2021 LGBTQ-Authored Leadership Books

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)

1. The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
2. Entrepreneurial You: Monetize Your Expertise, Create Multiple Income Streams, and Thrive by Dorie Clark
3. Seriously…I’m Kidding by Ellen Degeneres
4. Shut Up, I’m Talking!: Coming Out in Hollywood and Making It to the Middle by Jason Stuart
5. All In: An Autobiography by Billie Jean King
6. An Archive of Hope: Harvey Milk’s Speeches and Writings by Harvey Milk
7. Rainbow Warrior: My Life in Color by Gilbert Baker
8. The Normal Heart by Larry Kramer
9. Freddie Mercury: A Life, In His Own Words by Freddie Mercury
10. GuRu by RuPaul
11. The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss by Anderson Cooper & his mom Gloria Vanderbilt
12. Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More by Janet Mock
13. Untamed by Glennon Doyle
14. Punch Me Up to the Gods: A Memoir by Brian Broome
15. Leaving Isn’t the Hardest Thing: Essays by Lauren Hough
16. Pride Leadership: Strategies for the LGBTQ+ Leader to be the King or Queen of Their Jungle by Steven Yacovelli
17. 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
18. Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde
19. In Defense of Our America: The Fight for Civil Liberties in the Age of Terror by Anthony D. Romero
20. Beautiful on the Outside: A Memoir by Adam Rippon
21. Tim Cook: The Genius Who Took Apple to the Next Level by Leander Kahney
22. The Path Forward: Rethinking Federal Marijuana Policy by Rep. Earl Blumenauer and Rep. Jared Polis
23. Forever Young: The Story of Troye Sivan by Alana Wulff
24. The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin by Masha Gessen
25. Surviving Autocracy by Masha Gessen
26. Raf Simons by Sunny Chanday
27. Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
28. Everybody’s Got Something by Robin Roberts & Veronica Chambers
29. Dear White People by Justin Simien
30. Michael Kors by Sunny Chanday
31. This is the Fire: What I say to My Friends About Racism by Don Lemon
32. Binge by Tyler Oakley
33. Tom Ford by Tom Ford
34. On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope by DeRay Mckesson
35. Blood, Bones, & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton
36. White Girls by Hilton Als
37. Oh Myyy!: There Goes the Internet by George Takei
38. They Called Us Enemy: Expanded Edition by George Takei
39. The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom: Practical and Spiritual Steps to You Can Stop Worrying by Suze Orman
40. Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel & Blake Masters
41. Trust: America’s Best Chance by Pete Buttigieg
42. Shortest Way Home: One Mayor’s Challenge and a Model for America’s Future by Pete Buttigieg
43. Nothing Personal by James Baldwin
44. Revelations: The Autobiography of Alvin Ailey by Alvin Ailey & A. Peter Bailey
45. In the Shadow of the Eagle: A Tribal Representative in Maine by Donna M. Loring
46. Me by Ricky Martin
47. And a Voice to Sing With: A Memoir by Joan Baez
48. The Holly Woodlawn Story: A Low Life in High Heels by Holly Woodlawn
49. The Gloria Anzaldúa Reader (Latin America Otherwise) by Gloria Anzaldúa
50. I’m the One That I Want by Margaret Cho
51. WOLFPACK: How to Come Together, Unleash Our Power, and Change the Game by Abby Wambach
52. A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
53. Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds edited by Adrienne Maree Brown
54. We Will Not Cancel Us edited by Adrienne Maree Brown
55. Love and Rage by Lama Rod Owens
56. I Hope We Choose Love: A Trans Girl’s Notes from the End of the World by Kai Cheng Thom
57. Martina by Martina Navratilova
58. Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good edited by Adrienne Maree Brown
59. Octavia’s Brood: Science Fiction from Social Justice Movements edited by Adrienne Maree Brown
60. How to Get Stupid White Men Out of Office: The Anti-Politics, Un-Boring Guide to Power edited by Adrienne Maree Brown
61. The Children of Harvey Milk: How LGBTQ Politicians Changed the World by Andrew Reynolds
62. Representation Matters: How Victory Fund, Victory Institute, and LGBT Leaders are Transforming America by Karen Ocamb
63. Serving in Silence by Margarethe Cammermeyer
64. Frank: A Life in Politics from the Great Society to Same-Sex Marriage by Barney Frank
65. Pressure is a Privilege: Lessons I’ve Learned from Life and the Battle of the Sexes by Billie Jean King
66. Gunn’s Golden Rules: Life’s Little Lessons for Making it Work by Tim Gunn
67. Queer Eye: Love Yourself, Love Your Life by Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Jonathan Van Ness, Bobby Berk & Karamo Brown
68. My Story of Embracing Purpose, Healing, and Hope by Karamo Brown
69. Naturally Tan by Tan France
70. Over The Top by Jonathan Van Ness
71. 71. One life by Megan Rapinoe & Emma Brockes
72. It’s About Damn Time by Arlan Hamilton
73. Inclusion: Diversity, the New Workplace, & The Will to Change by Jennifer Brown
74. Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story by Jacob Tobia
75. 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!

• Leadership Books Authored by Women Booklist
• Black-Authored Leadership Booklist 
• AI/AN-Authored Leadership Booklist
• Authors with Disabilities Leadership Booklist
• Hispanic/Latino/Latinx-Authored Leadership Booklist