Coming out can be a daunting task no matter your age or situation. After all, it’s about a secret you’ve kept to just yourself up to that point, so naturally you’ll have built up expectations, fears, and insecurities surrounding the relationships with the people you’re coming out too. We’ve looked at some books that are all about coming out, whether it’s a biography from someone who’s done it, a self-help book for someone who’s thinking about it, or even a fictional story (that may or may not involve romance blossoming!) we’ve got them listed below.
Biographies/Memoirs
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Robbie Rogers is an American athlete. He’s also gay, in a profession not typically accepting for LGBT people. This book follows his story from being a scared kid growing up to becoming a role model for gay youth and gay athletes. |
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Chris Beck grew up like many other adolescent boys. Unlike most, however, he went on to serve as a U.S. Navy Seal for twenty years on thirteen deployments, earning a Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. Unbeknown to those around Chris, he was transgender. This is the story of Kristin becoming her true self after having already led an eventful life so far, and her dealing with rejection from family, PTSD, and societal influences and attitudes as well. |
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It’s not everyone’s experience, but there are still many people who come out later in their life, past adolescence. This is the memoir of author Dawn Elizabeth Waters, a stay-at-home wife who comes out as a lesbian at 39 years old and details the changes she experienced and the effect on her closest relationships. |
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Rick Clemons is an author, blogger, podcaster, and speaker. He offers this book filled with his own experiences coming out, managing a divorce, raising kids as a gay parent, and how to date and be in a healthy relationship. As a memoir or as a self-help book, you’ll find honest and amusing thoughts and advice for those in a similar situation. |
Self-Help
It Gets BetterEdited by author, columnist, and activist Dan Savage, this is a collection of essays and testimonials written from people of all kinds to teens in an effort to comfort and advise them as they struggle with bullying, coming out, and questioning their sexuality. The overall message and name of the project is the titular ‘It Gets Better’. |
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Available for the Kindle, this book is a resource for anyone questioning their sexuality or who has questions about what it means to be gay, coming out, dealing with homophobes, building a support network, accepting oneself, and much more. |
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How does shame influence our self-esteem? How does it shape our relationships and intimacy with others? This inspirational guide can help LGBT people address and grow out of shame they were made to feel growing up, and learn how to live an empowered life with a positive identity. |
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Coming out of the closet is often an emotional, important event in a person’s life, and it’s something you do for you, not others. Depending on who you’re coming out to it could be a big deal or not, be well or badly received, and really completely up to you whether or not to do it. This book offers advice for how to handle the process of coming out to family, friends, and peers and what to do afterwards. |
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Available for the Kindle, this self-help book aims to give you the tools to express yourself, and live your life without having to hide your identity. Filled with advice, this guide will show you first steps and future steps to coming out and living your life with confidence. |
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This book is on our list because it’s written as a guide for families of people who are coming out as LGBT. Learning a child or other family member has its own challenges and pitfalls to avoid. Using a qualitative, multicultural study of over sixty gay and lesbian children and their families, Michael LaSala, an expert on this issue, outlines ways for families in transition to adjust their expectations, attitudes, and behaviours. |
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Looking at Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Taoism, Sufism, New Thought, New Age, and Earth-based religions, Christian de la Huerta offers a look at gay spirituality and how to assert it. As a fresh perspective guide and self-help book for gay, lesbian, and transgender people, Coming Out Spiritually draws on several spiritual models and schools of thought not often talked about, but equally applicable and of interest to many in the LGBT community.
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Historical/Social
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Winning three book awards, author David Johnson chronicles how the myth of homosexuals as a threat to national security came about in Cold War America, how lives were changed and threatened, and how it brought forth a new struggle for civil rights. |
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Alan Downs brings his research and studies in the field of psychology to explore the stages of a gay man’s journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance, through struggles with shame and anger. Social acceptance is higher than ever, but many problems still face LGBT people including substance abuse, depression, and suicide. Read his advice to avoid the dangerous cycles and reflect on how our current generation has been shaped by LGBT history. |
Fiction/Romance
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This romance novel is about two young gay men, both living unhappy lives. Mattie, a closeted athlete, meets Julian, depressed due to his demanding father. How will these two lovers overcome their fears and live for themselves? Available on the Kindle. |
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Two youths – a shy gay boy and a confident tough girl – form a lasting connection as children that deepens into Rodrigo and Tamsyn’s college years. Rodrigo finds himself at a crossroads, with the possibility of romance with his longtime crush weighed against sudden erotic feelings towards his female best friend. |
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In this fictional romance novel, cocky hockey athlete Callan Jones has been hiding a secret from his peers: he’s gay. After a trade puts him on a team with seemingly down-and-out captain Tyler Vance, will Callan let the truth come out, and how will this affect his new team’s future? |
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Part of a series but still a standalone romance story, The Last Out is about closeted baseball pitcher Kyle who is desperate to get back in the game after sustaining an arm injury that leaves his performance less than top notch. An introduction to a mathematician in the field of sabermetrics gives him a chance at success both on the pitch and in romance – but only if he’s willing to be his true self. |
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In this fantasy romance book, Salford and Ruby are two vampire-wolves, a group of creatures as-of-yet unknown to mankind. They have also developed a forbidden love for each other, against their clan’s customs. As they are discovered by both humans and their kin, they must deal with threats from both outside and inside of their clan. |
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Another romance novel surrounding the theme of being out in sports, Home Goal is set in England and follows Jason as he takes his football play to the highest level, while being advised to keep his orientation under wraps. Once he meets the charismatic Scott who is funny, smart, and a great dancer, Jason faces the tension between love and career start to come to a head. |
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We hope you found a good read in here somewhere, whether for entertainment or education. Let us know what piqued your interest and of course if you know of any other books about coming out stories tell us in the comments!