Adult Books With Gay Characters: Fiction and Non-Fiction

In this fictionalized account of his time in Weimar Berlin, Isherwood introduces characters that would later be made famous by the play, I Am a Camera, and the Broadway musical and film, Cabaret.

When Adrien's friend turns up dead in an alley the morning after a loud public argument, Adrien becomes the prime suspect, but he may be the killer's next victim.

Burroughs' autobiographical novel depicts the tumultuous period of his life after the accidental shooting death of his wife, Joan. The protagonist, William, is withdrawing from heroin while obsessing over his reluctant lover, Eugene, in 1940s Mexico City.

In 1954 San Francisco, Pearlie is devoted to caring for her ailing husband and polio-stricken son. When her husband's former lover shows up at their home, Pearlie is forced to make some painful decisions.

Maupin’s seminal mystery series brings together a cast of young eccentrics at the height of the sexual revolution of the 1970s. When Maryann Singleton visits San Francisco for the first time, she instantly knows she can never go back to Cleveland. When she rents an apartment at 28 Barbary Lane, the perks are endless: from the "welcome" joint neatly taped to her door by the landlady, to the friends and lovers that will last a lifetime. The landlady, Anna Madrigal, keeps her tenants as close as family, but none of them realize just how close they really are until her secret is revealed.

74-year-old Barrington, Barry for short, is tired of living with his bitter wife. When Barry’s old friend and lover, Morris, asks Barry to move in with him, Barry must rectify his ideas of masculinity with his flamboyant persona.

Inspired by the Andy Warhol Diaries, Cohen chronicles one year of his life as Bravo's Vice President of original programming. In gossipy tones, Cohen revels in his fascination with celebrity, but ultimately reveals a deeper search for true love and companionship.

Art superstar, Andy Warhol, was the de facto fairy godfather of the New York art scene for over two decades. Here he offers ten years' worth of stories as told to his secretary, Pat Hackett. Released two years after his death, the diaries give a candid glimpse into the mind of a notoriously shy artist.

A scholarly study of depictions of LGBTQ people in 20th century cinema.

A history of the LGBTQ community in Los Angeles. Stories include the 1967 protests against police brutality in Silverlake, which predated the Stonewall Rebellion by two and a half years; and the nation's first gay pride parade in 1970.

A searing memoir of a childhood living with his abusive father and how he rose above his difficult past to become the talented and beloved star he is today.

Actor, singer, magician Neil Patrick Harris uses literary sleight of hand, revealing his life experiences in a whimsical Choose Your Own Adventure format. Harris invites the reader to step into his shoes to witness firsthand the string of choices that make up his story.

A big read, over 700 pages, which flies by in this freshly researched biography of one of our great playwrights. Williams led a life that was troubled, from his early years and continued until his death. Despite all of his anguish, fears, and self-doubt, he produced some of the most beautiful and illuminating plays, which are hallmarks and classics of the modern American theatre.

In 1980s New York City, a tight-knit group of friends find themselves coping with the AIDS crisis at ground zero. The group of artists and activists take matters into their own hands, hatching a caper to smuggle experimental antiviral drugs their friends desperately need from Mexico.

One of modern Cuba's major writers, Arenas holds back little in this candid autobiography. Originally a young guerrilla fighter with Castro, he then spent 20 years in prison under the regime he had supported. Finally making his way to the United States, he fought a more desperate battle with AIDS.