The Go Ahead 'Say Gay' Series Celebrate! - A Literary History of LGBTQ Fiction

Themes of love between people of the same gender are found in a variety of texts throughout the world. The Greeks, explored the theme on different levels in works such as Plato's. Religious narratives include stories of sexuality between men or feature divine actions that result in changes in gender. These myths too are forms of LGBTQ expression and modern conceptions of sexuality and gender. Myths too have been used by to explain the "cause" of transgender identity or homosexuality.

Many early Gothic fiction authors, were homosexual and would sublimate these themes using transgressive genres like Gothic and horror fiction. Sheridan Le Fanu's novella Carmilla was the first lesbian vampire story and influenced Bram Stoker's Dracula.Stoker's novel has its own homoerotic aspects, as when Count Dracula warns off the female vampires and claims Jonathan Harker, saying "This man belongs to me!"

The founding of the Lambda Literary Award in 1988 helped increase the visibility of LGBT literature.

In the 21st century, much LGBTQ literature achieved a high level of sophistication and many works have earned mainstream acclaim. Notable authors include Sean Greer. Greer, an openly gay man, won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for Less. Becky Albertalli's teen novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda was adapted into the feature film Love, Simon by 20th Century Fox, the first film by a major studio focused on a gay teenage romance. Here is the ultimate collection of LGTBQ fiction from some of our most heralded writers. A celebration of love, light and freedom.