Reading Disabled LGBTQ+ Authors' Books is Resistance Part 2

Celebrate Pride and resist MAGA by reading one of these books

A logo for "Nightlight Books" is presented. The logo features a stylized shield-shaped emblem in muted, cool colors. Inside the shield, a nighttime scene is depicted: the silhouette of several books of varying colors stacked on a shelf, a small lighthouse, and stars in a light lavender/grey sky. Two stylized street lamps are positioned at the top and bottom corners, outside the shield, and slightly above and below the centrally located text. The words "NIGHTLIGHT BOOKS" are written in bold, sans-serif white capital letters, stacked above each other and situated in a dark grey rectangle below the illustrated shield, which is bordered with a thick dark grey outline. A crescent moon is located at the bottom center of the shield.

Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. is pleased to commemorate Pride by collaborating with Nightlight Books, a cooperative bookstore focused on disability in Cleveland, OH. We hold the conviction that engaging with literature created by disabled LGBTQ+ individuals represents a form of resistance. Consequently, we have requested our esteemed colleagues at Nightlight Books to suggest titles authored by disabled LGBTQ+ writers. Further recommendations and support for their establishment can be found on Bookshop.org and Libro.fm. This represents part two of their recommendations.

Just by Looking at Him by Ryan O’Connell

“…a very funny novel about falling for a fantasy and finding love for one’s own self….Ryan O’Connell explores the lessons that the vulnerable human body has to teach us, and he does so with humor, heart, and heat.” —Melissa Broder, acclaimed author of Milk Fed and The Pisces

A book cover for a novel titled "Just By Looking At Him," by Ryan O'Connell. The cover features a stylized image of a man in swim trunks relaxing on a lounge chair by a pool. The background features a graphic design with a mix of coral-pink tiles, teal, and pale pink shapes, creating a retro or vintage swimming pool vibe. The title text, "JUST BY LOOKING AT HIM," is large, bold, and presented in a block-style, light yellowish-tan font. The title is centered over the image, with smaller text "A NOVEL" appearing below it. Below that, in a slightly larger font, is the author's name. The cover also includes a quote about the book, attributed to Melissa Broder. The quote is a short, blurb-style description.

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The Cancer Journals by Audre Lorde

Living as a “black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet,” Lorde heals and re-envisions herself on her own terms and offers her voice, grief, resistance, and courage to those dealing with their own diagnosis. Poetic and profoundly feminist, Lorde’s testament gives visibility and strength to women with cancer to define themselves, and to transform their silence into language and action.

A book cover for "The Cancer Journals" by Audre Lorde. The cover features a portrait of Lorde in the center, rendered in black and white,  against a vibrant, patterned backdrop. The background features a colorful composition of floral motifs in teal, yellow, and gold on a dark background, with a red, dotted circle surrounding Lorde's head. Lorde is wearing a dark purple, patterned top with a light teal/grey motif.  Below the image, the title "AUDRE LORDE" is displayed in all caps in a bold, sans-serif font.  Beneath that, "THE CANCER JOURNALS" is written in a similar font but smaller. At the bottom of the cover, the small text "FOREWORD BY TRACY K. SMITH" is visible. The words "PENGUIN CLASSICS" and the image of a penguin logo are located in the lower middle of the cover.

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Trans and Disabled edited by Alex Iantafi

This anthology brings together vulnerable stories, poems, plays, drawings, and personal essays. They explore how we make sense of ourselves, our intersections of identities and experiences, of how we are treated, and how much love we are capable of, sometimes even for ourselves.

A book cover, featuring the title "TRANS & DISABLED" in a bold, stylized font atop the words "An Anthology of Identities & Experiences." The cover is navy blue. A light-blue medical/care-giving style walking cane or crutch is positioned centrally, with blossoms and flowers of various light pink, light peach, and light blue surrounding and overflowing down from it. The base of the cane/crutch is in the lower central part of the cover. A pair of light-blue headphones appears on top of the cane. At the bottom center, the words "EDITED BY ALEX IANTAFFI" are shown in a smaller, stylized font.

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Key Lime Sky by Al Hess

Driving home from a roadside diner, Denver witnesses a UFO explode directly over his tiny town of Muddy Gap. When he questions his neighbors, it appears that Denver is the only person to have seen anything – or to care that the residents’ strange behavior, as well as a shower of seashell hail, might be evidence of something extraterrestrial. [...]The only person in town who takes him seriously is a handsome bartender, Ezra. As the two investigate over pie and the possibility of romance, the alien presence does more than change the weather.

A book cover, likely for a novel, features a stylized illustration. A light-green backdrop suggests a rural scene. A large, stylized sign reads "Key Lime SKY" in pink lettering against a pale-pink banner. The sign's design evokes a vintage, retro aesthetic.  A grey, saucer-shaped object, resembling a UFO, is part of the sign. Small houses are on the street in the foreground, with a road and grass. The houses and surrounding landscape are simple, flat shapes, presented in bright, saturated colors, and are depicted in a painterly, cartoonish style. In the lower portion of the image, the author's name, "AL HESS," is written in a bold, metallic-gray typeface. A small copyright or branding symbol is also visible.

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Art Monsters by Lauren Elkin

“In a blend of art criticism, theory, biography, and memoir, Lauren Elkin tells the stories of women artists, from the seventeenth century to the present day, exploring the role of the political and personal in feminist art-making practices. Going beyond biography, she looks towards the ways that women—some queer, racialised or disabled—have found to make art that tells the stories of their lives.” —Vanessa Peterson, Frieze

A book cover for "Unruly Bodies in Feminist Art" by Lauren Elkin. The cover is a black and white image of a woman bending over a table in a room with a checkered floor.  The woman is centrally positioned and is wearing high boots.  The title, "Art Monsters," is in a bold, sans-serif typeface with a dark gray color.  The subtitle, "Unruly Bodies in Feminist Art," and the author's name, "Lauren Elkin," are displayed in large, bold, blocky capital letters, in striking orange-red and magenta-pink, set against a light beige background.  A small quote by Leslie Camhi from "The New Yorker" is included in a lighter gray-toned font above the title. The cover design is minimalist, with the image of the woman as the central focus and a subdued background.  The title and the author's name are set in a bold and modern font to emphasize the information.

Disability Community for Democracy, Inc. hereby expresses its strong enthusiasm regarding our collaboration with Nightlight Books. A functioning liberal democracy depends fundamentally on an educated citizenry. Such awareness is cultivated through access to accurate, comprehensive, and unbiased information concerning the various communities within society. To remain informed, bookstores such as Nightlight Books are indispensable. Kindly stay informed regarding forthcoming events organized by Disability Community for Democracy, Inc., in partnership with Nightlight Books.

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Ways to engage with the Disability Community for Democracy, Inc.

If you're interested in joining the Bed-In: STOP RFK Jr.'s Autism Registry event on Zoom this Saturday, July 12th, from 1:00 to 4:00 PM Eastern Time, we warmly invite you to register here! This event is a peaceful protest against the implementation of the autism registry, a tool that could be used to target individuals with disabilities, and a call to action to protect the rights of all individuals, regardless of their disability status. We are also seeking volunteers for the day of the event. If you are interested in serving as tech support and helping to spread the word, please sign up here.

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