Best LGBT Drama & Plays Books of 2026

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is a gothic and philosophical novel that was first published in 1890. The book tells the story of a man who remains youthful while his portrait ages, and explores themes of morality, beauty, and corruption. Despite being censored and criticized for its immorality, the book has become a classic and is widely regarded as one of Wilde's greatest works. This LGBT classic fiction book is a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the complexities of human nature.

Winner of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, James Ijames' Fat Ham is a witty and gripping reinterpretation of Shakespeare's Hamlet. The play follows Juicy, a young Black man grappling with questions of identity and masculinity, as he navigates his family's barbecue and the ghost of his father's demand for revenge. Ijames' masterful writing brilliantly explores themes of love, loss, and liberation, creating a fresh and vital force in contemporary theatre. Overall, Fat Ham is an outstanding work that showcases Ijames' talent for transforming classic texts into something wholly new and relevant to today's world.

The Laramie Project and The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later is a powerful combination of two classic plays that tells the story of Matthew Shepard's brutal murder and the aftermath in Laramie, Wyoming. The plays are based on more than 200 interviews conducted by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project. The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later revisits the town a decade after the tragedy, exploring the community's grappling with its legacy and place in history. Incredibly moving and deeply human, this theatrical cycle is a must-read for anyone interested in LGBT drama and plays.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes by Tony Kushner is a two-part epic that explores the themes of power, religion, sex, and the future of the world in the Reagan-era AIDS epidemic. This revised and complete edition includes the author's recent changes and a new introduction in celebration of the twentieth anniversary of its original production. The play has been translated into more than twenty-six languages and has received hundreds of performances worldwide. This is a monumental, provocative, and witty masterpiece that ranks among the greatest plays of the twentieth century.

The Whale / A Bright New Boise is a collection of two plays by Samuel D. Hunter that explore the complexities of American life. The Whale tells the story of a man's last chance at redemption and the unexpected beauty he discovers in his estranged daughter. Meanwhile, A Bright New Boise follows a disgraced evangelical as he tries to reconnect with his son through a minimum-wage job at a craft store. Hunter's plays are both darkly comic and deeply compassionate, exploring themes of faith, guilt, and the search for meaning in rural America. This collection is a must-read for fans of poignant, character-driven drama.

Betty With The Messy Hair is a children's book that addresses the issue of verbal abuse and bullying. The story follows Betty, a girl who wishes to be called by her real name, as she navigates through the challenges of being verbally abused. The book serves as an invitation for parents and children to make a difference in the lives of those who suffer alone and promote harmony in everyday life. In addition, the interactive questionnaire section and coloring pages make learning about bullying awareness and prevention fun for children. Overall, Betty With The Messy Hair is an important read for children and parents alike, as it raises awareness of the seriousness of verbally abusive behavior.

Indecent (TCG Edition) by Paula Vogel is a powerful play that explores the controversial and scandalous production of God of Vengeance, which depicted an amorous affair between two women. The play traces the show's success in Europe to its explosive demise on Broadway in 1923, including the arrest of the entire production's cast and crew. Vogel's writing is intimate, emotional, and shrewd in its observations about the intersection of Jewish culture, homosexuality, and censorship. This play is a moving and fascinating exploration of the power of theater as a life force, and a must-read for anyone interested in LGBT drama and plays.

A Strange Loop is a Pulitzer Prize-winning musical about a Black, queer writer named Usher who is struggling to write his own musical while working a job he hates. The show follows Usher's battle with the demons in his head as he tries to understand his own strange loop. The New York Times calls it "a full-on laparoscopy of the heart, soul, and loins," while New York Magazine describes it as "exhilarating and wickedly funny." This show is a unique and powerful exploration of identity, race, and sexuality that is sure to leave a lasting impression on anyone who sees it.

The Inheritance by Matthew Lopez is a powerful play that explores what it means to be a gay man in New York, decades after the AIDS epidemic. Inspired by E.M. Forster's novel, Howards End, the play delves into the relationships and connections across age and social class, asking what responsibility one generation has to the next. Lopez's empathetic drama is a moving call for an intergenerational conversation. The play has received high praise as an emotional powerhouse and a work of rare grace, truth, and beauty, making it a must-read for anyone interested in the complexities of the gay community's past and present.

We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV and Film is an exceptional book that delves into the history of transgender representation in TV and film. Tre’vell Anderson, an in-demand culture reporter, provides their personal history of trans visibility since the beginning of moving images. The book contextualizes our present moment of increased representation and unearths a transcestry that’s long existed in plain sight and in the shadows of history’s annals. Anderson covers films and television shows such as Pose, RuPaul's Drag Race, and much more. We See Each Other is a groundbreaking literary reckoning that provides a closer look into a community that very few people thought was worth documenting.