shenanigans. Perfect On Paper is a great novel with a bisexual lead, definitely recommend this one especially if you’ve enjoyed Sophie’s other books.
We talk biphobia with Sophie on the podcast here.
– Caitlin
Watch
Pride
Since Caitlin has ignored my repeated recommendations, I’m sharing this one with you. Pride is based on a true story and features the iconic Gay’s the Word bookshop in London. Set in 1984, the film follows a group of queer activists who start raising money to help families affected by the British minters’ strike in what would become the Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners campaign. It explores all different forms of prejudice and is a truly heartwarming story that makes me tear up every time.
– Michelle
Bros
Bros is one of the first gay romantic comedies released by a major film studio and features an openly queer principal cast. I missed it in the cinemas when it was released late last year, but was delighted to watch it a few weeks ago when it was added to Netflix. The tagline is ‘Two men with commitment problems attempt a relationship’ which is definitely accurate as Bobby (Billy Eichner) and Aaron (Luke Macfarlane) stumble over their attraction towards each other, their expectations for a relationship, their own definitions of masculinity, their ‘type’ and the ‘type’ they are. It’s hilarious, definitely a rom-com heavy on the com.
- Caitlin
It’s a Sin
Do not watch this until you’re emotionally ready because, damn, it is a lot. It’s a Sin follows a group of gay men who move to London in 1981 and become friends. Over the five episodes, we see the HIV/AIDS crisis unfold and the way it touches each of their lives. Rotton Tomatoes describes it as “an incredible feat of small-screen magic” and I couldn’t agree more.
– Michelle
Heartstopper
We couldn’t not include Heartstopper. It’s the ultimate heart-warming and cosy watch, with season 2 arriving on our screens in August it’s the perfect time for a rewatch! For those not familiar, this series is based on a web comic created by Alice Oseman. It’s a queer coming-of-age rom-com following the blossoming relationship between Nick and Charlie (and all their friends).
- Caitlin
Listen
The Making of Mardi Gras by The History Listen
This two-part audio documentary was released to mark World Pride and the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras earlier this year. It explores how the event developed in Australia and asks: Is Mardi Gras political, a party, or can it be both? You can listen to part one here and part two here.
– Michelle
Pageboy by Elliot Page
My current listen. I don’t listen to audiobooks often, but hearing memoirs read by the author really enhances a book. As often happens with celebrity memoirs, you’ve probably heard some details from the media. But it’s the stuff that won’t make juicy headlines that are so important and powerful to read (or listen to!) As I said, I’ve not finished Pageboy yet - but Elliot’s honesty and vulnerability as he tells the reader about experiencing gender dysphoria as a child, figuring out his identity as a queer teen, all while working as a young actor is so powerful to listen to.
- Caitlin
Bi People (parts 1-4) by Bad People Podcast
I really enjoy true crime podcast Bad People and it may seem a little odd to be recommending it (cause we’re not about the bury your gays trope here). For Pride month 2022, the podcast did a four-episode bonus exploring the origins of sexual research, the reason Pride began, the notion of ‘proving’ bisexuality and why fewer bi people are out at work than gay and lesbian people. Side recommendation also on my TBR is co-host Dr Julia Shaw’s book Bi: The Hidden Culture, History and Science of Bisexuality.
– Michelle
Chris Colfer on And That’s What You Really Missed
I know I’ve recommended this podcast before, but I’ve really enjoyed listening and revisiting Glee because it was so important to me as a teenager. Chris Colfer was the youngest among the original Glee cast, landing the role of Kurt Hummel at 18. He won a Golden Globe, multiple People’s Choice Awards, and was nominated for two Emmys for portraying Kurt. In this interview Chris talks with Kevin McHale and Jenna Ushkowitz about the public response to Kurt’s storylines (particularly coming out to his father in season 1, episode 4) and being forced to come out publicly. As a young teenager, I was unaware of this media frenzy when it was all happening the first year or so Glee aired (2009/2010), so I recommend all Gleeks who also missed it listen to this interview.
- Caitlin