If identity politics were a corporation, literature would have a controlling interest. Novels have long been one of the crucial instruments individuals use to understand their sense of self and to suss out where they slot in our ever-complicated society — and unsurprisingly, sexuality and gender identity are among the issues tackled by wordsmiths throughout the ages.
What follows are a few of our favorite works that both feature LGBTQI characters and that make great reading for everyone from those queerer than a hairless cat to people straighter than uncooked spaghetti.
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Jeffrey Eugenides Pulitzer Prize-winning second novel unravels around big-nosed, dark-haired Calliope Stephanides (later ‘Cal’), a sardonic child of Greek-Americans who suffers from a rare genetic disorder that has her pegged as a girl at birth, but then later reborn as a boy. Equally a family saga full of violence, secrets and incest and a coming-of-age tale about an intersex person getting to grips with the intricacies of gender in 20th century America, Middlesex is, as the New York Times so aptly puts it, “an uproarious epic, at once funny and sad” that everyone of any gender and orientation can enjoy.
The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst
Winner of the 1994 Booker Prize, Hollinghurst’s The Line of Beauty elegantly trundles through Thatcherist Britain on the brink of the AIDS epidemic and in the wake of absorbing, witty central character Nick Guest’s homosexual exploits. Bringing issues like social hypocrisy, privilege and obsession with appearance to the fore, the novel artfully offers up Nick’s escapades and innermost thoughts to investigate just what we’re willing to compromise in the pursuit of beauty.
Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg
Often touted as the seminal transgender novel, Stone Butch Blues is the harrowing story of Jess Goldberg, a Jewish ‘stone butch’ on a quest to find an authentic, genuine self in 1960s upstate New York. Both devastating and inspirational, the book unabashedly unveils its protagonist’s vulnerabilities, needs and experience with ‘otherness’— and it powerfully explores the violence and discrimination faced by those who take hormones to pass as the gender that they feel most connected to.
Oranges are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson
The semi-biographical first novel of renowned LGBTQI author Jeanette Winterson, Oranges are Not the Only Fruit tracks its heroine’s self-liberation from her fundamentalist evangelical family and her subsequent lesbian romances with various members of the congregation and community. With a mixture of endearing innocence and wry humor, main character Jeanette recounts her attempt to find a place in a big, bad world where she’s conspicuously different from those around her. If you’re wondering who this story best speaks to, here’s some food for thought from Winterson, “I’ve never understood why straight fiction is supposed to be for everyone, but anything with a gay character or that includes gay experience is only for queers.”
The Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon
The valiant first effort of celebrated writer Michael Chabon, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh chronicles recent college graduate and somewhat passive protagonist Art Bechstein’s final summer of youth and his exuberant love affairs with both a man and a woman. The classic daringly examines sexuality and spirits readers away to the gangster underworld of 1980s Pittsburgh, where the threat of violence looms and betrayal lurks around every corner.
Lockpick Pornography by Joey Comeau
Billed as a somewhat bizarre genderqueer adventure story, Lockpick Pornography is Joey Comeau’s cultish underground assault on all things mainstream. Rife with sex and violence and powered by the infectious angry energy of a central character who’s declared war on hetero-normative society, the rough-around-the-edges work channels the frustrated, seething feeling of someone longing to belong — somehow, somewhere, to something they believe in.
Don’t forget, this scant collection is just the tip of the iceberg. There are countless exceptional works that delve into sexuality and gender identity and that raise up unforgettable LGBTQI characters. If you have any favorites, we’d love to hear your recommendations. Drop us a line on Twitter or Facebook!
June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month. Celebrate human rights, tolerance, and equality with us throughout the month!
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