Aaron Twitchen

According to a Stonewall study, 48% of pupils have had little to no positive messaging about being LGBT+ at school in the last year. With this huge gap in communication, how are we meant to understand queer history, social issues and positive stories of gay icons.

Queer history is more than just rainbow flags, pride parades and listening to George Michael. Understanding the complicated system of Government bills, historic marches and social politics is really hard. And its rarely taught in schools or colleges.

This collection of fun and witty essays provides insight into the major social issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community today. It will build your confidence in having those complicated conversations you missed out on as teen, like:

What is section 28?
Can anyone catch AIDS?
Why did Donna Summer go disco?

With any other culture you are shown the way by your family and peers who are part of that culture and immerse you in it. With queer culture, often times, people don't have that. Or, when they do, they are already adults and missed out on those key learning stages. As such, it can be difficult to understand gay culture and know how to learn about big topics like Stonewall and gay blood donation.

Unlike dry and humourless history books, this book is infused with personal stories and pop culture references. Forget descriptions or dummies; this is history for huns.

Homo History is a fun and engaging blaze through the main issues affecting the queer community today; and how we got here. Although light in tone it doesn't shy away from tackling important issues; such as gay body dysmorphia and conversion therapy. It will help you understand yourself, and manage your own feelings, whilst also giving you the juicy stories on the first gay TV kiss or why Ellen DeGeneres got sacked from her TV show.

This book celebrates queer figures and allies with profiles on known (and not yet known) celebrities such as Alan Turing, Ethel Smyth, April Ashley and Madonna, highlighting the huge progress the community has made in the past 100 years and giving you the hidden details you've overlooked.

Twitchen says: "As a homosexual myself, I wanted to write a book I would read. A book that celebrated queer culture in a fun and humourous light. A book for people like me, who want to dig deep in a topic and know all the specific details... but also want fun celebrity stories about the topic too."

First published: Wednesday 1st May 2024