Best Gay & Lesbian Studies Books of 2025

On Christopher Street: Life, Sex, and Death after Stonewall by Michael Denneny is a cultural autobiography that explores the evolution of the queer community in the US post-Stonewall. The author, a founder and editor of the influential magazine Christopher Street, uses his journal writings, articles, and interviews from the 1970s and ‘80s to take readers back in time and share the vibrant in-between moments in gay lives. Through forty-one micro-chapters, Denneny captures the raw immediacy of his and his contemporaries’ daily lives as gay people in America. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the history of the queer community in the US.

There is no one way to be transgender.. Trans Bodies, Trans Selves is a revolutionary resource--a comprehensive, reader-friendly guide for transgender people, with each chapter written by transgender and gender expansive authors. Inspired by Our Bodies, Ourselves, the classic and powerful compendium written by and for cisgender women, Trans Bodies, Trans Selves is widely accessible to the transgender population, providing authoritative information in an inclusive and respectful way and representing the collective knowledge base of dozens of influential experts. Each chapter takes the reader through an important issue, such as race, religion, employment, medical and surgical transition, mental health, relationships, sexuality, parenthood, arts and culture, and many more. Anonymous quotes, testimonials, art and poetry from transgender people are woven throughout, adding compelling, personal voices to every page. In this unique way, hundreds of viewpoints from throughout the community have united to create this strong andpioneering book. It is a welcoming place for transgender and gender-questioning people, their partners and families, students, professors, guidance counselors, and others to look for up-to-date information on transgender life. The content of the second edition of this award-winning resource will be thoroughly updated throughout and will include entirely new stories, artwork, and illustrations as well as dozens of new contributing authors and collaborators.

Sexual Inversion: A Critical Edition is an important historical work that sheds light on the debates surrounding same-sex pleasures in the English-speaking world. This edition includes a long critical introduction that contextualizes the book's significance and considers its publishing history. The author, Ivan Crozier, provides meticulous annotations and references, allowing historians to easily locate primary sources. Overall, this is an essential read for those interested in the history of medicine, sexuality, and human behavior.

This updated edition of My Gender Workbook by Kate Bornstein is an accessible and practical guide for examining gender in one's life and in broader culture. Bornstein challenges the notion of binary gender and encourages readers to discover their unique gender identity through quizzes, exercises, and puzzles. The book also explores the intersection of gender with other factors such as race, class, sexuality, and language. This revised and expanded edition promises to help a new generation create their own unique place on the gender spectrum. Overall, My New Gender Workbook is a thought-provoking and informative read for anyone interested in contemporary gender theory and literature.

Indecent Theology by Marcella Althaus-Reid is a highly provocative and groundbreaking book that brings liberation theology up to date. It introduces radical critical approaches of gender, postcolonial, and queer theory, providing actual examples from Latin America. The book reworks three distinct areas of theology - sexual, political, and systematic - and exposes the connections between theology, sexuality, and politics. Althaus-Reid's work initiates a dramatic sexual rereading of systematic theology, broadening the debate on sexuality and theology as never before. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of religion and sexuality.

This third edition of Married Women Who Love Women is an essential read for women in heterosexual marriages discovering or coming to terms with their lesbianism or bisexuality. It offers guidance for the single lovers of married women and provides validation and empowerment to women in search of their true identities. The book addresses how women make this discovery, reactions from loved ones, and the outcomes for marriages and families. Updated throughout with contemporary understandings of sexuality and gender, this book includes a wealth of information, fresh narratives, and stories offering insight into women’s experiences across the country. Overall, this is an enlightening and deep account of the diverse experiences of married women who find themselves unexpectedly but passionately falling in love with other women.

Finding Out: An Introduction to LGBTQ Studies, Fourth Edition is an excellent resource for those interested in learning more about LGBTQ studies. The text/reader combines introductory material with primary texts and artifacts, providing a comprehensive look at the development and growth of LGBTQ identities and the interdisciplinary nature of sexuality studies. The updated fourth edition includes a new chapter on "Trans Lives and Theories" and new readings, making it even more relevant to current issues. Overall, this is the best comprehensive introduction to LGBTQ studies available on the market today.

Intimate Matters: A History of Sexuality in America, Third Edition, is a groundbreaking classic that offers a comprehensive study of the sexual behavior of Americans from colonial times to the present. The updated third edition features new and extended chapters that provide an even deeper understanding of how sexuality has influenced politics and culture throughout American history. The meticulous research and lucid prose make this book an essential read for anyone interested in the evolution of sexuality and individual freedoms in the United States. Overall, Intimate Matters is a remarkable book that is bound to become the definitive survey of American sexual history for years to come.

The third edition of Same-Sex Marriage and the Constitution by Evan Gerstmann explains the Supreme Court's historic ruling that the constitution protects the right of same-sex couples to get married. The book also covers the controversy over whether there should be special laws that allow religious business owners not to serve same-sex couples who are married. Gerstmann's work is accessible to anyone interested in same-sex equality, the Supreme Court, or constitutional law generally. Overall, Same-Sex Marriage and the Constitution is a well-researched and thought-provoking book that provides a roadmap for advocates of fundamental-rights jurisprudence in the twenty-first century.

As Good as a Marriage: The Anne Lister Diaries 1836-38 is a meticulous study of the critical two-year period in the unconventional marriage of Anne Lister and Ann Walker. Jill Liddington's edited transcriptions of Lister's diaries offer a unique insight into the daily lives of these two women, from their convivial evenings together to Lister's ruthless pursuit of her own business and landowning ambitions. While the diaries' coded passages also record tensions and quarrels, Liddington's invaluable commentary provides context for readers to understand the complexity of their relationship. This book is a must-read for scholars and fans alike.