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Books and films to celebrate Pride Month

The Marriott Library has you covered for all your Pride reading and viewing needs.

June is Pride Month! There are lots of different ways to learn about the LGBTQIA2s+ community and celebrate those who are a part of it. The J. Willard Marriott Library has a wide array of materials available to students, faculty and staff including lots of great books and films.

What to watch

 

"Moonlight" (2016)

A moving and transcendent look at three defining chapters in the life of Chiron, a young man growing up in Miami. His epic journey to adulthood, as a shy outsider dealing with difficult circumstances, is guided by support, empathy and love from the most unexpected places.

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"Paris is Burning" (1990)

This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City’s African American and Latinx Harlem drag-ball scene.

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"Coming Out" (2018)

Join Ann Curry as those whose lives were changed by the early days of the gay rights movement reunite. Tom wants to find the childhood friend who urged him to come out, while Paul seeks a fellow student who inspired him to stand up for his beliefs.

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"Handsome Devil" (2017)

Ned and Conor are forced to share a bedroom at their boarding school. The loner and the star athlete at this rugby-mad school form an unlikely friendship until it’s tested by the authorities in this award-winning coming of age tale.

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"It’s Elementary" (1996)

This film takes cameras into classrooms across the U.S. to look at one of today’s most controversial issues: Whether and how LGBT issues should be discussed in schools.

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"It’s Still Elementary" (2007)

This film examines the incredible impact of the groundbreaking original documentary "It’s Elementary–Talking About Gay Issues in School." It’s a great case study of how documentary filmmaking coupled with a robust grassroots campaign, can literally change the world. This film follows up with teachers and students featured in the first film to see how having teachers in elementary and middle school who taught them about LGBT people affected their lives.

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"Not a Boy, Not a Girl" (2020)

Meet young Australians who do not identify as either male or female to gain an understanding of their lives and experiences.

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What to read

"Fresh Ink: An Anthology" by Walter Dean Meyers (and others)

This anthology contains a little bit of everything—from a deaf spy and a meet-cute about two girls at a convention, to a story about keeping dreams alive. It is diverse, sweet and one of the most important anthologies for teens of our time.

check it out

 

"The Song of Achilles" by Madeline Miller

This book never fails to make me cry and smile in equal parts—expert prosody, wonderfully melancholic characters and a secret love make this a Greek tragedy for modern times.

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"Little & Lion" by Brandy Colbert

Watching two siblings’ relationships shift as Lionel is diagnosed with bipolar disorder and Suzette finds herself in love with the girl that Lionel is dating presents an emotional and evocative journey to the reader that is both sweet and haunting.

check it out

"Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Aristotle and Dante’s relationship comes alive with Sáenz’s poetic writing—the result is a beautifully nostalgic love letter to finding one’s sexuality in a fleeting summer.

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"Darius The Great is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram

Darius is a character that sticks with the reader long after the last page—he is funny, sensitive, an absolute Star Trek buff—and his grappling with his sexuality makes the reader endear him more.

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"Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli

A plus-size teenager navigating her sexuality and coming to terms with being bisexual while preparing for prom is exactly what 17- year-old me needed to feel seen in LGBTQ+ literature, and I hope other readers will find a similar experience with one of the titles on this list.

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