Let's Talk About Pride As An Ally

June and Pride Month are coming to an end, but that doesn't mean the celebration and support for our LGBTQIA+ friends is over. Far from it!

As an ally who has spent nearly a decade working in brand marketing I've always been very anxious about what I post during the month of June in fear of coming off performative. I support queer authors, businesses, and organizations year-round, without hesitation, but something about Pride month makes me pause.

Will this be taken the wrong way?

Will this be seen as performative?

Will this make people think I'm not a good ally?

All fairly selfish thoughts, to be honest, but I care so much about inclusivity at all times that I get nervous about being seen as a bad ally when all I want to do is be supportive. But I know at the end of the day that my image doesn't matter. Pride is not about me. So the best thing I can do is uplift all our amazing LGBTQIA+ friends during this month; amplify their stories, share their resources, and celebrate their lives. But it can't end on June 30th.

So let's not stop there. Let's access these resources and read these authors and shop at these businesses all year. Because they rock and deserve our attention all the time!

Sharing just a few of the queer representers that I love and support:

Authors

• Casey McQuiston: her fun and reverent novel Red, White, and Royal Blue has been getting the recognition it deserves, but don't miss out on her other titles! She explores so many different perspectives of queer love that make you swoon the way a classic rom com always will.

• Lex Croucher: New York Times bestselling author of Gwen & Art Are Not in Love, their regency era novels are fun new-tellings of well-known historic periods and characters with a queer spin.

• Frederick Smith: a social justice advocate who works to help college-age students find their voices, his romances highlight intersectional relationships and plotlines that have you rooting for the main characters the whole way.

• Alison Cochrun: an award-winning LBGTQ romance writer, her iconic rom com plots play into all of our favorite tropes with a spectrum of queer relationships front and center.

• Chad Beguelin: the co-creator of one of my favorite musicals, The Prom (listen to the OBCR, but don't want the Netflix movie...), his debut novel Showmance hits stores this fall! I love celebrating a debut author, especially when I know how much I've loved his other work!

Bookstagram Creators

• Pride Book Tours: for all my booksta besties looking for a place to go for lgbtqia+ ARCs! They offer giveaways and are a great source for upcoming queer novels as well as connecting with like-minded readers in the comments.

• Curiosity Library: sharing so many resources and perspectives along with book reviews, she's put together a list of problematic authors that can help you walk the walk and make sure the authors you support are also supporting the communities we love!

• Just For Queer Books: creating a great (and safe) community centered around queer storytelling, he does a fantastic job of amplifying authors, titles, fellow readers, and more. Be sure to check out his queer books catalog to discover your next great read!

• This Queer Book Saved My Life: the accompanying social account for the award-nominated podcast, they highlight the importance of queer stories within the lgbtqia+ literary community and beyond. Learn about how diversity in books can actually be life changing.

• Books Beyond the Binary: with the motto "read queer all year," they do a great job of amplifying queer stories and reading initiatives like this year's Trans Rights Readathon and last year's 23 for 23!

Bookstores & Shops

• Queer Book Box: the book subscription service exclusively created to promote queer storytelling and support queer authors!

• BGSQD: an NYC-based all volunteer bookstore, cultural center, and event space dedicated to providing an open and inclusive space for dialogue and socializing.

• Hello Again Books: a woman and LGBTQ+ owned new and used bookstores providing a safe space on the Florida coast.

• Spoke and Words Books: knowing the power books have to bring people together, this Oregon-based bookstore was founded to help everyone find themselves at the center of a joyful story.

• Lavender Library: a 100% community supported and operated LGBTQ+ library, archive, and community space in Sacramento with queer books, films, archives, zines, and more.

These are just a few spaces in the book community where you can show your support and learn more about how you can be a good ally. Let me know if there's anyone else I should check out because there 100% is and I'm excited to hear who you love!

And let's keep making each other better. I had conversations with some really inspiring queer bookstagrammers who helped me put this post together and encouraged me to never be afraid to celebrate my friends as an ally.

Happy Pride!

All My Love,

Jane-Anne