LGBT Catholic Reading List
This list contains a variety of reading material: comforting and encouraging pastoral resources; inspiring personal stories; fiction, history, and differing perspectives on coming out, living authentically, faith and sex.
“Congratulations to the Catholic Church for raising so many lesbians over the years.” – Del Martin & Phyllis Lyon, Authors, ‘Lesbian/ Woman’
FICTION
A Catholic Education by Robert Benard
A Woman to Treasure by Ali Vali
An Excellent Mystery: The Eleventh Chronicle of Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters
Body and Blood by Michael Schiefelbein
Broken Vows by M.J. Williamz
Brothers in Arms by Michael Carson
Changing Majors by Ana Hartnett Reichardt
City of Night by John Rechy
Closet Case by Robert Rodi
Death with Dignity by Jack Ricardo
Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead: A Novel by Emily R. Austin
Her Name in the Sky by Kelly Quindlen
Homo Novus by Gerard Cabrera
I Leap Over the Wall by Monica Baldwin
In The Name of the Father by Gerri Hill
In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden
Murder on Camac: A Marco Fontana Mystery by Joseph R.G. DeMarco
Nun in the Closet by Joanne Michaels
Only Say the Word by Scott D. Pomfret
Sister Matthew and Sister Rose – Novices in Love by Carol Anne Douglas
Strange Gods: A Novel About Faith, Murder, Sin and Redemption by Peter Daly and John Myslinski
Theresa and Isabelle by Violette Leduc
The Catholic by David Plante
The Fancy Dancer by Patricia Nell Warren
The Fifth Gospel by Michelle Grubb
The Only Good Priest (Tom and Scott Mysteries) by Richard Zubro
The Sacrament by Olaf Olafson
The Secret Cord by Virginia Hale
UnCatholic Conduct by Stevie Mikayne
NONFICTION
A Catechism of the Heart: A Jesuit Missioned to the Laity by Benjamin Brenkert
A Faith of One’s Own: Explorations by Catholic Lesbians by Barbara Zanotti
A Challenge to Love: Gay and Lesbian Catholics in the Church by Fr. Robert Nugent
A Disturbed Peace: Selected Writings of An Irish Catholic Homosexual by Brian McNaught
A Home for All: A Catholic Call for LGBTQ Non-Discrimination by New Ways Ministry
All Down Darkness Wide – A Memoir by Sean Hewitt
Amours: L’Eglise, les divorces remaries, les couples homosexuals by Fr. Adriano Oliva, OP
Are There Closets in Heaven? A Catholic Father and Lesbian Daughter Share their Story by Carol and Robert Curoe
Being Gay and Lesbian in a Catholic High School: Beyond the Uniform by John DeCecco, Michael Maher and Mary Elizabeth Sperry
Binding with Briars: Sex and Sin in the Catholic Church by Richard Ginder
Blessed Are Those Who Mourn: Chinese Tongzhi Catholics’ Tales by Eros Shaw, Mark Larrimore and Michael Clifton
Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion and Sensitivity by Fr. James Martin, S.J.
Building Bridges – Gay and Lesbian Reality and the Catholic Church by Fr. Robert Nugent and Sr. Jeannine Gramick
Catholic Figures, Queer Narratives by Frederick S. Roden and Patricia Juliana Smith
Catholic Identity – Balancing Reason, Faith, and Power by Michelle Dillon
Chosen: Gay Catholic Priests Tell Their Stories by Elizabeth Stuart
Coming Out and Coming Home by Stan “JR” Zerkowski
Confessions of A Gay Priest by Tom Rastrelli
Fortunate Families: Catholic Families with Lesbian Daughters and Gay Sons by Mary Ellen Lopata
Gay Respect In The Good News – (Still) A Draft For Discussion by Stephen Joseph Wolf
Gay, Catholic, and American – My Legal Battle for Marriage Equality and Inclusion by Greg Bourke
Gay and Catholic: Accepting My Sexuality, Finding Community, Living My Faith by Eve Tushnet
Given Up for You: A Memoir of Love, Belonging and Belief by Erin O. White
God’s Works Revealed: Spirituality, Theology, and Social Justice for Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Catholics by Sal Albano
Going to Wings by Sandra Worsham
Heavenly Homos, Etc.: Queer Icons from Life, Religion and History by Fr. Jan Haen
Hidden Mercy: AIDS, Catholics, and the Untold Stories of Compassion in the Face of Fear by Michael J. O’Loughlin
Hidden Voices: Reflections of a Gay, Catholic Priest by Gary M. Meier
Homosexuality and the Catholic Church by Sr. Jeannine Gramick
Hurting in the Church: A Way Forward for Wounded Catholics by Fr. Thomas Berg
I Came Here Seeking a Person: A Vital Story of Grace; One Gay Man’s Spiritual Journey by William D. Glenn
Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy by Judith C. Brown
In The Shadow of the Bridge: A Memoir by Joseph Caldwell Delphinium
Just Love – A Framework for Christian Ethics by Margaret Farley
Kicking the Habit: A Lesbian Nun Story by Jeanne Cordova
Lesbian Nuns: Breaking Silence by Nancy Manahan and Rosemary Keefer Curb
LGBTQ Catholics: A Guide to Inclusive Ministry by Yunuen Trujillo and Sr. Jeannine Gramick
LGBT Catholic Ministry: Past and Present by Jason Steidl
Liberace: An American Boy by Darden Asbury Pyron
Life in Paradox: The Story of a Gay Catholic Priest by Paul Edward Murray
Listen to the Stories – Gay and Lesbian Catholics Talk About Their Lives and the Church by Raymond C. Holtz
Living True: Lesbian Women Share Stories of Faith by Margaret O’Gorman
Love Between Women: Early Christian Response to Female Homoeroticism by Bernadette J. Brooten
Love Tenderly – Sacred Stories of Lesbian and Queer Religious – by New Ways Ministry
Marriage of Likeness – Same-Sex Unions in Pre-Modern Europe by John Boswell
Memories of a Gay Catholic Boyhood – Coming of Age in the Sixties by John D’Emilio
Mychal Judge: Take Me Where You Want Me to Go by Francis DeBernardo
My Cousin Maria Schneider: A Memoir by Vanessa Schneider
My Sister, My Spouse: Woman-Identified Women in Medieval Christianity by Dr. E. Ann Matter
On Being Gay: Thoughts on Family, Faith, and Love by Brian McNaught
Queer and Catholic by Amie M. Evans
Queer and Catholic: A Life of Contradiction by Mark Dowd
Queer God de Amor by Miguel Diaz
Save Yourself by Cameron Esposito
Search Me: A Way of the Cross in Solidarity with the LGBTQ Community by John T. Kyler
Secrecy, Sophistry and Gay Sex in the Catholic Church: The Systematic Destruction of an Oblate Priest by Richard Wagner
Sex As God Intended by John McNeill
Since My Last Confession: A Gay Catholic Memoir by Scott D. Promfret
Sons of the Church: The Witnessing of Gay Catholic Men by Thomas B. Stevenson
Special Friendships by Roger Peyrefille
Tab Hunter Confidential – The Making of a Movie Star by Tab Hunter
Taking a Chance on God: Liberating Theology for Gays, Lesbians, and Their Lovers, Families and Friends by John McNeill
Tenderness: A Gay Christian’s Guide to Unlearning Rejection & Experiencing God’s Extravagant Love by Eve Tushnet
The Church and the Homosexual: Fourth Edition by John J. McNeill
The Friend by Alan Bray
The Lesbian Path by Margaret Cruikshank
The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes
The Nuns of Sant’Ambrogio: The True Story of a Convent in Scandal by Hubert Wolf
The Other Face of Love by Raymond De Becker
The Rite of Sodomy – Homosexuality and the Roman Catholic Church by Randy Engel
The Unmentionable Vice: Homosexuality in the Later Medieval Period by Michael Goodrich
Voices of Hope: A Collection of Positive Catholic Writing on Gay & Lesbian Issues by Sr. Jeannine Gramick
What the Bible Really Says about Homosexuality by Daniel A. Helminiak, Ph.D.
With Listening Hearts: Understanding the Voices of Lesbian and Gay Catholics by Fr. Peter J. Liuzzi
romantic movie