All of us deserve to see our lived experiences reflected in the stories we love, and that's especially important for young people or those who can't express the fullness of their identity in their everyday lives. These books by gay authors and LGBTQ+ writers, as well as fantastic reads with characters who identify as part of the rainbow of identities the acronym encompasses, show us that our literary worlds can (and should!) be as beautifully diverse as the one we live in. But this increased visibility during Pride month shouldn't be a one-month thing - it's an opportunity to expand the diversity of our media consumption all year long. For 30 days, every product from T-shirts to bagels come in a rainbow motif in a nod toward supporting (and earning money from) the LGBTQ+ community.

During Pride month every June, a lot of attention turns to LGBTQ+ culture, including its artists, creators and authors.