“LGBTQIA+ people have been fighting for our rights for a long time,” this bright, bold book tells us, before offering an introduction to the people and achievements that give Pride its meaning. After a spread about Stonewall and a hint of LGBTQIA+ people who lived before and through that time, we read about some of the qualities that “Pride” encompasses: wearing what you want and feeling good, fighting for your rights and those of others, living your truth, knowing that love is love, and more.
Each spread shows famous LGBTQIA+ people who represent the relevant concept. Well-known faces are here, like Megan Rapinoe, RuPaul, and Laverne Cox, but also ones who may not be as familiar to young readers, such as politician Andrea Jenkins, former Navy SEAL Kristin Beck, and moms and LGBTQ advocates Mercedes Santos and Theresa Volpe. The emphasis is on contemporary figures, such as Elliot Page, Anthony Rapp, and Janelle Monae, with a nod to a few people of previous generations, such as Harvey Milk, Marsha P. Johnson, and Audre Lorde.
The pages are dominated by the stylish images, with small text bearing the people’s names, but back matter includes one- or two-sentence blurbs for everyone mentioned and a few suggestions for further reading.
The book is not intended to be an in-depth history or set of biographies, but to paint a broad, colorful, and inclusive picture of the diversity and accomplishments of the LGBTQIA+ community. In that, it succeeds admirably.
