International Coming Out Day

Every year on October 11th, LGBTQ+ communities around the world celebrate International Coming Out Day. It was established in 1988 as a way to promote openness and acceptance for LGBTQ+ people.

For almost every single one of us coming out is a lifelong journey that requires courage, self-reflection and support.


Updated September 3, 2024
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Wyndham Library
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Oranges are not the only fruit
Winterson, Jeanette
Paper Book
'Like most people I lived for a long time with my mother and father. My father liked to watch the wrestling, my mother liked to wrestle; it didn't matter what' This is the story of Jeanette, adopted and brought up by her mother as one of God's elect. Zealous and passionate...
All boys aren't blue : a memoir-manifesto
Johnson, George M.
Paper Book
In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson's All Boys Aren't Blue explores their childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. A New York Times Bestseller! Good Morning America,...
Queerly beloved : a novel
Dumond, Susie
Ebook
A people-pleasing baker tries to find her place as a bridesmaid-for-hire. Will she finally find her happily ever after--and her own voice? "A delightful debut, perfect for any person who's ever created their own place to belong."--Casey McQuiston, bestselling author of Red,...
The LGBTQ+ history book
Paper Book
Discover the rich and complex history of LGBTQ+ people around the world - their struggles, triumphs, and cultural contributions. Exploring and explaining the most important ideas and events in LGBTQ+ history and culture, this book showcases the breadth of the LGBTQ+ experience....
Life isn't binary : on being both, beyond, and in-between
Barker, Meg-John
Ebook
'The book we all need for this moment in time.' CN LESTER 'An absolute must read' FOX FISHER 'A genius book' LIBRARY JOURNAL REVIEW Much of society's thinking operates in a highly rigid and binary manner; something is good or bad, right or wrong, a success or a failure,...
Rainbow history class : your guide through queer and trans history
McElhinney, Hannah
Ebook
A short history of queer women
Loehr, Kirsty
Paper Book
No, they weren't 'just friends'! Queer women have been written out of history since, well, forever. 'But historians famously care about women!', said no one. From Anne Bonny and Mary Read who sailed the seas together disguised as pirates, to US football captain Megan Rapinoe declaring 'You...
The queer film guide : 100 great movies that tell LGBTQIA+ stories
Turner, Kyle
Paper Book
Beginning with early trailblazers like Different from the Others, Kyle Turner has selected 100 of cinema's greatest queer films to guide you through the eras. From Hitchcock's Rope and cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show through the New Queer Cinema movement of the 90s to the...
Pride, Pop and Politics: Music and the Fight for LGBT Rights, 1970-2022
Bullock, Darryl W.
Paper Book
Pride, Pop and Politics charts the development of gay culture and the rise of LGBTQ politics, from the formation of the Gay Liberation Front to the present day, through the music that provided the soundtrack. Fifty years on from Britain's first Pride march, the long road to...
The secrets of my life
Jenner, Caitlyn
Paper Book
In this remarkable memoir former Olympian and Kardashian family member Caitlyn Jenner reveals shocking and heartbreaking stories from her journey to become a transgender woman and fight for the LGBTQ+ community. Imagine denying your core and soul. Then add to it the most...
Not like other dads : a fearless, frank and funny memoir about reinventing the rules of parenting
Szeps, Sean
Ebook
Tell me how to be
Patel, Neel
Paper Book
* INAUGURAL LILLY'S LIBRARY BOOK CLUB PICK FROM LILLY SINGH * "A beautiful book about a mother and son...I really loved this book."--Rumaan Alam on The TODAY Show "My first great read of 2022...[Will] make you cringe with recognition and...
All mixed up : a memoir
Om, Jason
Paper Book
Some secrets should never be kept -- a candid and heartfelt memoir about authenticity, difference, resilience, hope and love by an exciting new Australian voice My family may have been all mixed up, but I discovered a love and a resilience that ran deeper than any of us could have...
Untamed
Doyle, Glennon
Paper Book
Discover the inspirational Number 1 Sunday Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick. 'This book will shake your brain and make your soul scream. I am so ready for myself after reading this book!' Adele 'Untamed...
Gay life stories
Aldrich, Robert
Paper Book
A fascinating portrait of gay men and women throughout time and across the globe whose lives have influenced society at large, as well as what we recognize as today's varied gay culture, this book gives a voice to more than 80 people from every major continent and from all walks of life. It includes...
The queen's wife
Drayton, Joanne
Paper Book
A memoir of a turbulent time - and a chess game that broke all the rules. In 1989, two married women met by chance. They instantly hit it off, but little did they know that their new relationship would turn their lives upside-down. This is the true...
Blue is the warmest color
Maroh, Julie
Paper Book
Blue is the Warmest Color is a tender, bittersweet, full-colour graphic novel about the elusive, reckless magic of love: a lesbian love story for the ages that bristles with the energy of youth, rebellion and the eternal light of desire. Clementine is a junior in high school who seems 'normal'...
Hijab butch blues : a memoir
H, Lamya
Ebook
None of the above : reflections on life beyond the binary
Alabanza, Travis
Paper Book
An electric memoir about what it means to live outside the gender boundaries imposed on us by society, from the award-winning trans writer and performer.
The hidden case of Ewan Forbes : and the unwritten history of the trans experience
Playdon, Zoe-Jane
Paper Book
The life story of an aristocratic Scottish trans man and the secret 1968 legal case that provides "a fascinating look into the changing landscape of trans rights" (Library Journal) throughout history. Ewan Forbes was born to a wealthy, landowning family, holders of a...
Caught in the act
Jenek, Shane
Ebook
Ten steps to Nanette : a memoir situation
Gadsby, Hannah
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Multi-award-winning Hannah Gadsby broke comedy with their show Nanette. Now they take us through the defining moments in their life and their powerful decision to tell the truth--no matter the cost. Don't miss Hannah Gadsby's...
Wild Dances: My Queer and Curious Journey to Eurovision
Adams, William Lee.
Paper Book
"A page-turning, tragicomic memoir . . . By ingeniously weaving improbable and conflicting forces that make up his personal history, Adams affirms a resilient idea of home that yearns to transcend space and time." -Thoy Đinh, NPR A memoir of glitz, glamour, geopolitics, and the...
About a girl : a mother's powerful story of raising her transgender child
Robertson, Rebekah
Ebook
Me
John, Elton
Paper Book
INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER In his first and only official autobiography, music icon Elton John reveals the truth about his extraordinary life, from his rollercoaster lifestyle as shown in the film Rocketman, to becoming a living legend.
Drag : combing through the big wigs of show business
DeCaro, Frank
Paper Book
Drag celebrates the fabulous current and historical influence of drag, and its talented and inspiring performers. Since man first walked the Earth...in heels, no other art form has wielded as unique an influence on pop culture as Drag. Drag artists have now sashayed their way to...
Unicorn : the memoir of a Muslim drag queen
Al-Kadhi, Amrou
Paper Book
From a god-fearing Muslim boy enraptured with their mother, to a vocal, queer drag queen estranged from their family, this is a heart-breaking and hilarious memoir about the author's fight to be true to themself 'It should be read far and wide' Ian McKellen My name is Amrou Al...
Reckoning : a memoir
Szubanski, Magda
Paper Book
Heartbreaking, joyous, traumatic, intimate and revelatory, Reckoning is the book where Magda Szubanski, one of Australia's most beloved performers, tells her story. In this extraordinary memoir, Magda describes her journey of self-discovery from a suburban childhood, haunted by the...
Love and other scores
Pressler, Abra.
Paper Book
'The chemistry between these two beautiful men will leave you fanning yourself like you're baking courtside at the Australian Open final' CLARE FLETCHERGabriel is a global tennis superstar and heart-throb. As he eyes his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, the pressure is getting to him....
Sister outsider : essays and speeches
Lorde, Audre
Paper Book
Presenting the essential writings of black lesbian poet and feminist writer Audre Lorde, Sister Outsider celebrates an influential voice in twentieth-century literature. "[Lorde's] works will be important to those truly interested in growing up sensitive,...
Love and other scores
Pressler, Abra
Paper Book
'The chemistry between these two beautiful men will leave you fanning yourself like you're baking courtside at the Australian Open final' CLARE FLETCHERGabriel is a global tennis superstar and heart-throb. As he eyes his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, the pressure is getting to him....
Out : A Parent's Guide to Supporting Your LGBTQIA+ Kid Through Coming Out and Beyond
Sovec, John.
Paper Book
SHORTLISTED FOR 2024 LGBTQ NON-FICTION LAMMY AWARD The coming out process for LGBTQIA+ adolescents can be a terrifying moment, not only for themselves, but also for their family and friends. When intense emotions are running the gamut of concern, shock, joy or even anger and...
Coming out stories : personal experiences of coming out from across the LGBTQ+ spectrum
Goswell, Emma
Ebook
'Uplifting and triumphant' JUNO DAWSON 'This book is vital' RUSSELL T DAVIES 'A brilliant resource' LADY PHYLL 'A must-read for anyone grappling with coming out' RIYADH KHALAF 'Inspirational' PETER TATCHELL "He told me being gay was nothing to be ashamed of."...

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