If you think LGBTQ characters and themes are highly underrepresented in mainstream books publishing, you are not alone. Both gay men and women are quite delicate creatures with refined thoughts and fragile emotions. So many of them look for help the moment they realize their same-sex attraction. When they do not find any help, they turn to books for assistance and, yet again, fail to find enough to feel empowered and encouraged to embrace their sexuality.
How Books Reveal the Modern Norms of LGBTQ relationships
LGBTQ characters had a very hard time making it to the mainstream media, mainly because of censorship. In publishing, it was believed that all the content related to gay love and relationships is “niche” and not commercially viable. Things started changing in recent times, though, with new writers taking the lead and coming up with incredibly useful stuff to help, motivate, and entertain both gay men and women. These books help educate newly out gay individuals and inform readers who may not be part of the LGBTQ community.
Finding those books is a real catch, and that is when the Internet and online dating sites come in handy. Dating sites not just help with discreet gay dating and provide new gay singles a way to explore more about their sexuality, but they also serve as a resource to spread awareness. Most help comes from the chat rooms on dating sites, where you can make new friends, flirt with other gay singles, and discuss more the best LGBTQ resources, including books, videos, movies, bars, clubs, and whatnot.
In the past, books with LGBTQ themes has faced objections and challenges. Yet, those obstacles did not shatter the confidence of those writers who eventually managed to change the outlook of people about gays in the modern world. The influx of new users on gay dating sites is a testament to the fact that more and more gay singles are now ready to accept who they truly are and where their true happiness lies.
Books with LGBTQ romance and relationships
Even around the mid-twentieth century, expressing homosexuality was considered taboo and illegal in many nations. It started changing a little by the early 21st century when gay earned the right to celebrate same-sex marriages. This led to an increased social acceptance of LGBTQ relationships, and consequently, the number of gay-themed books on the market increased as well. Spending time in chat rooms on dating sites can definitely be a way to connect with those who like LGBTQ romance books or, if you get lucky, meet someone interesting to start your very own love story online.
For those looking for inspiration, here are some interesting LGBTQ romance fiction books to consider, and which, moreover, are taken to film with no less zeal than reading.
Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg
This masterpiece from Leslie Feinberg is often considered a canonical piece of LGBTQ books. This groundbreaking novel shares a coming-of-age story of a young butch lesbian, Jess Goldberg. It is all about gender transgression, survival, romance, and desire.
Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman
Call Me by Your Name is the story of two young men falling in love in 1980s Italy. In the novel, the protagonist, Elio, is a 17-year-old boy who falls in love with Oliver, a 24-year-old graduate student. Elio’s father invites Oliver to stay with them over the summer and they start to develop feelings for one another. Reading the book is like having a chat on any dating site because the situations are so interesting; with tender love scenes sprinkled throughout, and work great to make it a sweet story of two people finding solace in each other. It’s been adapted into a movie that was released in 2017.
A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood
You might have seen the film based on this book, authored by Christopher Isherwood. The story revolves around a middle-aged man George who is alone after losing his partner, Jim, in a tragic accident. The writer has managed to convey the feelings of heartbreak and loss while highlighting the importance of finding love. Despite the fact that the novel was published back in 1962, it touches on still relevant questions about the existence of a person, their feelings about death and life, about the place in this world and is of interest not only to members of the gay community.
City of Night by John Rechy
Another novel from the distant 1963, which, however, does not lose its relevance today, although there are things that have changed since those years. It greatly influenced people’s view of the lives of LGBT personalities who have always been forced to hide their gay presence from prying eyes. In the novel, Rechy describes the hustlers’ lives and how they struggle to survive. The hustlers have a lot of problems with police, with each other, and with their own desires. The narrator struggles to find his identity and escape the poverty he has grown up with. This book explores themes from childhood to adulthood that will leave readers with many questions about the future. It inspired director Gus Van Sant to write the screenplay My Own Private Idaho, about two young boys who run from their past in order to make sense of their lives.
Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx
It is essentially a short story by Annie Proulx, but a quick read would make it one of your all-time favorites. The story is about two young men who visit the mountains of Wyoming together but fall for each other and develop an intense emotional bond in the process. They return and go on their separate ways but continue to meet for 20 years. How much they love each other but still fail to be together is the plot that is enough to make you feel sentimental.
Conclusion
These days, LGBTQ literature is a growing genre packed with a variety of books that are, slowly but surely, pushing the literary envelope. You can find so many new books about gay love that allow you to explore worlds beyond conventional understandings and stereotypical definitions of gender expression from childhood onwards. Those queer books started from indie publishers but have now made their way to big presses as well. Join dating sites, and you will find groups in chat rooms based on gay or lesbian book lovers. If you really want to read some nice stuff about gay love, know that you won’t be disappointed today.
