Rainbow History Class: Your Guide Through Queer and Trans History

by Hannah McElhinney

Rainbow History Class is your entry into LGBTQ+ history, sharing queer and trans stories from Ancient civilisations all the way up to the internet. 

So much of queer and trans history and culture has been erased, but Hannah McElhinney, writer and creator of Rainbow History Class (as seen on TikTok), is here to help us all with this crash course. This history lesson isn’t dry and academic, nor is it glitter-soaked and reductive. It’s a comprehensive and entertaining romp through queer and trans history, full of secret queer codes, gender-bending icons, pop-culture knowledge and incredible activists.

More than anything, Rainbow History Class will make you feel connected to the stories of our rich and vibrant community. This knowledge will help spark conversations between your friends and family and be a source of comfort as you stand up for yourself and your community. This illustrated hardback book is a celebration for all LGBTQ+ people, and an invitation to the newly out that says, ‘Welcome to the club, let’s get you caught up!’

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Queer, LGBT, Audiobook, Politics, Adult

213 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 8, 2023

Reviews

[ethan william · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of what was covered in this book I already knew, since personally I am very passionate about history, but I believe that everyone, not just queer people, should read this book. It is so so important to know your history and to know where your rights came from and to know that sometimes, the best thing you can do is get angry. This book is a love letter to everyone who fought for queer rights, and I wish they could see how far we've come, that their actions changed things. But we've still got such a long way to go; it's important not to forget our brothers and sisters and siblings in less progressive countries. We cannot forget where we came from.

"...if we had the opportunity to learn about the lives of queer and trans people, we might come into ourselves sooner and perhaps be happier ... by learning the stories of people just like us, people who've felt the feelings we have, we can feel less alone. We can imagine that behind us is an army of people who have fought, over centuries, so that we can live and love as we are. With an army of lovers behind us -- friends and fighters and artists and scientists and kings and queens and emperors and house mothers and rebels and film stars -- we cannot lose."

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this! It was so informative and I feel like every person (not just every queer person) should read this book.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every school history class in the southern United States should be given this book as required reading...if nothing else than to completely discombobulate right wing homophobes and transphobes such as Ron DeSantis and his Republican ilk. This is gloriously easy to read, incredibly concise, and covers a huge swath of human history without being overwhelming. It's an in-your-face artefact to those who dream that certain segments of the population would just disappear...but it's not going to happen.

[Farnz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25⭐️
“Hannah McElhinney, writer & creator of Rainbow History Class (on TikTok), does a history crash course. It covers queer & trans history, secret queer codes, gender-bending icons, pop-culture & activists.”

Super interesting & I really enjoyed it. This does mostly focus on white LGBTQIA+ history but does touch on the rest of the world. If you want a short intro that spans decades, this is a great read. Also, this is the 2nd time I’m seeing Mashrou' Leila mentioned, I def have to listen to them! I also really enjoyed the interview at the end.

[katesbookcart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I can’t even begin to comprehend how WELL researched this was! It presented so many interesting questions as to what queer history & todays culture would look like if colonisation didn’t happen. It really covered global history in general which had such an emphasis on how we understand the development of queer history, whilst making each chapter fun and engaging (minus those few dark chapters). Despite being a gender studies major and having covered so much queer history already, this really took it a step further in an accessible way. HIGHLY recommend to anyone looking for a complete guide of queer history & icons across the globe.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still so much to learn!

[EuleAnnalena · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a lot to learn here. There was a lot I already knew, too, but a lot of new information just the same.

I love how empathetic the book is and how it is open about not being able to give you every single detail on the past of certain queer icons. (Also how some of them might not be looked upon very favorably in our modern eyes).

I obviously had wanted more of the older history (especially from the middle ages as this is my field of interest and expertise), but it makes sense to focus on the 19th/20th century onward.

I also liked how the author is transparent that a lot of history is unknown and some is left to interpretation. (One example: I had a lecture on dress and identity in ancient rome that featured Elagabal years ago; while I totally get that this book looks at the emperor in the light of Elagabal being potentially trans, my lecture had framed it as “Elagabal wore the traditional male clothes of their place of origin (ancient Syria), which was foreign to the Romans and through Roman lenses was women-coded, they also called Elagabel a woman to degrade them (and in a rather misogynistic turn show how they were 'unfit' to rule)”; So, maybe Elagabal was a trans woman or maybe they were a man whose gender expression differed from the culture they lived in - after 1800 years between us, who can really tell? It is still a very valid story to look into how gender is often a social construct eg. via clothing and I like how it was included here.

I especially liked the interview with the author at the end, actually (it’s in the audiobook version, don’t know about the physical copy).

I highly recommend this book to everyone who wants to learn a bit more about queer history. I would have actually liked it to be longer. In some places it can only touch the surface. I think it would make a great book to start off from if you want to look deeper into a specific topic.

[Kelly Eve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an amazing summary of sexuality and trans history across the world and cultures. It’s everything but linear. The marginalisation and stigmatisation of this community; that were once accepted and normalised within our history, is appalling. Much of this being pushed by people in authority, the government often based on outrageous fears being incorrectly communicated. She discusses a world and culture where trans people were normalised and in positions of power once upon a time, to a time where those who identified as lesbians were being forced to have their amygdala’s removed. Eye opening read.

[Gabi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a valuable resource! Fun, accessible, and clearly well researched. This book was broad in its focus and did its best to approach queer history from an intersectional perspective. How refreshing to have an Australian lens on these issues, too! Highly recommend this text, and the audio narration was great too.

[Lachlan Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slayyyyy, Serve, Survive

History ain’t as linear as we think

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent way to talk about queer history, it sections chapters by eras/decades and highlights important people. The language is accessible and also acknowledges changing terminology. I loved reading this book, and everything I learned, even though there were definitely some parts that were hard to read. It's all important.

[Ella Missen · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome read/listen. this was powerful af and the world should know about the queer history behind the key people and events of today.

[Lish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must-read for everyone, no exceptions

[Micky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal!!! So many important lessons from all around the world and all throughout history right up until recent years.

[Kevin Warman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Applause, Rainbow History Class is a triumph. McElhinney's writing is accessible and concise, providing an enjoyable reading experience.

While I've read about a number of the folks in this book, there were details and icons I was not familiar with. This book is great for people who want to start exploring queer history and those who want to brush up.

[Annika Hildebrecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many important stories I didn’t know about before - thank you!!

[Emmaby Barton Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 loved this so much!!

written in such an engaging and loving way. beautifully designed/illustrated. love it being from an aussie pov but also incredibly diverse and intersectional.

a lot of the general context i already knew - especially in the second half of the book - but still learned so many fun things, including:
- ‘platonic’ love coming from ‘plato’ who viewed it as a higher kind of love
- the cut sleeve still being referenced in china today because of an emperor who cut off his sleeve rather than wake his partner <3
- history of religions and sexuality
- genders beyond the binary in different cultures across time and location (always wanting to learn more about these!!)
- learning about historical context that gave rise to places like paris and berlin being more accepting of queers
- karl heinrich ulrichs - coming up with terms like urning/urningin, being proud to come out
- queer languages - not just polari!
- alice springs having the largest per-capita lesbian population in australia?!
- aversion therapies/brain surgeries queers subjected to makes me sick
- origins of sydney mardi gras
- history of drag - particularly balls/houses
- women/poc excluded from aids research and aids manifests differently in female bodies

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pros:
- oh hey look at that we have examples of queer folks from *checks notes* the dawn of history cool cool cool
- we love a trans priest (pastor? Idk church things and the book is across the room and that’s a lot of effort to expect a little guy to go through)
- I really liked the spotlight on individual people and their contributions to queer rights, history, and notoriety at points, just because it felt like a lovely way to go back to the individual and human in a book that had 7000 years to cover
- THERE’S A REASON THE L IS FIRST AND I THANK HANNAH FOR COVERING IT
- the spectrum of both identities and nationalities that this book covers was delightful

Cons:
- because of its length, there are certain conversations that are cut short and in the same vein some discussions aren’t very nuanced. I don’t know if there was a better way to do it in all of 250 pages, but there were a few areas that I had preexisting knowledge and was like “well technically you’re right but I don’t love how you’ve put this”

Overall:
A fun and easy to read primer on queer history, which also provides plenty of resources to keep digging yourself.

4.5/5

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute read with a light overview of LGBTQ+ history. It does tend to be heavy on the more modern history but really, that's where most of the reliable information. From ancient history with queer icons such as Rumi, Sappho and Hatshepsut to our modern day legends of the Stonewall Uprising this little book covers quite a bit. The author tries to frame the view of sexuality within society at the time and also how colonisation affected many countries and cultures which had entirely different views of gender and sexuality prior to the importation of sodomy laws.

The language is modern and easy to read, it's probably aimed at a slightly younger audience than me but it was an enjoyable regardless. Much of the modern history (concentration camps and the AIDS crisis) is upsetting to read but there is always uplifting elements included, people who fought against the status quo etc.

The layout and illustrations are also cute. Overall making this a very aesthetically pleasing book to read.

[Quinn Lester · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book in San Francisco bc i love history, but in ways that are easier to understand. This book has a ton of fun little illustrations and colorful pages that make reading it seem more fun. It’s also written in a (kind of) cringe way, so that made it more digestible. But that also meant it was hard to take it seriously sometimes lol. Like why are you saying slay.
Anyway, I really liked it, and I’m def more interested in reading about the specific topics it covers. It’s definitely one of my favorite books I own tho, just because of how pretty it is.

[mikaëla · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really love this book! a lot of the stuff that you kinda just absorb by being in queer circles are discussed in *a lot* more detail, and then there's stuff (and people, especially!) i have just never heard of before. i referenced it in one of my classes because queer history isn't really discussed outside queers circles except for like, straight people patting themselves on the back. anyway, good work, McElhinney!

[Elena Giselle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is incredible. I learned so much, I cried, I was inspired, I was heartbroken. This is everything that was missing from my history classes in school. It answered so many of my questions and filled in so many gaps!!! I want to give a copy to everyone I know and also random people on the street. I want to throw it at transphobes, homophobes, and Republican politicians (looking at you, Mitch McConnell 👀). 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

i adore this book. i read it for free on audible but want to buy a physical copy. this taught me so much about lgbt+ history, some i have even been able to utilise when facilitating lgbt+ affirming practice trainings. now i want to learn even more

[Malloree Nicholls · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

What an amazing and interesting read. I feel like I have learned so much. I've already shared titbits with my partner while watching tv together (which I'm sure he LOVES haha). This should be essential reading for history classes. Highly recommend.

[Basil · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a trans person living in todays political climate that is heavily determined to strip trans rights away, it’s extremely comforting and necessary to learn about those who have come before us and who have thrived in their identities.
A very good read, and one that made me super emotional and proud. Didn’t get to go to Pride this year but this book made it up to me.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were so many aspects of history that we have learned but never learned anything about the marginalized population. Rainbow History Class is so good and everyone should give it a read, regardless of your sexual orientation. I learned so much!

[John Blackley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really informative over view from the good old days till the modern era. Queer / LGBTIQA+ people have always existed but it's hard to tell some of those stories but McElhinney does a fantastic job trying too cover it all

[Clare Kirwan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's always interesting to relook at history from a different perspective. Whilst being a quick, fairly basic world history this time from a LGBTQ+ perspective, it still manages to be shocking to read about the senseless persecution, particularly by the moralistic religious British colonisers, of indigenous populations who often respected a wide range of different 'genders'. Interesting examples from around the world but I do question the veracity of some of the assertions from the author.

[Ninka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Additionally I learned more about how to interpret historical events through our modern lense than in all of my school history lessons.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.6

"An army of lovers cannot lose."