Queer Anthologies for Any Occasion

By Ally Hendricks

Edited by Shea Campion

Anthologies are collections of short stories, essays, or poems by multiple authors, compiled into one volume. The writing inside is typically tied together by a central theme or topic. For readers, anthologies have many different advantages—you can read from a large number of authors in a short time, they are great for when you only have a few minutes to read, and they are a way to dive into a specific theme from different perspectives.

In celebration of Pride Month, here are seven anthologies that cover an array of themes and genres.

Trans & Disabled: An Anthology of Identities and Experiences, edited by Alex Iantaffi

Trans & Disabled is a nonfiction anthology that involves exactly what it advertises: essays, poems, memories, and even a photograph that discusses what it is like to have multiple marginalized identities. The anthology is divided into three sections: Who we are, Being (treated) different, and Loving Ourselves and Each Other. There are so many vulnerable and raw accounts of how gender and disability are connected, how being trans and disabled creates extra barriers to societal acceptance and safety, and how these authors are finding joy in their lives.

Authors include: 

• (Team) Meg-John Barker

• Shanna Katz Kattari

• Jeong Eun Park

• Coltan J. Schoenike

• Silas Bourns

• kitty lu bear

• Mya Saracho

• Alex Iantaffi

• Eddy Samara

• Finlay Games

• Lawrence Lorraine Mullen

• Liz Moore

• Maxwell Colette Von Raven

• Nova Larkin Schrage

• Jac (they/them) of GenderMeowster

• T Boris-Schacter

• Jonathan Eden

• Ollie Millerhoff

• Root Holden

• Lee K Hulme

• Milo Cooper

• H Howitt

• Lior Effinger-Weintraub

This Is How We Roll, edited by Rosiee Thor

A YA fiction anthology, This Is How We Roll is a compilation of stories that celebrate the creativity and fun of tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs). Specifically, this anthology explores how queerness and TTRPGs can go hand in hand, as the games give players a chance to explore gender and relationships. Even though all of the stories revolve around TTRPGs, they are written in a way that is accessible to readers with no prior experience.

Authors include:

• Rosiee Thor

• DeAndra Davis

• Tara Sim

• Linsey Miller

• M. K. England

• Anna Meriano

• Jonny Garza Villa

• Marieke Nijkamp

• Jamie Pacton

• Margaret Owen

• Andrew Joseph White

• Akemi Dawn Bowman

• Rebecca Podos

The New Lesbian Pulp, edited by Sarah Fonseca and Octavia Saenz

This adult fiction anthology explores the subgenre of lesbian pulp fiction, from historical lesbian fiction to what queer pulp fiction looks like today. The anthology is divided into four different sections. Women’s Work explores what happens when women take matters into their own hands; Coming of Rage dives into transformations; Best You Never Had explores themes of missed connections; and Some Like it Fraught looks at tropes and narratives that society may deem unworthy. With its gore and darker stories, proceed with caution, but enjoy a diverse array of lesbian pulp.

Authors include: 

• Nadine Santoro

• Rose Jeanou

• Anna Dorn

• L. J. Webb (Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney)

• Alice Dunbar-Nelson

• Astrid Anne Rose

• Sarah Schulman

• Ella Boureau

• Emily Jones (Lorraine Hansberry)

• M. J. Corey

• Shamim Sarif

• Grace Byron

• Trae Higgs

• Eve Adams (Eva Kotchever)

• August Clarke

• Octavia C. Saenz

• Dora Rosetti (Nelli Kaloglopoulou-Bogiatzoglou)

• Sarah Fonseca.

Mouths of Rain: An Anthology of Black Lesbian Thought, edited by Briana Simone Jones

Another nonfiction anthology, Mouths of Rain follows decades of writing by Black lesbian authors divided into five sections: Uses of the Erotic, Interlocking Oppressions and Identities, Coming Out and Stepping Into, The Sacred, and Radical Futurities. The book features poems, fiction, essays, interviews, and more from 1909 to 2020, showcasing that Black lesbian thought exists, has existed, and will always exist. This title is also being featured in our Readin’ Summer Program, which you can read about here. 

Authors include: 

• Ma Rainey

• Cheryl Clarke

• Red Jordan Arobateau

• Alice Ruth Moore Dunbar-Nelson

• Alice Walker

• Angelina Weld Grimké

• Audre Lorde

• Lucille Bogan

• Michelle Parkerson

• Monica Arac de Nyeko

• Pat Parker

• Terri Jewell

• Barbara Smith

• Anita Cornwell

• Ann Allen Shockley

• Dawn Lundy Martin

• Kai Davis

• Kaila Story

• Mecca Jamilah Sullivan

• Pamela Sneed

• Catherine E. McKinley

• L. Joyce Delaney

• Beverly Smith

• Dionne Brand

• Akasha Gloria Hull 

• JP Howard

• Janae Johnson

• Jewelle Gomez

• Michelle Cliff

• Moya Bailey

• M. Jacqui Alexander

• Omotara James

• Alexis De Veaux

• Alexis Pauline Gumbs

• Arisa White

• Cheryl Boyce-Taylor

• doris diosa davenport

• Pauli Murray

• SDiane Bogus

• Sangodare Akinwale

• Sharon Bridgforth

• Barbara Jordan

• Demita Frazier

• Charlene A. Carruthers 

• Bettina Love

• Cathy J. Cohen

• Kate Rushin

• Savannah Shange

• Shawn(ta) Smith-Cruz

• Susana Morris.

Being Ace: An Anthology of Queer, Trans, Femme, and Disabled Stories of Asexual Love and Connection, edited by Madeline Dyer

Being Ace is a YA fiction anthology that once again is self-explained by its title. The stories inside range from fantasy to science fiction to contemporary, and all depict main characters with a range of asexual identities. On top of acespec representation, many stories have intersecting identities as they explore disability, being transgender, and race.

Authors include:

• Madeline Dyer

• RoAnna Sylver

• Rosiee Thor

• Lara Ameen

• Kat Yuen

• S. J. Taylor

• Anju Imura

• Cody Daigle-Orians

• Ayida Shonibar

• K. Hart

• Akemi Dawn Bowman

• Linsey Miller

• Moniza Hossain

• Emily Victoria

• S. E. Anderson

• Jas Brown

Being Aro: A Collection of Aromantic Fiction about Love, Connection, and Empowerment, edited by Madeline Dyer and Rosiee Thor

The companion to Being Ace, Being Aro focuses on specifically aromantic identities via a YA fiction lens. These stories divert away from romantic love and romantic subplots, and serve as diverse ways in which aromanticism is experienced. From contemporary fiction to sci-fi to fantasy, these authors remind us how platonic relationships are just as important and valuable as romantic ones. 

Authors include: 

• Ann Zhao

• Soumi Roy

• Taka Owen

• Kemi Ashing-Giwa

• Rosiee Thor

• Ian M. Carlisle

• Kalyn Josephson

• Claudie Arseneault

• Rukman Ragas

• Isa Fiel

• Madeline Dyer

• Laura Pohl

• Julie Sondra Decker

Love After the End: An Anthology of Two-Spirit & Indigiqueer Speculative Fiction, edited by Joshua Whitehead

This adult speculative fiction anthology focuses on utopian scenarios that highlight the strength of queer Indigenous people. Many of these stories have science fiction vibes, with lots of themes about resisting colonialism, climate change, and connecting to the Earth even in futuristic spaces where Turtle Island is no longer a viable habitat.

Authors include: 

• Joshua Whitehead

• David A. Robertson

• Nathan Adler

• Nazbah Tom

• jaye simpson

• Mari Kurisato

• Gabriel Castilloux Calderón

• Darcie Little Badger

• Kai Minosh Pyle

• Adam Garnet Jones

Hopefully, with the range of genres, categories, and queer representation, these anthologies will help you find stories that fit any occasion.