Are You a Friend of Dorothy?
In what PW’s starred review called “an approachable, engaging work,” Newbery Honoree Lukoff details “how LGBTQ+ people have long found each other via verbal and visual cues,” while “expressive, bright-hued portraiture from Hastings visualizes decades of history alongside possible origins of the title phrase,
including actor Judy Garland’s Wizard of Oz character and writer Dorothy Parker.” As the text explains, “We still know how to find our community. And learning about the ways we survived in the past could help people in the future.”
Athlete Is Agender
First-person narratives by queer athletes form the heart of “this affirming sports assemblage,” per PW’s starred review, which presents “discussions of identity and togetherness, and how these ideals were fostered.” Mini-profiles of figures such as Carl Nassib, the first openly gay player in the NFL, and Ellia Green,
a transgender activist and rugby Olympic gold medalist, punctuate the essays, and supplemental materials include a note on pronouns, a Title IX explainer, and advice on being a better ally.
Fight AIDS!
Long begins his history before the emergence of AIDS, connecting the dots from the Stonewall uprising and what at the time was known as “gay liberation” to the confrontational tactics of ACT UP (the AIDS coalition to unleash power), which demanded compassion and treatment for AIDS patients. Reproductions of
vintage posters, buttons, and more engage the readers visually, while stories of people affected by the disease, and how that in turn influenced their activism, help make the political personal.
Generation Queer
Topping’s self-described “love letter” to queer and trans youth introduces 30 activists who began organizing for LGBTQ+ rights before age 24. Some, like Gavin Grimm and Lillian Lennon, fought in court or led grassroots campaigns to protect transgender rights to public space. Others, such as Sherente Mishitashin Harris, a two-spirit citizen of the Narragansett Indian Tribe, and Joshua Allen, who founded the Black Excellence Collective, use art as a means of raising awareness.
Growing Into You!
This illustrated guide to puberty avoids the use of gender pronouns, focusing instead on how estrogen and testosterone affect developing bodies. Carnagey, a sex-positive educator, describes the biological processes driving sexual development, explains how gender can diverge from assigned characteristics, and gives tips for managing shifting hygiene needs and new physical desires.
Trans History
Setting out to dispel the myth that “trans people are a ‘new thing,’ ” graphic novelists Combs and Eakett trace gender diversity across history and cultures. They depict nonbinary representations from ancient Mesopotamia and the prehistoric Americas, outline how restrictive European notions of gender spread around the world, and explore a breadth of trans experiences today, interviewing activists, scholars, and creatives.
