Audible offers a rich repository of memoirs, heart-warming love stories, friendships, thought-provoking discussions and more that delve into the journeys and stories of people from the LGBTQIA+ communities. The stories are diverse and inclusive and these narratives are a pathway to embracing the beautiful spectrum of identities and experiences. Here are seven different audiobooks celebrating the seven colours of the rainbow, this Pride month!
Burning My Roti written and narrated by: Sharan Dhaliwal
Burning My Roti is a combo of a guide and a memoir. It is a doctrine of coming-of-age South Asian queer women. The narrator sheds light on her journey towards identifying herself, offering advice, her journey towards loving herself and comforting people who go through similar situations in life. The chapters cover sexual and cultural identity with a particular focus on suffocating beauty standards in society. The audiobook is a provocative one, celebrating the strides made by South Asian women and providing support and advice through her personal stories.
Perfectly Queer Written and narrated by: Jillian Abby
Jillian Abby’s heartwarming memoir encapsulates a mother’s journey to self-discovery and acceptance. She comes out as a lesbian in her late 30s. The narrator had a happy 20-year of relationship with her college sweetheart with two wonderful kids and a cat whom they rescued. From the outside everything looked perfect, minus the real identity struggles Jill battled with. The irony was the business they run, titled Best Mom & Pop, a bar in Tampa Bay. The audiobook is a funny yet painful rollercoaster Jill goes through on identifying as a lesbian before her 40th birthday. It’s a must-listen for those who battle with coming out of the closet, as identifying your orientation becomes primary.
The Gay Best Friend Written by: Nicolas DiDomizio; Narrated by: Daniel Henning
You’ve often come across girls talking about the comfort she’d seek from a gay best friend. Domenic Marino is an expert at switching codes between the hypermasculine and ultrafeminine worlds of his two best friends who’re soon to be wed. However, he has a broken engagement to deal with this summer. The bride wants Domenic to keep it clean but the groom wants him to let it loose with the boys; he’s just stuck in between playing two roles. However, when the groomsmen show up, a romance with Bucky Graham ensues and sparks up Domenic’s life. It’s a rollercoaster ride of an audiobook to indulge in, bound to leave you intrigued.
Horse Barbie Written and narrated by: Geena Rocero
It’s a heartfelt memoir by Geena Rocero — a trans pageant queen from the Philippines who went into a closet to continue modelling in New York. She realised it was living her truth in full bloom that’d make her stronger. In the 1990s while living in Manila, Rocero was often ridiculed for her feminine demeanour but found her place in the trans pageants in the country. She was mocked as the Horse Barbie for her physique, tumbling hair, long neck and dark skin but she strutted her way through glory. She became the Philippines’ highest-earning trans pageant queen. Listen to the audiobook for an insightful glance into her story.
Tan France’s Queer Icons Written by: Tan France
LGBTQIA+ aren’t being spotted out of the blue. They’ve existed and they’ve existed quite prominently among humankind. Queer people have always made their mark in history. Tan France takes a look at the lives and struggles of historic queer icons in this audiobook, which gives you some beguiling queer tales from the past.
Being LGBTQ Written by: Sam Wise
This podcast provides a platform to people from the LGBTQIA+ communities where Sam Wise moderates interviews with artists, singers, novelists, activists and film-makers from the community. It’s an informative podcast to keep people updated about the impact created by the rainbow community’s works and talents on the world.
Shikhandi and Other Queer Stories They Don’t Tell YouWritten by: Devdutt Pattanaik; Narrated by: Rajiv Dadiya
Shikhandi is probably the most ancient queer figure in Indian literature. In the Mahabharata, Shikhandi was born as a princess but eventually was destined to kill Bhishma during the battle of Kurukshetra in the epic. Despite being born a princess, she was raised as a boy by her father Drupada (who had sought a boon from Mahadeva to be blessed with a son). Drupada was in denial of having a daughter so he projected the denial into raising Shikhandi like a boy. She was taught the skills of a male warrior and got married off to a woman. The audiobook is an intriguing tale of twists of fate that helmed the death of Kaurava in Shikhandi’s hands. It portrays the triumph of good over evil with queer representation battling stereotypes in an age-old epic.
