365 Gays of the Year (Plus 1 for a Leap Year): Discover LGBTQ+ history one day at a time

by Lewis Laney, Charlotte MacMillan-Scott (Illustrator)

*SHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH BOOK DESIGN AND PRODUCTION AWARDS 2023*

A fun and fascinating compendium of LGBTQ+ icons, one for every day of the year, and a celebration of queer history – or as RuPaul would say; Herstory!  

Discover your queer hero and learn something new every day with 365 Gays of the Year , an accessible and fun introduction to LGBTQ+ history through the people that made it.

Carefully curated and thoughtfully researched, author  Lewis Laney assigns a person or group of note to each day of the year to form the ultimate LGBTQ+ hall of fame.

Legendary queer icons such as Marsha P Johnson and Freddie Mercury sit alongside lesser known but equally important names such as activist Renée Cafiero , blood donor Barbara Vick , and Sappho the lesbian poet (who was doing her thing in 570BC).

All have contributed amazing achievements to the LGBTQ+ story.  Each month also features one ally - inspiring heterosexual people who have all contributed something significant to the lives of the LGBTQ+ community. People like Elizabeth Taylor who “brought AIDS out of the closet and into the ballroom ­– where there was money to be raised”.

Each entry comprises a short biography plus a brief explanation about why that celebratory date represents an important milestone.

Lewis brings international figures to life (famous and lesser-known) with his witty and uplifting prose which are peppered with little-known facts and accompanied by bright illustrative portraits from the hugely talented Charlotte MacMillan-Scott.

This witty, unique celebration of queer history promises to inspire and empower readers with its wealth of bright stars.

Genres: Nonfiction, Queer, LGBT, Biography, History

384 pages, Hardcover

Published April 18, 2023

Reviews

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, here’s a lot of gays and I was expecting the content to be 100 percent gay. I am rather disappointed and you will know why. I support the allies but we expect gays when it’s a book of gay people. Yes, the reader got a bit touchy. One ally got super excited but then saw the other allies. Okay, chit chats apart, this collection tells in brief about people who are or who support the gay community. I am using the word as per the title says for this book. The content is rather too colourful but nothing is too colourful when it comes to recognising a community, give the respect they deserve and celebrate them as we do for ourselves.

Thank you, Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion, for the advance reading copy.

[alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

[3.4~3.5] i had some difficulties reading this due to the file/formatting so i can't speak for all selections, but this has the potential to be a fun thing to pick up daily and learn something new. the info i gleaned from the few random entries i could view was admittedly bare bones, and you'll likely need to consult google for more details, but it piqued my curiosity enough to motivate me to do my own research.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of the book - this is my honest review :)

[Talmadgio D’Gulager]

Oh, so allies are queer now? 365 Gays of the Year should be actual queer people, not the straight people who get credit for not persecuting us when that should be the VERY LEAST they do. I'm also not giving medals to men advocating for women and non-binary people, or white people advocating for POC, etc- That's literally the baseline of human decency, and no, you don't get a round of applause (kindly fuck off).

[Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. Educational. Informative. This calendar formatted book is a fun way to have daily moment about LGBTQIA+ people. Each day has a person or couple with a brief, three paragraphs explanation of who they are or why they are included. The range of persons includes: royalty, writers, celebrities, historical figures, pop culture, activists and queer allies. There is a color drawing of each person as well. (I had mixed feelings on the illustrations as some look very much like their person and others less so.) For me this is educational as I knew less than half of the people profiled. Easy to recommend for a LGBTQIA+ reader and their allies. Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion for the temporary eARC and I’m leaving a voluntary review.

[Rosh (read in the A.M.) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I DNF'D.
I really need to stop requesting introductory books on any topic because what I often find is that they are very surface level, which makes sense considering that they focus on such a wide scope. This left me wanting in a bad way. All it did was essentially name drop a bunch of people with very little context into who they are and when their acts of resistance had the most impact at the time. I'm not American and considering that it had a very U.S. lens, my not being familiar with these people left me feeling like I was just reading a catalogue.

[Shannon Yarbrough · Rating 5 out of 5]

365 Gays of the Year, written by Lewis Laney and illustrated by Charlotte MacMillan-Scott, is a fun and colorful coffee table-style book that every gay, lesbian, bi, queer, trans person and their allies will enjoy even if you don’t like to read.

Each page is devoted to one person and the book is set up like a page-a-day calendar. So, you can learn about one gay per day! In fact, this book would make an awesome calendar or planner. There are LGBTQIA icons, celebrities, politicians, authors, historical figures, drag queens, allies, and more. Their contributions are far and wide.

Each page contains a colorful illustration of that person and a few brief paragraphs telling you about them and how they contributed to society. Most of the pages read like a quick Wikipedia entry, but there are some interesting facts sprinkled throughout. The point is you will definitely learn something.

Many of the icons coincide with that particular date whether it be their birthday, the date of their death, or the date of an important event they were involved in. I was personally surprised by the numerous people I’d never heard of before. Older readers will enjoy learning about historical icons dating back to Stonewall and before, while younger readers can expect to learn about more modern gays like Lil Nas X and Dan Levy.

Overall, it’s a fun book that would make a perfect gift for the LGBTQIA reader or history buff in your life. Or for someone young or new to the community or who might have just come out, this book serves as proof that the LGBTQIA community has played an integral part in our society for a very long time. From movies and TV shows, to music and pop culture, to politics and activism, Lewis Laney’s book covers it all. And the bios are short, fun, simple, and quick to read so you can get on with your day!

[Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

365 Gays of the Year is a brilliant read which does exactly what it says on the tin.


Laney Lewis has compiled 365 LGBTQIA people or allies and provides us with a brief insight into the person alongside wonderful portraits from Charlotte MacMillan-Scott. I loved the diversity of people that were chosen from aromatic and asexual Alice Oseman the creator of the Heartstopper book series (and producer of the TV series), to the infamous artist Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) whose sculpture David is famous throughout the world for its beauty.


365 Gays of the Year is a wonderful read, and I was fascinated to learn more about some of the people featured. I didn't know much about Blair Imani for example and thanks to this well-written, informative and educational book.

I'd like to think that this should be found in schools, and libraries around the world to help educate and show many people that they aren't alone. Perhaps through this; we could have more young people see they are allowed to be who they are, that it's more than acceptable to support their LGBTQIA friends and to stand proud regardless of their gender, or sexual orientation. There are so many members of the community who don't get the recognition they deserve or the life they were born to have... and I truly believe books like this truly help.



My only questionable entry in the wake of her behaviour to others, was Ellen DeGeneres; however, there is no denying her impact on LGBTQIA representation in the media especially as she showed herself and her character as a lesbian on a popular TV show at the time.



Thank you Lewis Laney and Charlotte MacMillan-Scott for giving us this beautiful book.. it was truly inspiring.

[Read by Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Search no further! Here's the perfect Christmas/birthday/Pride gift for your favourite gay!

Just like its title suggests, 365 Gays of the Year (Plus 1 for a Leap Year) provides a short bio on the impact of a gay icon for each day of the year, with relevance to each date. A great education for gays of all generations (I had no idea WH Auden was gay!), this collection provides a fabulous review of celebs and activists who have worked toward acceptance and equality for 2SLGBTQIA+ folx.

Some of the artwork is great (Wachowskis, Lily Tomblin), but some is iffy (Queen Latifah, they did you dirty). The bios are short and usually hit the highlights, thought others miss the mark. Unfortunately, I must protest the lack of a few key players (TS Madison and Lady Bunny, where are you!?). Otherwise, this is a solid entry into any rainbow library.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

365 Gays of the Year (Plus 1 for a Leap Year): Discover LGBTQ+ history one day at a time will be published on April 18, 2023.

[Jonny Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun & educational read! I greatly enjoyed learning more about some of the prominent LGBTQ+ & allies that have made an impact within the the global rainbow community. It was particularly interesting through the authors due diligence that some of the individuals were featured on certain days for when those events happened. Even though there are plenty of individuals that could have been featured (an entire library could be created with everyone’s role in shaping the growth & supporting in the community), I thought the spectrum of diverse people were well selected. I learned something new from figures I hadn’t hear of, especially those that impacted other countries & their own movements, yet learned even more from those that I thought I was familiar with!
Thank you Lewis Lane, Quarto Publishing Group, & NetGalley for this eARC!

[Bunny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

The title really sums up what the book is about, and is its own selling points. I knew what I was looking for going in, but was pleasantly surprised to see so many different categories of human, so many different directions that they got to this list, to be included as role models and inspiration.

Extremely enjoyable.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised to find such diverse LGBTQ+ representation in this book. Lewis Laney included well-known and a bit less known personalities, and not only actors and musicians but activists, historical figures, and people from many different fields.
Being part of the community, but not having invested enough time yet to get myself familiar with a huge amount of LGBTQ+ history and significant personalities, it was a short and comprehensive summary to discover some celebrities or even uncover some of them from a new angle. This was a joy!

The book in e-format was a bit hard to work with, I hope the printed version would be more convenient to use, and honestly, I would be glad to see it as a flip book to actually use it as a calendar. I think it would be an amazing gift for any member of the LGBTQ+ community!

Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!

[Ashley Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 a must read!

[Rebecca Shelton · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an ex-christian, I do miss my little daily devotionals ritual. I will happily purchase this book when it comes out. Entries are laid out in a daily format, one Gay icon on each page, with full color illustrations of the person. Little blurbs accompany each name and illustration that are perfect for a quick morning or evening read.

[Richard Derus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real Rating: 4.5* of five

The Publisher Says: SHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH BOOK DESIGN AND PRODUCTION AWARDS 2023

A fun and fascinating compendium of LGBTQ+ icons, one for every day of the year, and a celebration of queer history—or as RuPaul would say; Herstory!

Discover your queer hero and learn something new every day with 365 Gays of the Year, an accessible and fun introduction to LGBTQ+ history through the people that made it.

Carefully curated and thoughtfully researched, author Lewis Laney assigns a person or group of note to each day of the year to form the ultimate LGBTQ+ hall of fame.

Legendary queer icons such as Marsha P Johnson and Freddie Mercury sit alongside lesser known but equally important names such as activist Renée Cafiero, blood donor Barbara Vick, and Sappho the lesbian poet (who was doing her thing in 570BC).

All have contributed amazing achievements to the LGBTQ+ story. Each month also features one ally—inspiring heterosexual people who have all contributed something significant to the lives of the LGBTQ+ community. People like Elizabeth Taylor who “brought AIDS out of the closet and into the ballroom—where there was money to be raised”.

Each entry comprises a short biography plus a brief explanation about why that celebratory date represents an important milestone.

Lewis brings international figures to life (famous and lesser-known) with his witty and uplifting prose which are peppered with little-known facts and accompanied by bright illustrative portraits from the hugely talented Charlotte MacMillan-Scott.

This witty, unique celebration of queer history promises to inspire and empower readers with its wealth of bright stars.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: What a wonderful time this really is. This book, celebrating the existence of, success within, and growth of the great haters' favorite shibboleth: Them Disgustin' Queers, exists and so proves their point for them. We, the queers, are everywhere!

How awful for their ugly little selves. The book tells anyone interested about the success of:

...at bringing stories about us, and stories we are major parts of, into the world;

...at making the stories real to millions;

...at bravely, and without a map to success or even a hint of what success would look like, bearing witness to intolerance's horrible consequences;

...at living the awful truth of talent denied Because You Are You;

...at embodying the immutable truth the great haters know and eagerly desire to enforce: SILENCE = DEATH

So. To anyone who's been made to feel uncomfortable, unwelcome, unheard, unfocued-on, unvalued during my #PrideMonth blogging about QUILTBAGgery: Good. Now you know what your (in)action costs me and my QUILTBAG brethren and sistern. Take it in. Feel it.

And then reach out and do better, now that you know better. People you Other aren't obligated to meet you more than halfway; even at all. In my time trying to shed my vast, unconsidered racism and the jaw-dropping privilege I derive from it, I've learned some people will choose not to see me as the one making an effort but one battening on privilege. Those people have a valid point and an unassailable position. This effort I'm making isn't about me.

It's about changing one part of a whole that badly needs to change, and permaybehaps convince one or two others to join my effort. Consider this your altar call, religious christians; your summons in faith, all religious folk of all traditions, to live the Golden Rule.

Happy Pride Month!

[the vault · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
First off, I would just like to say that this collection really isn't worth it unless you own a physical copy or borrow a copy from your library, because it makes so many references to other people mentioned in the book and half the time you don't remember that person so to fully understand what the author is talking about, you have to go back, which is not super easy when you have an ebook with no table of contents to help you out. Also, this is a very introductory book, so if you're only looking for the bare minimum facts about these figures and icons, then this book is totally for you! But if you want something more in depth, I suggest just googling about these people and discovering important queer figures on your own.

This book did teach me about some figures that were queer that I wasn't aware of, and taught me more about people I already knew a little about, but as mentioned above it really was surface level information.

I thought this book was diverse, with figures that were not only gay, but trans, bi, nonbinary, etc. which was great because I feel that most books that focus on queer figures look mostly at gay people and skim over people of different gender identities and sexualities. However, while I recognize the importance of mentioning all people, if spots are limited i'm not sure how great it is to include people who are not queer but who are allies. Another reviewer I saw read this book talked about how its like nothing is fully ours, even a book about queer people is in some part dedicated to the cisgender, heterosexual people who show the bare minimum of supporting us.

Also, the author mentioned how the spots were limited when choosing these people, meaning this is just a small percentage of everyone who could be mentioned, and yet there are spots being taken up by cishet people? there were also figures mentioned here who's sexuality was speculated on and who had labels forced onto them. It's one thing to mention the woman who never married and spent all her time with women and even shared a bed with another female companion who she spent the rest of her days with, but its another thing to say "this woman never wanted to marry, strange, she must have been gay." I don't know, it all just rubbed me the wrong way.

[Pa_tr0_clus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read via NetGalley

Firstly, the visuals and aesthetic of this is wonderful! Very readable and colourful, perfect for a coffee table book. The illustrations of the people consistent in style and (mostly) recognisable. Secondly, the breadth of lgbt identities included is great, and people are selected from hundred of years of history, not just modern day. The information given is concise and easily understood; I learnt a lot about many people I had only previously heard about in passing. Also, many other texts/films/books/etc. to look into later.

However, surely there are enough iconic queer people to have one for every day and not include allies? Yes, allies are important, but they are not part of the lgbt community, so I didn’t expect them to also be displayed in the book. They are marked out by a clear ‘ally’ sticker, so they can’t be mistakenly identified, but I don’t think an imagine dragons singer who didn’t feel sympathy for lgbt people until he was personally persecuted for heterosexual pre-marital sex should be priority in a book with limited spaces. (Not to devalue his modern-day allyship, it just seems like a strange choice to include him).

Other than that, this book is full of interesting and valuable information with plenty of quotes and dates to back everything up.

(Also Alice Oseman, Troye Sivan, Ian Alexander (from Star Trek !!) and Jacqueline Wilson are in here !! Personal and biased mention for those since im big fans of them)

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides a queer person a day and provides a brief explanation on their works. Some are activists, some are celebrities, and some are historical figures. I do want to emphasize that while the title is "Gays of the Year" this book does include those who identify as trans, lesbian, bi, pan, gender non-conforming, etc. I understand the idea of including historical figures, but there is a difference between including historical figures we know were queer and including those who may have been queer. Given the community's current emphasis on letting people identify themselves how they would like to be identified, it feels weird to force identity on those who cannot speak for themselves. I do not get why they author felt the need to include allies in the book. There are more than enough queer people in the world to fill more than 365 days without needing to include straight allies. I honestly laughed when I got to the Dan Reynolds page. As someone who lives in Utah and is involved with he queer community here, Dan and the organization mentioned in his section, Encircle, are considered very problematic and disliked by those in the community. If they wanted to include a Mormon they could have chosen David Archuleta who is also in the music industry and is actually queer.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Generally, I have done an excellent job of reading one page/biography a day of a notable LGBTQ+ person, making my way through the book as 2025 has unfolded. However, I am heading out of the country soon, so I wanted to get this book done before then, so I quickly read most of December's outstanding people very quickly. Rushing through these last weeks didn't make this book any less incredible or take away the experience of learning about a new person every day of the year.

What I really appreciated about this book is the fact that it didn't just focus on American LGBTQ+ people. Instead, we learn about people from all over the world including those from the past to the truly current movers and shakers. It's an impressive accomplishment that has broadened my view and given me an incredible education. It makes me want to learn more about each person featured. If I have one negative about this book, it would be the drawings of the people featured. It takes awhile to get used to them with quite a few of them causing me to flinch. The drawings are not the most flattering if I'm honest. Other than that, though, this is a very cool book.

[Kathryne Lentes]

I have never really seen the point of “coffee table books.” They always seemed to be more of a decoration meant to be looked at but never picked up and gone through, but I think I finally found a book I want to leave on my table (if my cat Firefly does not object).   365 Days of the Year features people from across the globe, throughout history, and from every letter of the LGBTQIA+ rainbow alphabet, assigning a person or persons of note to each day of the year.   Thus, it serves many purposes. I found it an enjoyable read with information about a lot of people I knew about and many I had not.  The illustrations are iconic and playful and perfectly suit the project.  
This book is perfect for sitting out and letting people stroll through to get a little insight into the people who helped shape the community a little bit at a time or in a couple of longer sessions. If you have the chance, you should pick it up for yourself or as a gift for someone in the community.

[Chad Cunningham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had this from NetGalley for a review.

365 Gays of the Year (plus 1 for a Leap Year) is a fun calendar chock full of bare-bones facts about LGBTQIA+ celebrities, historical figures, and icons. The entries are nicely illustrated and bounce around from category to category for some variety.

As with all calendar-type things, I checked who was listed on my birthday first. It was Freddie Mercury. What fun!

[Rachel Pendlebury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for a copy to review.

I was very impressed with the variety of different people from around the world who are focused on and the different sexual orientations and gender identities covered including a couple straight allies from history. The drawings might not be for everyone, a couple of the people that I know where drawn in an unfamiliar way to me, but that may be a very personal issue for me.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a brilliant concept, I loved it! And I especially loved the bright illustrations; perfect for the bold and bright people who feature in this book. This would be a great to have on your coffee table. I'm surprised the publishers didn't decide to publish this in the winter given its calendar-like nature, as it would make a great Christmas present to the LGBT+/ally members of friends and family. I'll definitely be gifting it to some of my circle.

[Marte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

This is a really great non-fiction about gay people throughout history! It gives smaller (but extensive) mini biographies about a new gay person for every day, and the people selected are very varied and diverse! I learnt so much while reading this and I also love how you can read one every day OR just pick up one or two every once in a while!

Would definitely recommend this if you want a lot of mini biographies!

[Sarah Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun gift/coffee table book. I really loved how there were entries spanning not just decades but centuries! It was an easy, informative read and the illustrations are gorgeous. The information is pretty “wiki entry” basic but this book is not meant to be a total deep dive into the lives of each individual. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Jaymie · Rating 4 out of 5]

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

4 stars - Great!

Fascinating resource. I enjoyed how the author put this together, and the small biographies could easily be read day by day to expand the readers knowledge of - and appreciation for - the contributions of members of the LGBTQ+ community.

[Elizabeth Faulkner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the coolest biographical reads! I love the fact this has so many important, interesting, LGBTQIA+ people within it to see a huge range of talented, creative, fascinating humans. Read up everyone!

[Elizabeth Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a fun calendar-y style book. 365 Gays of the Year features 365 LGBTQ+ icons and figures with fun art and a brief bio of each person. This was such a good idea, and I would highly recommend who is looking to expand their knowledge of queer history in bite sized chunks.

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you, White Lion Publishing and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I want to put a disclaimer that I have yet to review all 366 of the profiles in this book.
That being said, I did enjoy looking through. While I understand the importance of representation all these different fabulous humans, I don't feel this is something I would repeatedly return to. I believe it's something good like a coffee table book to have as a conversation starter and/or to read selections of it but not straight through. I also feel it would be beneficial in a library (home or public) where the page turns every day to truly experience the entire year of people within this novel.

[Dino Queen · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a great book with a wide variety of LGBT representation and allies
the art was beautifully done and the additional resources/discoveries at the back of the book were interesting and fun

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher