Welcome to QueerBio.com
DID YOU KNOW?
Founders of LGBTQ Book Publishers
There is a passionate and diverse community of LGBTQ book publishers today that is committed to the queer literature genre and supportive of queer writers. This, together with supportive technology, has made queer literature popular and accessible in the developed world.
LGBTQ book publishing has a fascinating and complicated history. Publishers devoted to printing works by LGBTQ authors writing with LGBTQ characters or themes were initially created because of the reticence of traditional publishing houses to enter this field. This was due principally because of censorship and general homophobia within society. As these barriers began to be dismantled, competition came through larger and better capitalized publishing houses. Today, the major threat to the industry is dwindling mass distribution opportunities because of the dominance of online sellers such as Amazon, and the rise of digital e-books.
Despite these different challenges over time, there remains a large number of book publishers who focus principally on LGBTQ books. Several which have survived are well known, such as Alyson Publications, Saphire Books and Women of Colour Press. The industry is international in scope, though the publishing companies tend to be small and locally owned since each country has its own challenges and often relies on a small cadre of supporters. Customs rules in many countries still prohibit the importation of LGBTQ content books based on obscure obscenity rules and legislation.
Lambda Literary plays a big role in the support of the industry in the United States. Not only does it provide a forum for the dissemination of information pertaining to LGBT books, it also provides prominent awards to writers and an annual Visionary Award to publishers. Other awards include the Stonewall Book Awards, the Green Carnation Prize, the Publishing Triangle Awards.
We have identified notable founders of LGBTQ book publishers from Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Haiti and the United States. To read more, see the list and access their fascinating biographies CLICK HERE
Directory of past 'Did You Know?' Articles See Here
The goal of QueerBio.com is to be the definitive online biographical reference source for the international LGBTQ community. Its database lists over 15,000 contemporary and historical figures who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, two-spirit, or gender fluid (LGBTQ) and includes artists, sports figures, politicians, entertainers, business leaders, academics, activists, and more. The database is widely international in scope and is an ideal source for research and analysis with full search and sort functionality.
The mission is to inspire, educate, and motivate all generations of LGBTQ individuals and others through a collective knowledge of this international community.
Managing Editors: Mark S. Bonham, Connie Bonello, Gordon Dunbar
Search for a Biography
To search for an individual from the database of over 15,000 biographies, simply type the name in the Search Box located in the top right hand corner of this Home Page and click on GO.
Alternatively, you can view and scroll through the entire list of biographies by viewing the All Biographies section.
To search for LGBTQ individuals with a common characteristic (examples: all Nobel Prize winners, all Writers, all Politicians, all Tony Award winners, all Olympic Gold medal winners, all individuals of a specific nationality) simply type the characteristic in the Search Box located in the top right hand corner of this Home Page and click on GO. Results of your search will be displayed alphabetically by Last Name. A second Search Box will be displayed for you to search within the database of individuals with that common characteristic.
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Our goal is to make QueerBio.com the go-to website for global biographical information on LGBTQ identified individuals. To do this requires a serious commitment of people and resources, so we need your help to fund and help this project grow.
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Bonham Centre Awards Gala
Annual Awards established in 2007 to recognize individuals or groups that have made a significant contribution to the advancement and education of human rights issues surrounding sexual education. Click here to find out more about the Bonham Centre Awards, past recipients, and present nominees.
Books Available From QueerBio.Com
A Path to Diversity: LGBTQ Participation in the Working World (Mark S. Bonham, 2017) investigates the current state of employment markets around the world for the LGBTQ community. Included is a discussion of equality in the workplace and why it is important to both the employer and employee, the wage gap, which professions are attractive to LGBTQ individuals and why, and the role of unions and government legislation. A survey of seventy five professions provides a status report for each, and seventy two biographies of influential LGBTQ professionals from around the world is included. 242 pages
READ MORE AND PURCHASE THE PRINT COPY HERE
READ MORE AND PURCHASE THE U.S. KINDLE COPY HERE OR THE CANADIAN KINDLE COPY HERE
Notables: 101 Global LBGTQ People Who Changed the World (Mark S. Bonham, 2015) reveals a group of select global Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) individuals whose accomplishments in their profession changed the world in some relevant way. Included are founders of various social movements, innovators in sports, leaders in business and politics, explorers and discoverers, instigators in religious movements, thinkers in philosophy, infamous villains, creators of new academic fields of study, and risk takers in the arts, culture, and entertainment worlds. 212 pages.
READ MORE AND PURCHASE THE PRINT COPY HERE
READ MORE AND PURCHASE THE U.S KINDLE COPY HERE OR THE CANADIAN KINDLE COPY HERE
Champions: Biographies of Global LGBTQ Pioneers (Mark S. Bonham, 2014) reveals a group of select artists, writers, politicians, lawyers, sports figures, activists, and religious figures from around the world who have helped shape the history of the LGBTQ community. Presented in a convenient notebook format. 114 pages.
READ MORE AND PURCHASE THE PRINT COPY HERE
Order for yourself, and the books also make an ideal gift for friends and family while supporting the development of QueerBio.Com
