by Stella Caldwell
illustrated by Season of Victory Linda Baritski
 
We've seen a few histories of LGBTQ+ activism arrive at our doors but some have felt a little rushed; many have been troubled by inaccuracies; a great many have been US-dominated. Now, at last, we have this! With a foreword by Layton Williams and an introduction by Sue Sanders, Chair of Schools Out UK and founder of LGBT History Month, this very fine swoop of a sweep over the LGBTQ+ movement, while pulling in necessary international contexts, is unapologetically UK in its focus. Dashing forwards from pre-1900 to the present day, key events are summarised alongside profiles of famous LGBTQ+ folk from history and the present- incl. Anne Lister, Marsha P Jonhson, Oscar Wilde, Christine & the Queens- as well as vox pox profiles, headed up 'Why I have pride', from a vibrant range of young UK people, including those who define as queer, as transgender, as lesbian, as a gay immigrant, as black queer, as non-binary, as Muslim. A historian's digestible delight: archive photos, highly quotable speech bubbles, iconographic illustrations, timelines, charts and fact boxes; the 'Have You Heard Of?' series introduces another marvellous scattering of role models from English poet, George Cecil Ives through to out, lesbian, paralympian, Claire Harvey. A highly readable, effortlessly intersectional, packed-with-rainbow-nuggets, history. 'This is really terrific. There is a powerful sense here that equality is hard won and that the fight goes on- but that we all contribute just by being proud of who we are... does an excellent job of acknowledging the additional discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ people of colour both within and outside the gay community... The design is great. I love the weight of it- it feels important but, with all the colour, celebratory as well. In other words, it feels Proud" (Mark, Equalities Trainer/Consultant, Letterbox Library reviewer). Age 10+, Hardback 124pp
 
Themes: LGBTQ+