Kingston is home to a vibrant arts community! We can attend festivals and performances year-round thanks to the work of local arts professionals.
This winter, we are celebrating LGBTQ2S+ filmmakers with the 24th Reelout Queer Film Festival, which takes place January 26 to February 5, 2023. Read on for book and DVD suggestions inspired by films from the festival’s lineup.
Diary of a Drag Queen by Crystal Rasmussen
This pick is inspired by Chrissy Judy. In this memoir, the author offers candid and explicit anecdotes interspersed with reflections on queer theory. Readers will appreciate the author’s hilarious and entertaining writing style as they learn about the ups and downs of a drag queen’s life and relationships.
Gender Euphoria, edited by Laura Kate Dale
This pick is inspired by Gender Benders: Short Program. This anthology celebrates the joy of transitioning and coming out through the experiences of trans, non-binary, agender, gender-fluid and intersex writers. Readers who prefer moving, heartwarming non-fiction will enjoy the moments of happiness and contentment shared by this collection of writers.
I’m So (Not) Over You by Kosoko Jackson
This pick is inspired by Better than Grindr: International Men’s Shorts Program. When heartbroken Kian agrees to pretend to still be in a relationship with his ex Hudson because his parents are visiting, the two men end up prolonging the ruse and realize that those romantic feelings haven’t quite disappeared. Readers who seek out fake dating trope stories will swoon for this delightful second-chance romance.
I Wish You All The Best by Mason Deaver
This pick is inspired by Before I Change My Mind. When Ben comes out, they face trouble at home and consequently try to keep a low profile at school. Ben builds a friendship with another student, Nathan, and begins to hope that their story may turn into a romance. This sympathetic and, at times, heartbreaking read explores the joys and struggles of a nonbinary teen’s relationships.
Kimiko Does Cancer: A Graphic Memoir by Kimiko Tobimatsu
This pick is inspired by Long Live My Happy Head. Queer twenty-something Kimiko’s life gets turned upside down when she receives a diagnosis for breast cancer. The author’s earnestness will move readers as she expresses her desire for connection and her frustrations with endless medical appointments and difficult conversations in this graphic memoir.
A Pale Light in the Black by K.B. Wagers
This pick is inspired by Unidentified Objects. In this space opera with queer characters, new lieutenant Maxine Carmichael must work with her team to defeat a mysterious opponent and win an inter-military competition, the Boarding Games. Readers who delight in a cast of warm characters and gravitate towards military science fiction will appreciate this tale.
Reverie by Ryan La Sala
This pick is inspired by The Butterfly Queen and Chivalric Values. After an accident, Kane is drawn into a quest to prevent the reality he knows from being destroyed by dark magic. Readers will be entranced by the descriptive world-building in this queer YA fantasy as they visit several dream worlds.
Wildhood, directed by Bretten Hannam
This pick is inspired by Off White: QBIPOC Stories. In this film set in Nova Scotia, brothers Link and Travis flee home to search for a mother they had believed to be dead, but now suspect is actually alive in Mi’kma’ki. Along the way, Link deepens his connection to his Indigenous roots and begins a romance with a two-spirit dancer. Viewers who appreciate coming-of-age stories with heart will enjoy this film.
