We created this list to promote leadership narratives written by those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ). This list is meant to be a resource, not an official endorsement. The books are not ranked or listed in any particular order.
(Download the PDF version of this list in the link above)
- The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
- Entrepreneurial You: Monetize Your Expertise, Create Multiple Income Streams, and Thrive by Dorie Clark
- Seriously…I’m Kidding by Ellen Degeneres
- Shut Up, I’m Talking!: Coming Out in Hollywood and Making It to the Middle by Jason Stuart
- All In: An Autobiography by Billie Jean King
- An Archive of Hope: Harvey Milk’s Speeches and Writings by Harvey Milk
- Rainbow Warrior: My Life in Color by Gilbert Baker
- The Normal Heart by Larry Kramer
- Freddie Mercury: A Life, In His Own Words by Freddie Mercury
- GuRu by RuPaul
- The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss by Anderson Cooper & his mom Gloria Vanderbilt
- Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More by Janet Mock
- Untamed by Glennon Doyle
- Punch Me Up to the Gods: A Memoir by Brian Broome
- Leaving Isn’t the Hardest Thing: Essays by Lauren Hough
- Pride Leadership: Strategies for the LGBTQ+ Leader to be the King or Queen of Their Jungle by Steven Yacovelli
- 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
- Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde
- In Defense of Our America: The Fight for Civil Liberties in the Age of Terror by Anthony D. Romero
- Beautiful on the Outside: A Memoir by Adam Rippon
- Tim Cook: The Genius Who Took Apple to the Next Level by Leander Kahney
- The Path Forward: Rethinking Federal Marijuana Policy by Rep. Earl Blumenauer and Rep. Jared Polis
- Forever Young: The Story of Troye Sivan by Alana Wulff
- The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin by Masha Gessen
- Surviving Autocracy by Masha Gessen
- Raf Simons by Sunny Chanday
- Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
- Everybody’s Got Something by Robin Roberts & Veronica Chambers
- Dear White People by Justin Simien
- Michael Kors by Sunny Chanday
- This is the Fire: What I say to My Friends About Racism by Don Lemon
- Binge by Tyler Oakley
- Tom Ford by Tom Ford
- On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope by DeRay Mckesson
- Blood, Bones, & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton
- White Girls by Hilton Als
- Oh Myyy!: There Goes the Internet by George Takei
- They Called Us Enemy: Expanded Edition by George Takei
- The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom: Practical and Spiritual Steps to You Can Stop Worrying by Suze Orman
- Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel & Blake Masters
- Trust: America’s Best Chance by Pete Buttigieg
- Shortest Way Home: One Mayor’s Challenge and a Model for America’s Future by Pete Buttigieg
- Nothing Personal by James Baldwin
- Revelations: The Autobiography of Alvin Ailey by Alvin Ailey & A. Peter Bailey
- In the Shadow of the Eagle: A Tribal Representative in Maine by Donna M. Loring
- Me by Ricky Martin
- And a Voice to Sing With: A Memoir by Joan Baez
- The Holly Woodlawn Story: A Low Life in High Heels by Holly Woodlawn
- The Gloria Anzaldúa Reader (Latin America Otherwise) by Gloria Anzaldúa
- I’m the One That I Want by Margaret Cho
- WOLFPACK: How to Come Together, Unleash Our Power, and Change the Game by Abby Wambach
- A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
- Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds edited by Adrienne Maree Brown
- We Will Not Cancel Us edited by Adrienne Maree Brown
- Love and Rage by Lama Rod Owens
- I Hope We Choose Love: A Trans Girl’s Notes from the End of the World by Kai Cheng Thom
- Martina by Martina Navratilova
- Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good edited by Adrienne Maree Brown
- Octavia’s Brood: Science Fiction from Social Justice Movements edited by Adrienne Maree Brown
- How to Get Stupid White Men Out of Office: The Anti-Politics, Un-Boring Guide to Power edited by Adrienne Maree Brown
- The Children of Harvey Milk: How LGBTQ Politicians Changed the World by Andrew Reynolds
- Representation Matters: How Victory Fund, Victory Institute, and LGBT Leaders are Transforming America by Karen Ocamb
- Serving in Silence by Margarethe Cammermeyer
- Frank: A Life in Politics from the Great Society to Same-Sex Marriage by Barney Frank
- Pressure is a Privilege: Lessons I’ve Learned from Life and the Battle of the Sexes by Billie Jean King
- Gunn’s Golden Rules: Life’s Little Lessons for Making it Work by Tim Gunn
- Queer Eye: Love Yourself, Love Your Life by Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Jonathan Van Ness, Bobby Berk & Karamo Brown
- My Story of Embracing Purpose, Healing, and Hope by Karamo Brown
- Naturally Tan by Tan France
- Over The Top by Jonathan Van Ness
- 71. One life by Megan Rapinoe & Emma Brockes
- It’s About Damn Time by Arlan Hamilton
- Inclusion: Diversity, the New Workplace, & The Will to Change by Jennifer Brown
- Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story by Jacob Tobia
- Borderlands/ La Frontera: The New Mestiza by Gloria Anzaldúa
We are continually adding to this list. If you have any recommended additions please send us an email at info@curiositybased.com so we can add it here.
Interested in reading more? Check out our AAPI-Authored Leadership Booklist!
Read our other leadership booklists too!
Dr. Julie Pham says
Thank you so much for sharing our list!