National Coming Out Day

 

 

National Coming Out Day is held on 11 October in commemoration of the 1988 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.To celebrate and support our LGBTQIA+ students, faculty, and staff, here are some print and digital graphic novel titles.
 
The Heartstopper series by Alice Oseman follows the love story of Nick and Charlie, two high school students who meet at school and fall in love. While the series centers on their growing romance, it also features a diverse cast of characters and explores a variety of high school experiences that many readers will find relatable. Oseman addresses teen mental health with empathy and hope, and notably, this is one of the few novels I've found that discusses eating disorders in teen boys. With a compelling plot and relatable characters, Heartstopper has also been adapted into a Netflix series.

Gender Queer, Maia Kobabe’s (e/em/eir pronouns) powerful memoir, explores eir journey as a nonbinary and asexual person. Kobabe shares eir experiences of discovering eir identity, coming out to family, navigating friendships and romantic relationships, and coping with medical trauma, among other personal topics. This moving memoir serves as an excellent introduction to understanding gender identity. We have the original memoir in our print collection, and through our ebook platform Overdrive, you can access the deluxe edition, which includes additional art, a foreword by Lumberjanes author ND Stevenson, and an afterword by Kobabe.

The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag is a beautifully illustrated story about 15-year-old Morgan, who feels misunderstood by both her mother and her friends. She struggles with hiding her true identity, especially her desire to kiss girls, which makes her feel conflicted. One day, Morgan is saved from drowning by a mysterious girl named Keltie, and their relationship soon blossoms into a romance.

This is just a glimpse of the LGBTQIA+ titles available in our print and digital collections. Explore even more diverse fiction and nonfiction selections by contacting the library—let us help you add a little more rainbow to your reading list!