Queer Joy Anthology

by Danmei Authors Campaign, M. O'Hara (Editor)

This anthology was created as a campaign to spread awareness of the crackdown that's happening to danmei writers. For more information, visit @savedanmeiauthors.

You can expect both fantastical and more realistic fiction and poetry within this anthology. Our vision was to create an anthology encapsulating various kinds of queer joy from around the world.

Genres: Queer, Lesbian

170 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 20, 2025

Reviews

[Abbey Lancaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been assisting with a fundraiser to keep a queer, disabled Chinese author pay court fines for writing queer stories, and therefore keep her out of a prison sentence that would be incredibly dangerous for her as a disabled person.
One of the several ways we are fundraising for this writer is by publishing an anthology from which all the proceeds will go to the fundraiser.
I myself bought a copy, and read it, and this is my honest opinion on the book itself.
We decided on theming the anthology for queer joy, and the stories within deliver that goal. This anthology is roughly half poetry and half prose fiction, from a variety of authors and showcasing a beautiful variety of LGBTQIA identities and racially marginalized characters, all experiencing joy. The stories are not all angst free, and sometimes that joy is tinged with sadness, but that joy is always there, often founded in strength and hope.
Some of the stories in this anthology are fantasy or science fiction, some are simple, slice of life contemporary stories, and some are poignant poetry. My favorites included a story of a undead spirit from the Tang dynasty and his lover who bring vengance for other spirits who have been harmed, a very soft story about an ace witch in a fantasy world moving in with what I read as a queerplatonic bestie, and a masc girl who finally gets with the cheerleader she was crushing. However, I must admit that the piece that hit me that hardest was a beautiful little poem celebrating a first sapphic love that got away but paved the way for all the writer’s other sapphic loves.
In short, this is a delightful little anthology, both on the merit of its simple celebration of the joys of being queer- both large and small, and because it’s purchase helps with supporting a queer author.

[Frances Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so proud to be a very small part of such a meaningful, varied and important collection.

[Irina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fundraising anthology is a lovely mix of prose, poetry, and illustrations. Genre-wise, there's great variety, too. Contemporary, fantasy, sci-fi, and even a creative non-fiction piece. Lots of romance, but also some other topics, like asexuality, queer friendship, and trans identity, which I appreciated.

One criticism I have is that CNs would have been more helpful placed before each piece instead of the beginning, or at least listed in order for each piece for easier orientation.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read for me, and I'd recommend it if you're looking for bite-sized queer reads to dig into! Below is a list of micro reviews for each featured piece. I've marked my favorites with heart emojis, and tried to add genre + what kind of representation it contains to each one (do let me know if I've forgotten anything). These don't spoil the plot, but just in case someone prefers to go into anthologies blind (like I do), I've hidden them behind spoiler tags.

Queer Joy by Margot
Illustration. And what a beautiful one! Conveys the spirit of the anthology perfectly.

IN SICKNESS AND HEALTH by Nancy Tran
Contemporary, M/M. Sweet and very short. Reads more like a feel-good snippet/scene than a full story.

SILK AND SILVER by Lia Lim
Fantasy, M/M. Korean MC and LI. Oooh, I love the worldbuilding in this one. Beautiful story with melancholic undertones that made me smile by the end.

MY FRIEND THE WITCH by Annalisa Ely
Fantasy, ace rep, queer friendship. Cozy witchy vibes, very wholesome and sweet. I liked it.

Untitled 2.19.25 by Katie Flournoy 🖤
Poetry, romantic. Dreamy and beautifully written with some space imagery. Loved it!

I SEE GOD EVERYWHERE by Xyler E. R. 🖤
Poetry, achillean. Gayness as divinity. Stunning poem which I loved a lot.

THE NIGHT FOREVER BEGAN by Percy Elkins
Contemporary, M/M. A cute story about an established couple and a birthday surprise. The writing was relatively plain, and contemporary romance is not my fave, but I enjoyed the story.

QUEERNESS IS RECOGNITION by Noah Fuego
Poetry. The name says it all — a tender poem about seeing and accepting oneself through queerness.

THE SHIRT OFF HIS BACK By Jennifer MD Cox 🖤
Contemporary, M/M. Chinese characters. Restaurant patron keeps coming back for the server he silently admires. Loved the tension and the writing in this one! I'd read a full book about these two ngl.

UDDHĀRAKA by Yashoda U. Itwaru
Not entirely sure where this falls genre-wise, M/M. A bit of a bittersweet one with Hinduistic elements. Very interesting read, would have loved a bit more background story/context.

ARE YOU WITH ME by J. L. Kies
Sci-Fi/Dystopian, M/M. Suspenseful and emotional. I'm not usually a huge sci-fi/futurism/dystopia reader but did like this concept and the worldbuilding strewn in. Enjoyed the read.

A LOVE LETTER TO MY QUEER FRIENDS by Cypher 🖤
Poetry, queer friendship. Such a feely poem. Always great seeing queer friendship represented! The poet did an amazing job at capturing the joy and vibes of it, too.

HUMAN (UN)BEING by Scarlet Tempest
Poetry. A short, bittersweet poem about choosing your own well-being over a close person's approval. While the writing itself was not 100% my cup of tea and it didn't quite fit with the otherwise mostly lighthearted tone of the anthology, I liked the message and it hit hard emotionally.

WHEN I AM NINETY by Frances M. Thompson 🖤
Poetry, sapphic / F/F. Reflective, touching, and sweet. Loved it.

STAY By J. L. Kies
Poetry, M/M. Intimate and romantic, very reverent in tone. I enjoyed it.

PRIDE by M.D. Robins
Creative non-fiction, queer belonging/community. A recollection of someone's first experiences with pride. Sweet, joyful, and had me smiling along by the end.

PARADISE GIRL by Delta 🖤
Poetry, romantic. Goddamnit. So short and yet so powerful and reverent. I love it.

SELF-PORTRAIT IN SIX SIX-WORD STORIES by Mickee Cheung
Micro writing. Unusual. I did like the vibes.

WITHOUT PERMISSION by Tejo Chen
Poetry. Oooh, a grid poem. I always find those so fascinating. The poet made it work well.

WORDS NEVER SPOKEN by Ivana Sweet
Poetry, F/F. Reflection on a potential past crush. Very relatable.

OLD DOGS, NEW TRICKS by M. L. Eaden
Contemporary, friendship, achillean rep. A lighthearted story about two single dads who help each other out with babysitting and become best friends along the way. Liked it.

SUNDAY MORNING POPSICLES by Byrd Koto
Paranormal, friendship. At times, I was a bit confused as to what was happening here and how several things mentioned. The element of queer joy was also kind of lacking for me here.

IN THE VALLEY By Mickee Cheung
Poetry. Highlights friendship and has vague cottagecore vibes imo. Liked it.

PULSE by Khala Grace
Sci-Fi. The queerness wasn't 100% apparent in this one and the joy wasn’t until the very end, but still an interesting read. Felt like the beginning of a larger story.

GENERATION UNDEAD BRONX GOTHIC SUMMER SPECIAL (JULY 1997) By Jude Deluca
Urban fantasy, transfem MC. A short read about the MC embracing her true self after a magical transition of sorts. Reflective, at times witty, at times emotional. I liked it.

DOWN, SET, LOVE by Ashleigh Martin 🖤
Urban fantasy, college setting, F/X. Black MC and LI. A sweet, magic-tinged romantic short which I enjoyed a lot.

OUR LIFE by D.C. Emerson
Contemporary, M/M with queer chosen family. Includes allergy rep. Cozy short that takes place at a queer café. I liked it.

TO BEING FOUND by Alek L. Cristea
Sci-Fi with M/M, trans rep, ace rep, diverse PoC characters. A hopeful short about a queer crew getting lost in space. Liked it a lot!

Queer Joy by Taylor Park 🖤
Illustration. Gorgeous, Gorgeous work! Perfect for the theme.

MY TRIANGLE WITH THE SNAKE COUPLE by Lucifinil
Magical school setting, MFM. Trans, polyam, and bi rep. Chinese characters. Contains some undernegotiated spice and an at times questionable polyam dynamic. Unusual, but I overall I liked the story. The writing style was not my fave though.

[M. O'Hara · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I may be biased in my opinion of this anthology, I love it simply for the fact that it exists and that it brought so many people together for a common goal: to illustrate queer joy and all the wonderful aspects of it.

The talented folks who contributed to this anthology are the reason why Queer Joy Anthology even exists in the first place. From poetry to prose, sadness to elation, this anthology does a phenomenal job at showcasing what queer joy looks like.

All earnings garnered from sales go towards saving a queer and disabled Danmei author in China who has been affected by the crackdown on queer authors. As a global community, it's important that we uplift voices and support fellow queer creatives that exist outside of Westernized queerness. May we all one day exist in a world where we don't have to hide who we are or who we love.