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Pride: An Inspirational History of the LGBTQ+ Movement

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Take pride in who you are! This inspiring history of the LGBTQ+ community enlightens young readers on the true timeline of LGBTQ+ history around the world, the lives of important figures like Harvey Milk, and iconic events like Stonewall.

The LGBTQ+ community is so much more than rainbow flags and the month of June. In this beautifully designed dynamic book, young readers will learn about groundbreaking events, including historic pushes for equality and the legalization of same-sex marriages across the world. They will dive into the phenomenal history of queer icons from ancient times to the present and read about Harvey Milk, Marsha P. Johnson, Audre Lorde, and more.

Including several personal current essays from inspiring young, LGBTQ+ people, this book encourages readers to take pride in their identity and the identities of those around them. Don’t just learn about LGBTQ+ history – take pride in it!

The lively four-color interior, including photographs and bold illustrations, enhances the text and makes this a beautiful and dynamic addition to any collection.

128 pages, Hardcover

Published April 19, 2022

17 people are currently reading
209 people want to read

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Stella Caldwell

45 books4 followers

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5 stars
82 (38%)
4 stars
96 (44%)
3 stars
32 (14%)
2 stars
2 (<1%)
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3 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
Profile Image for Alexandra.
407 reviews4 followers
June 5, 2022
This was a decent overview book and I learned a few new things. However, there were parts of it that felt like a miss.
1) Using "identifies as" in the bio sections is very 2010s.
2) Calling it "gender reassignment surgery" is incorrect. It's more commonly referred to as "gender confirmation/affirmation surgery" or I've heard it called "gender harmonization surgery." I understand this was referring to historical events, but we would all understand what it is if the current, more inclusive term were used.
3) The framing of the narrative tends to support a view that "The West" is more progressive about LGBTQ rights than the rest of the world. Barely any mention is given to how Indigenous cultures had their own gender systems and views on sexuality, which were often more expansive and accepting than the cultures that colonized them. There was no mention of Two Spirit people or any Indigenous genders. Furthermore, there was no discussion of TERFs, which, given that the author is from the UK, a country where TERFs are regularly platformed in the media and try to dominate discussions of women's rights and LGBTQ issues, seems like a glaring oversight. If you're going to talk about backlash to progress, that would be a very current and necessary issue to discuss. Unless your narrative is that, "Things are good now in my country. It's those other, backwards countries that need to catch up." I don't think that's what she was going for, which is why I'm rating this book 4 stars.
Profile Image for Meg.
476 reviews30 followers
December 29, 2023
I'm glad this book exists, but it could have been done a lot better. Don't put pride flags on the cover of your book and then never define them? Don't say reinforcement cops "rescued" the police from Stonewall? Don't use bright colors and pretty fonts to talk about people dying of AIDS?
Profile Image for Jessica Faust.
17 reviews1 follower
March 5, 2023
Challenging myself to read out of my genre comfort zones and learned a lot along the way.
Profile Image for Pumkin pie.
315 reviews
October 1, 2022
I'd rate this book a three-and-a-half star rating. It was very helpful and informational. I enjoyed getting to know the LGBTQIA+ movement and history through this book. Everyone should read this book, because if they do, then everyone will have a better understanding of our history and everyone would be a bit more accepting. But, as it says in the book, this should be used as a starting point, a liftoff, a helper. In other words, you shouldn't just stop here. There is so much more, just waiting to be discovered! As I said earlier, I reccomend this book to everyone.
Profile Image for Isabelle.
418 reviews
December 27, 2022
Might have had more thoughts, but this is what I wrote down.

I greatly appreciated the timelines (I have a strong interest in queer legal history). Also loved the full two pages on Section 28

The book opens with a note on needing to take care when describing historical figures as specific identity words that were not available to them at them time, and then proceeds to call every single person named either homosexual, bisexual, or a lesbian. (Only one or two trans people - this and the following paragraph are about the first parts of the book, as it obviously gets very different when people were living with terminology to define themselves.)

Even worse, every single afab person who dressed masculine, used a masculine name, even lived as a man with close friends, is described ONLY a butch lesbian (or in one case, bi, I think), with no consideration given to even the POSSIBILITY that they might be gender-variant in identity. The only person whose gender variance is acknowledged is a transwoman who had surgery and make legal changes. Even the Polari term for gay man translating to “man-woman” is given as a fun fact and not an opportunity to explore how sexual orientation and gender identity were not seen as so distinct and separate back in those days, and so many of these people might not have thought of their identity in the same way we do. Perfect example of this: someone who self-described as “a female soul trapped in a male body” is exclusively referenced to as a homosexual man.

Possibly the most gross oversight in this book was the phrase “the gender-fluid frontman… Boy George.” This is the kind of misstep you’d except from a 30 year old magazine, not a book specifically written about queer history — it is likely meant to describing his practice of drag, not his gender identity, but given that genderfluid is a gender identity, it is so unbelievably stupid. Boy George is not genderfluid. Boy George appears to have never said anything about his own gender identity and is possibly even just a little transphobic [x], but probably not. You’d think a book written by and for queer people would know the different between gender identity and gender expression, the difference between being transgender and doing drag… Oh, wait, perhaps I should say “LGBTQ+ people” because that’s what the book markets itself as… look, I do understand that many people are uncomfortable with the word “queer,” but I do also take using "LGBTQ+" these days to mean a certain level of, like trying to be palatable to cishets.

Anyways, this actually happened a SECOND TIME when musician Christine and the Queens
is frank about she is “gender-fluid”

quotation marks original. Once again, this appears to be in the sense of presentation, as I did some research and it seems like Chris, as he is now known (making this book very outdated in just three years, as he goes by he/him pronouns now), has not identified as the genderfluid gender identity, but has described his gender in ways that could be considered that. He identifies as genderqueer.

While I’ve managed to figure out this mistake both times, I don’t doubt that younger kids who are less familiar with queer terminology will have an inaccurate impression of either/both the word’s meaning and these people. (It is correctly defined in the glossary at the end, but that just leads to more confusion with the two musicians.) Also, a genderfluid person reading this book may feel erased, as there no real gender fluid people mentioned, but plenty of distortion and creation of confusion regarding the term. Just. Don't use the word "gender-fluid" to describe presentation when you can say "gender-bending" or "does drag." Like I said, it's a very... cishet... mistake to make.
Profile Image for Ms. Yingling.
3,925 reviews605 followers
October 28, 2022
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

This history of the LGBTQ+ movement gives a good overview of history combined with more explanation of some specifics and a few short memoirs addressing the meaning of pride from currect activists. A lot of information is packed into 128 pages! Starting as far back as ancient Greece and Rome and proceeding quickly to the twentieth century, young readers learn about the general treatment of the LGBTQIA+ community and hear about significant individuals who forwarded the cause. From Anne Lister and Oscar Wilde to Marsha Johnson, Harvey Milk, and Glenn Burke, there are short biographies that are used to highlight changes in perception and acceptance. The Stonewall Riots are mentioned as a turning point (for further information on this pivotal event, Pitman's The Stonewall Riots is a must read), and the AIDS Crisis is described under the chapter heading "Disaster". The book concludes with chapters on "The Fight Goes On Around the World", which is helpful, since the book does have a slight UK focus when it comes to some individuals and legislation. There are also plenty of US connections, including a sidebar about the Native American concept of two spirited individuals. The format is very brightly colored, and there are a few photographs included with some of the biographies and historical descriptions. There is a glossary, index, and very nice and complete timeline. (That would be helpful to have as a fold out, even though thoses don't hold up to library use very well.)
Strengths: This is a very thorough history packed into a very short book, and will introduce younger readers to the Pride movement in a very complete way. The addition of "what Pride means to me" essays by younger people will add to the appeal.
Weaknesses: The print is a bit small, and middle grade could use a slightly shorter version that didn't delve into as many details of British legislation. Because so many LGBTQIA+ titles are currently being held to such unfair scrutiny by members of the public, I think it is important to mention that there is a definition of sodomy as anal sex, and very brief and completely nondescriptive mentions of the fact that sex occurred and there were political and sociological consequences for this. Absolutely nothing is instructive or graphic in any way; "had sex" is about as detailed as it gets. Students would get more information from the dictionary, but this is important for teachers and librarians to know should there be questions.
What I really think: This was a very complete and interesting history of LGBTQIA+ history and the Pride movement, delivered in a very attractive book that is well formatted and illustrated. Since it is published by Penguin Worshop, I'm assuming that it will be paper over boards, which is a shame, since a jacketed hardcover would have a longer shelf life. It is a starting point for high school readers, since most of the history is not investigated in depth, but will be a lot of information for middle school students to digest, especially if this is their first foray into this social history. This does not have as much detail as Wind's No Way They Were Gay, but provides a lot more information than Lombardo's Inside the LGBTQ+ Movement (Gareth Stevens, 2018).
Profile Image for Abigail Beckwith.
1,645 reviews
June 10, 2024
old post reposted


I bought "Pride: An Inspirational History of the LGBTQ+ Movement" back in June (by Stella Caldwell) and finally got around to reading it.
["Take pride in who you are! This inspiring history of the LGBTQ+ community enlightens young readers on the true timeline of LGBTQ+ history around the world, the lives of important figures like Harvey Milk, and iconic events like Stonewall.

The LGBTQ+ community is so much more than rainbow flags and the month of June. In this beautifully designed dynamic book, young readers will learn about groundbreaking events, including historic pushes for equality and the legalization of same-sex marriages across the world. They will dive into the phenomenal history of queer icons from ancient times to the present and read about Harvey Milk, Marsha P. Johnson, Audre Lorde, and more.

Including several personal current essays from inspiring young, LGBTQ+ people, this book encourages readers to take pride in their identity and the identities of those around them. Don’t just learn about LGBTQ+ history – take pride in it!

The lively four-color interior, including photographs and bold illustrations, enhances the text and makes this a beautiful and dynamic addition to any collection."]

This book was SUPER informative. At times it was a smidge dense, but it was filled with so much information, fun facts, quotes, biographies, pictographs, and more.

It was beautiful in its history and its endurance, just like the history of the LGBTQ+ movement.

If you know nothing about this part of history, this is a good place to start. If you know a lot about the LGBT+ movement, this would make an excellent addition to your collection. Either way, I completely recommend this book.

#pride #prideaninspirationalhistoryofthelgbtqmovement #aninspirationalhistoryofthelgbtqmovement #stellacaldwell #books #lgbtbooks #childrensbooks #childrenslgbtbooks #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks
48 reviews
June 13, 2023

Given that June is Pride month, I wanted to read a factually accurate history of the LGBTQIA+ movement, from our current reality to as early as research and artifacts shows, and this book accomplishes that.


The structure of this non-fiction novel is very logical and comprehensible for readers of any age or understanding, and various features - such as quotes, timelines, dictionary entries, biographies, and even personal essays from people who show Pride - enhanced its informative, colorful, and compelling pages. In fact, I learned so much important history that I wish had been addressed more in education - the hardships and challenges once and still faced by the LGBTQIA+ community need to be recognized from primary to secondary to high school. There were so many people and foundations of whom I'd been unaware, and their Pride and refusal to subside to society's irrational stereotypes is truly inspiring. I also learned more regarding what it means to be transgender, and how society's disapproval has affected transgender humans. The ending invigorated me to learn more, to advocate for all love and gender identities anywhere and everywhere, and to be the best, most compassionate human I can be.


However, I do wish that the book had been more expansive with gender and sexuality terms, as it hardly mentioned any identities aside from lesbian, gay, bisexual, non-binary, and transgender - and there are so many others that need recognition in history. I also believe that my rating could have been improved to 4 stars had this novel been more accurate with specific terms.

Profile Image for Stephanie Sienkiewicz.
261 reviews1 follower
August 14, 2023
This is a stellar book. I learned a lot about LGBTQ+ history that I hadn't encountered before, plus deeper dives into some of the events/people I recognized. It doesn't pull punches - it covers violence, the AIDS epidemic and government negligence, and ongoing lack of support/outright discrimination. But it also highlights so much queer joy and determination, even at times to a point that feels cheesy or forced, but I appreciated the author's unwillingness to let the overarching narrative be written about the darkness of discrimination.

I think this is the perfect book for middle/Jr high school through high school aged kids to learn about the long-standing history of the LGBTQ+ community, how diverse it is, how hard won the achievements and recognition of rights have been, and what work is left to do. Highly recommend.
Profile Image for Ella.
111 reviews
August 14, 2023
I read this on a whim since I rarely ever read non-fiction. I felt that it was important to have a better understanding of queer history though so I picked this up since it seemed to cover a lot of different time periods. Although it did do that, it wasn't very in depth (which is what it is marketed as, but specific turning points such as Stonewall were glazed over way too quickly in my opinion). The writing style was also difficult at times, not because it was confusing, but because it was kind of dull, almost like a long and simplified Wikipedia article. In general, 3.5 stars rounded up.
Profile Image for April.
26 reviews
June 19, 2024
This book is genuinely a 5 star read. I was just not a fan of the random personal short essays. They were placed with no context and intention throughout the book. To me, they were just placed randomly and it was just an organizational issues that I did not like. Aside from that the content was great. Growing up religious and as an ethnic minority in an environment clinging to. more traditional values learning about the LGBTQIA+ community was not a conversation I ever had. Everything I know has been without intention and I just never had any proper education. I read this because I had questions and I wanted more understanding on the LGBTQIA+ community & its history. I really struggle to understand what it must have been like being queer in the past given that now being queer is more normalized than other time periods. Loved seeing reference of the Danish girl, Lily. This is a great book to get a general overview on the disparities this community has faced throughout time.
Profile Image for Kassy Nicholson.
519 reviews12 followers
June 3, 2022
This book is exactly what it claims to be, an inspirational history of the LGBTQ+ movement. It is a pretty short book, with an appealing, colorful design. There were short chapters on many of the gay rights movement's major events and periods, as well as little bios of many LGBTQ+ pioneers. If I had one criticism, it would be that I think it could have done without the little "What Pride Means to Me" sections. Most of them were not particularly well written, and they didn't add much to the text.
Profile Image for Sara B.
138 reviews5 followers
July 9, 2022
It’s a nice overview, and as someone who has an interest in LGBTQ+ history I had already known, or at least heard of, some of the people and events mentioned, but others I didn’t recognize. It’s not very in-depth, but it does give you somewhere to start so you can do more research on your own later on. It’s a quick read, I finished it in about two hours over the course of a few days (I was reading the ebook so it shows how long it took me). And props to the artists, the art is really cute and, of course, colorful 😊
Profile Image for Michell Duarte Rosa.
40 reviews
June 30, 2025
I highly recommend reading this book. I began reading it as my own private celebration of pride month. what better way to celebrate pride month than to read up on the history of pride and find out the very reason why it exists?

the way this book is formatted makes reading it and understanding the information inside it easy to understand. the colors on the pages, the anecdotes, the human stories told inside and everything made this an enjoyable read
Profile Image for Katie.
441 reviews4 followers
March 25, 2024
Bought this for the ace flag on the front, thinking it was a history coming right up to the modern times and including my identity. (Not that asexuality is a new thing.) But nope!! The word asexuality is mentioned once, in a list of other identities while defining the word “queer.” Perish that thought that a book about queer identities EVER mention aromanticism either.
103 reviews6 followers
May 18, 2022
Wonderfully informative. This book is a gold mine of information presented in a clear, pleasant way. It doesn't shy away from the bad stuff, but explains it simply. Accessible, color, full of queer joy. I have it for my class and I want to read to every student I have.
Profile Image for Kristen M. .
440 reviews31 followers
June 11, 2022
Quick overview of pivotal events, biographical profiles, and LGBTQ+ movements around the world and throughout history. I liked that this book also included regular profiles of various individuals, (not famous) and allowed folks to share their identities and stories on the page.
Profile Image for Kathleen.
Author 1 book49 followers
Read
September 2, 2022
Queer content: queer history, though it leaves out *a lot* - asexuality isn’t even in the glossary, though there’s a button on the cover with the ace flag, and there are some other inaccurate or out of date terms used
Profile Image for Diana.
Author 3 books52 followers
November 1, 2022
This is a fantastic book that covers LGBTQ history as well as contemporary stories from LGBTQ youth. Includes lots of photos and graphics, with factoids and timelines throughout. Very approachable for middle grade and high school readers.
Profile Image for Em.
217 reviews3 followers
July 2, 2023
A comprehensive, yet easy to digest background on the LGBT movement and various people involved. I loved all the bright colors and the addition of photos, as well! It doesn’t have everything but if there is someone “new” to this, it might be a good introduction.
169 reviews
February 23, 2025
This was a quick read, but a good (if basic) intro to the history and issues of the LGBTQ+ world. I found it to be good jumping off point for further reading and, as the cis-het sponsor of a GSA, enjoyably informative.
Profile Image for Mary Lara.
55 reviews
June 23, 2025
I wanted to read this to learn more during pride month. I did, and I think this is a great introductory book. It’s colorful and the design with quotes and speech bubbles make it a fun experience too.
Profile Image for Greyson.
253 reviews5 followers
May 25, 2022
4.5 stars. Great overview and good starting place for anyone interested in LGBTQ+ history. I especially liked the profiles of LGBTQ+ peoplee.
Profile Image for Jami Ellis.
494 reviews2 followers
September 27, 2022
Very informative history of the LGBTQ+ movement. Very eye opening.
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