In honor of Pride Month, we created this list of 197 leadership books written by LGBTQIA+ authors. This list is meant to be a resource, not an official endorsement. The books are not ranked in any particular order.
- A Place for Us: A Memoir by Brandon J. Wolf
- A Queer History of the United States by Michael Bronski
- A Year of Pride and Joy by Simon James Green
- All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson
- All Down Darkness Wide: A Memoir by Sean Hewitt
- All In: An Autobiography by Billie Jean King
- All Pride, No Ego: A Queer Executive’s Journey to Living and Leading Authentically by Jim Fielding
- All The Things She Said: Everything I Know About Modern Lesbian and Bi Culture by Daisy Jones
- Allies at Work: Creating a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Inclusive Work Environment by Dr. David M. Hall
- Alphabet Soup: The Essential Guide to LGBTQ2+ Inclusion at Work by Michael Bach
- An Archive of Hope: Harvey Milk’s Speeches and Writings by Harvey Milk
- And A Voice to Sing With: A Memoir by Joan Baez
- And Now We Are Going to Have a Party by Nichola Griffith
- Another Word for Love by Carvell Wallace
- Authentic Leadership: An Engaged Discussion of LGBTQ Work as Culturally Relevant by Lemuel W. Watson and Joshua Moon Johnson (Editors)
- Baggage: Tales from a Fully Packed Life by Alan Cumming
- Banned from California: Jim Foshee – Persecution, Redemption, Liberation… and the Gay Civil Rights Movement by Robert C. Steele
- Beautiful on the Outside: A Memoir by Adam Rippon
- Before We Were Trans: A New History of Gender by Dr. Kit Heyam
- Beyond The Rainbow: Personal Stories and Practical Strategies to Help your Business & Workplace Connect with the LGBTQ Market by Jenn T Grace
- Binge by Tyler Oakley
- Black Boy Out of Time by Hari Ziyad
- Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton
- Body Becoming: A Path to Our Liberation by Robyn Hnderson-Espinoza
- Borderlands / La Frontera: The New Mestiza by Gloria Anzaldúa
- Boy Erased: A Memoir of Identity, Faith, and Family by Garrard Conley
- Breaking Bias: Where Stereotypes and Prejudices Come From–and the Science-Backed Method to Unravel Them by Anu Gupta
- Breaking the Rainbow Ceiling: How LGBTQ+ people can thrive and succeed at work by Layla McCay
- Breaking Through: Communicating to Open Minds, Move Hearts, and Change the World by Sally Susman
- Business, Not Politics: The Making of the Gay Market (Between Men-Between Women: Lesbian and Gay Studies) by Katherine Sender
- Coaching Wisdom: Voices of the Gay Coaches Alliance by Gay Coaching Alliance Contributors
- Coming Out of the Closet: Exploring LGBT Issues in Strategic Communication with Theory and Research by Natalie Tindall and Richard D. Waters (Editors)
- Communicate with Mastery: Speak With Conviction and Write for Impact by JD Schramm
- Creating an LGBT+ Inclusive Workplace: The Practical Resource Guide for Business Leaders by Kryss Shane
- Deaf Utopia: A Memoir – and a Love Letter to a Way of Life by Nyle DiMarco
- Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas
- Diary of a Misfit: A Memoir and a Mystery by Casey Parks
- Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India, and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert
- Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds by adrienne maree brown
- Entrepreneurial You: Monetize Your Expertise, Create Multiple Income Streams, and Thrive by Dorie Clark
- Everybody’s Got Something by Robin Roberts & Veronica Chambers
- Fairest: A Memoir by Meredith Talusan
- Feeling Power: Emotions and Education by Megan Boler
- Fit to Serve: Reflections on a Secret Life, Private Struggle, and Public Battle to Become the First Openly Gay U.S. Ambassador by James C. Hormel & Erin Martin
- Forever Young: The Story of Troye Sivan by Alana Wulff
- Forging Queer Leaders: How the LGBTQIA+ Community Creates Impact from Adversity by Bree Fram & Elizabeth Cavallaro
- Frank: A Life in Politics from the Great Society to Same-Sex Marriage by Barney Frank
- Freddie Mercury: A Life, In His Own Words by Freddie Mercury
- Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
- Gay Issues in the Workplace by Brian McNaught
- Gender Ambiguity in the Workplace: Transgender and Gender-Diverse Discrimination by Alison Ash Fogarty Ph.D. & Lily Zheng
- Gender Magic: Live Shamelessly, Reclaim Your Joy, & Step into Your Most Authentic Self by Rae McDaniel
- Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us by Kate Bornstein
- Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
- Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You by Lin-Manuel Miranda
- Gunn’s Golden Rules: Life’s Little Lessons for Making It Work by Tim Gunn
- GuRu by RuPaul
- Handbook of LGBT Tourism and Hospitality: A Guide for Business Practice by Jeff Guaracino, Ed Salvato
- Heartbeat: Musings on Leather and Leadership by Thomas Smith
- Hola Papi: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons by John Paul Brammer
- Homo Economics: Capitalism, Community, and Lesbian and Gay Life by Amy Gluckman & Betsy Reed (Editors)
- Horse Barbie: A Memoir by Geena Rocero
- How to Get Stupid White Men Out of Office: The Anti-Politics, Un-Boring Guide to Power by adrienne maree brown (Editor)
- How to Learn to Be Brave by Mariann Edgar Budde
- How to Live Free in a Dangerous World: A Decolonial Memoir by Shayla Lawson
- How We Fight for Our Lives by Saeed Jones
- Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
- I Can’t Date Jesus: Love, Sex, Family, Race, and Other Reasons I’ve Put My Faith in Beyoncé by Michael Arceneaux
- I Don’t Want to Die Poor: Essays by Michael Arceneaux
- I Heard Her Call My Name: A Memoir of Transition by Lucy Sante
- I Hope We Choose Love: A Trans Girl’s Notes from the End of the World by Kai Cheng Thom
- I’m Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya
- I’m the One That I Want by Margaret Cho
- In Defense of Our America: The Fight for Civil Liberties in the Age of Terror by Anthony D. Romero
- In My Skin by Brittney Griner
- In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens: Womanist Prose by Alice Walker
- In the Dream House: A Memoir by Carmen Maria Machado
- In the Shadow of the Eagle: A Tribal Representative in Maine by Donna M. Loring
- In Transit: Being Non-Binary in a World of Dichotomies by Dianne E. Anderson Inclusion: Diversity, the New Workplace, & The Will To Change by Jennifer Brown
- Inclusion: Diversity, the New Workplace, & The Will To Change by Jennifer Brown
- Inclusive 360: Proven Solutions for an Equitable Organization by Bernadette Smith
- Is It Hot In Here (Or Am I Suffering for All Eternity for the Sins I Committed On Earth)? by Zach Zimmerman
- It’s About Damn Time by Arlan Hamilton
- Kissing Girls on Shabbat by Dr. Sara Glass
- Lavender Road to Success: The Career Guide for the Gay Community by Kirk Snyder
- Leaving Isn’t the Hardest Thing: Essays by Lauren Hough
- Lesbian Love Story: A Memoir in Archives by Amelia Possanza
- LGBTQ Leadership in Higher Education by Raymond Crossman (Editor)
- Liberating Minds: The Stories and Professional Lives of Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Librarians and Their Advocates by Norman Kester and Deborah Turner (Editors)
- Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls: A Memoir by T Kira Madden
- Love and Rage by Lama Rod Owens
- Ma and Me by Putsata Reang
- Maeve Rising: Coming Out Trans in Corporate America by Maeve Duvally
- Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me by Ellen Forney
- Martina by Martina Navratilova
- Me by Ricky Martin
- My Greatest Save by Brianna Scurry
- My Story of Embracing Purpose, Healing & Hope by Karamo Brown
- Naturally Tan by Tan France
- Never Silent: ACT UP and My Life in Activism by Peter Staley
- No Ashes in the Fire: Coming of Age Black & Free in America by Darnell L. Moore
- Nothing Personal by James Baldwin
- Octavia’s Brood: Science Fiction from Social Justice Movements by adrienne maree brown (Editor)
- Oh Myyy!: There Goes The Internet by George Takei
- On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope by DeRay Mckesson
- One Life by Megan Rapinoe and Emma Brockes
- Out & Equal at Work: From Closet to Corner Office by Selisse Berry
- Out Behind the Desk: Workplace Issues for LGBTQ Librarians by Tracy Marie Nectoux (Editor)
- Out in the Field: Reflections of Lesbian and Gay Anthropologists by Ellen Lewin (Editor)
- Out of Space: Creating Safe Spaces in Unlikely Places by Julio C. Roman
- Out to Lead: Shaping Queer Leadership by Jonathan Dromgoole
- Outside the Lines: How Embracing Queerness Will Transform Your Faith by Mihee Kim-Kort
- Over the Top by Jonathan Van Ness
- Pageboy: A Memoir by Elliot Page
- People Change by Vivek Shraya
- Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good by adrienne maree brown
- Pressure is a Privilege: Lessons I’ve Learned from Life and the Battle of the Sexes by Billie Jean King
- Pride Leadership: Strategies for the LGBTQ+ Leader to be the King or Queen of Their Jungle by Steven Yacovelli
- Punch Me Up to the Gods: A Memoir by Brian Broome
- Queer Eye: Love Yourself, Love Your Life by Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Jonathan Van Ness, Bobby Berk, & Karamo Brown
- Queer Flourishing: A Guide to Personal Growth and Greater Aliveness for LGBTQ+ Adults by Dominic Longo
- Raf Simons by Sunny Chanday
- Rainbow Warrior: My Life in Color by Gilbert Baker
- Redefining Realness: My Path To Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More by Janet Mock
- Refusing Compulsory Sexuality: A Black Asexual Lens on Our Sex-Obsessed Culture by Sherronda J. Brown
- Representation Matters: How Victory Fund, Victory Institute, and LGBT Leaders are Transforming America by Karen Ocamb
- Revelations: The Autobiography of Alvin Ailey by Alvin Ailey & A. Peter Bailey
- Say the Right Thing: How to Talk About Identity, Diversity, and Justice by Kenji Yoshino, David Glasgow
- Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington by James Kirchick
- Seriously…I’m Kidding by Ellen Degeneres
- Serving in Silence: Vietnam Nurse, Mother of Four, Highest-Ranking Officer to Challenge the Military’s Antigay Policy by Margarethe Cammermeyer
- Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Teens: A How-To-Do-it Manual for Librarians by Hillias Martin Jr and James R. Murdock
- Shortest Way Home: One Mayor’s Challenge and a Model for America’s Future by Pete Buttigieg
- Shut Up, I’m Talking!: Coming Out in Hollywood and Making It to the Middle by Jason Stuart
- Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story by Jacob Tobia
- Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde
- Stand Out: How to Find Your Breakthrough Idea and Build a Following Around It by Dorie Clark
- Stonewall: The Definitive Story of the LGBTQ Rights Uprising that Changed America by Martin Duberman
- Straight Jacket: Overcoming Society’s Legacy of Gay Shame by Matthew Todd
- Straight Talk About Gays in the Workplace: Creating an Inclusive, Productive Environment for Everyone in Your Organization by Liz Winfeld, Susan Spielman
- Surpassing Certainty: What My Twenties Taught Me by Janet Mock
- Surviving Autocracy by Masha Gessen
- Ten Steps to Nanette: A Memoir Situation by Hannah Gadsby
- The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom: Practical and Spiritual Steps So You Can Stop Worrying by Suze Orman
- The Apartheid of Sex: A Manifesto on the Freedom of Gender by Martine Rothblatt, PhD
- The Best Strangers in the World: Stories from a Life Spent Listening by Ari Shapiro
- The Book of Pride: LGBTQ Heroes Who Changed the World by Mason Funk
- The Chiffon Trenches: A Memoir by André Leon Talley
- The Children of Harvey Milk: How LGBTQ Politicians Changed the World by Andrew Reynolds
- The Complete Guide to Transgender in the Workplace by Vanessa Sheridan
- The Dead Don’t Need Reminding by Julian Randall
- The Educator’s Guide to LGBT+ Inclusion: A Practical Resource for K-12 Teachers, Administrators, and School Support Staff by Kryss Shane
- The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
- The G Quotient: Why Gay Executives are Excelling as Leaders… and What Every Manager Needs to Know by Kirk Snyder
- The Glass Closet: Why Coming Out is Good for Business by John Browne
- The Gloria Anzaldúa Reader (Latin America Otherwise) by Gloria Anzaldúa
- The Holly Woodlawn Story: A Low Life in High Heels by Holly Woodlawn
- The Lie: A Memoir of Two Marriages, Catfishing & Coming Out by William Dameron
- The Male Gazed: On Hunks, Heartthrobs, and What Pop Culture Taught Me About (Desiring) Men by Manuel Betancourt
- The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin by Masha Gessen
- The Normal Heart by Larry Kramer
- The One You Want to Marry (And Other Identities I’ve Had): A Memoir by Sophie Santos
- The Path Forward: Rethinking Federal Marijuana Policy by Rep. Earl Blumenauer, Rep. Jared Polis
- The Power of “Out”: LGBT in the Workplace by Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Karen Sumberg
- The Queer Advantage: Conversations with LGBTQ+ Leaders on the Power of Identity by Andrew Gelwicks
- The Queer Games Avant-Garde: How LGBTQ Game Makers Are Reimagining the Medium of Video Games by Bo Ruberg
- The Queering of Corporate America by Carlos A. Ball
- The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss by Anderson Cooper & Gloria Vanderbilt
- The Souls of Queer Folk: How Understanding LGBTQ+ Culture Can Transform Your Leadership Practice by Dr. Joel A. Davis Brown
- The Velvet Rage: Overcoming the Pain of Growing Up Gay in a Straight Man’s World by Alan Downs, PhD
- They Called Us Enemy: Expanded Edition by George Takei
- This Is the Fire: What I Say to My Friends About Racism by Don Lemon
- This Time for Me: A Memoir by Alexandra Billings
- Thriving in Business: Strategies for the LGBTQ+ Entrepreneur by Elena Joy Thurston (Editor)
- Tim Cook: The Genius Who Took Apple to the Next Level by Leander Kahney
- Tom Ford by Tom Ford
- Trailblazer: Lighting the Path for Transgender Equality in Corporate America by Mary Ann Horton
- Trust: America’s Best Chance by Pete Buttigieg
- Truth or Dare: Encounters with Power, Authority, and Mystery by Starhawk
- Unapologetic: A Black, Queer, and Feminist Mandate for Radical Movements by Charlene Carruthers
- Untamed by Glennon Doyle
- Virtually Human by Martine Rothblatt, PhD
- Warrior Princess: A US Navy SEAL’s Journey to Coming Out Transgender by Kristen Beck & Anne Speckhard
- We Are Everywhere: Protest, Power, and Pride in the History of Queer Liberation by Matthew Reimer
- We Can Be Heroes: A Survivor’s Story by Paul Burston
- We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib
- We Will Not Cancel Us by adrienne maree brown
- White Girls by Hilton Als
- Who’s Afraid of Gender? by Judith Butler
- WOLFPACK: How to Come Together, Unleash Our Power, and Change the Game by Abby Wambach
- You’re That Bitch: & Other Cute Lessons About Being Unapologetically Yourself by Bretman Rock
- Your First Million: Building a Path to Generational Wealth by Arlan Hamilton
- Your Queer Career: Workplace Advice from “The Gay Leadership Dude” by Dr. Steven R. Yacovelli
- Zami: A New Spelling of My Name: A Biomythography by Audre Lorde
- Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel & Blake Masters
- Transgender Warriors : Making History from Joan of Arc to Dennis Rodman by Leslie Feinberg
- Be a Revolution: How Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World by Ijeoma Oluo
Leave a Reply