About the Book
Historic Icons in the LGBTQ+ Community
Discover how gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans people have changed the world into the one we know and love in this riveting history book.
#1 New Release in Teen & Young Adult LGBTQ+ Issues
Pride across the ages.. Going into the history and achievements of famous queer icons, this LGBTQ+ book is a love letter to those who have brought love, positivity, and advancement into our society. Let author and activist Eric Rosswood and Kathleen Archambeau guide your discovery of amazing facts about each historical figure and how their lives have shaped ours in more ways than one.
How they are still inspiring us today. doesn't just cover what so many LGBTQ+ people have accomplished; it also shares how we can achieve our dreams by learning from their persistence. Learn about activists such as Marsha P. Johnson, X Gonzlez, Sylvia Rivera and many more in their fight for progressive change against discrimination.
Meet heroes and world-changers you may have heard of, with biographies about:
Star athletes such as Esera Tuaolo and Billie Jean King
Entertainers like Sir Elton John, Margaret Cho, Daniela Vega, and RuPaul
Government and military officials such as Eric Fanning and Leo Varadkar
Trailblazers in science and technology including, Alan Turing and Lynn Conway
Other historic icons like Oscar Wilde and Bayard Rustin
If you enjoy LGBTQ+ books and memoirs such as Hollywood Pride, The House of Hidden Meaning, or Karma, then you'll love The Book of Awesome Queer Heroes.
About the Author :
Eric Rosswood is an award-winning author, activist, and commentator on LGBTQ+ issues including civil rights, parenting, marriage, and politics. He writes books that celebrate and honor queer joy, from adult books like The Ultimate Guide for Gay Dads, to teen books like Queer Cheer, and stories for younger children like the Stonewall Honor award-winning picture book, STRONG. When not writing, Eric enjoys spending time with his family, watching movies, reading, and traveling to exciting places around the world.
Kathleen Archambeau is an LGBTQ+ author, speaker, and journalist known for advocating for queer rights for more than 25 years. After working in entrepreneurship, tech, and education for several years, one of Kathleen’s first contributions was becoming a founding member of the James Hormel LGBT wing of the San Francisco Public Library. Other achievements include fundraising for mental health programs for queer adults, writing a regular column highlighting the LGBTQ+ community in the San Francisco Bay Times, and participating in The Trevor Project’s “It Gets Better” video rollout. Kathleen’s debut book, Pride and Joy, was endorsed by Hollywood producer Marilyn Atlas, first gay CA State Senator Mark Leno, SF Bay Times publisher, Dr. Betty Sullivan, with a Foreword by Academy Award winner and screenwriter of Milk, Dustin Lance Black. She serves as an LGBTQ Elder in the Swig Jewish Studies and Social Justice program at the University of San Francisco. She currently lives in the SF Bay Area with her wife and their Guide Dog Career Change dog.
Kate Kendell, Esq. was the executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), the first lesbian-led legal organization in the US, from 1996 to 2018. Named one of California’s Top 100 attorneys, Kendell’s leadership has been central to the fight for LGBTQ equality, including marriage equality, protections for LGBTQ families and youth, and the ongoing fight for transgender rights. NCLR argued or filed amicus briefs and won in four cases brought before the Supreme Court, including marriage equality nationally in the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court Obergefell v. Hodges case.
Winner of the National LGBT Bar Association’s Dan Bradley Award, the Bar Association’s highest award recognizing an LGBTQ member who has led the way in the struggle for equality under the law, Kate Kendell grew up Mormon in Utah and received her JD degree from the University of Utah College of Law. It was not until she worked for the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah that she felt comfortable and safe being out as a lesbian. She continued her activism in San Francisco, first as the legal director of NCLR and, then, as the executive director.
Following NCLR, Kendell worked as the interim chief legal officer for the Southern Poverty Law Center from 2019 to 2021. Currently, Kate Kendell is the chief of staff of the California Endowment, a statewide foundation focused on expanding access to affordable, quality health care for underserved communities. The California Endowment is the largest health justice foundation in California. Dr. Robert K. Ross, CEO/president of the California Endowment, said of Kate’s appointment in 2022, “Kate’s career is steeped in racial justice, LGBTQ advocacy, and civil rights, she will be a strong leader for our work in the next decade.”
Kendell has appeared in media as a spokesperson for LGBTQ civil rights on Good Morning America, CNN, the New York Times and the Washington Post, among many others. Her excellent performance in a televised debate in 2011 with Moral Majority Evangelical leader Rev. Jerry Falwell was a pivotal moment for lesbian visibility in mainstream media. Kendell continues to be a fierce advocate for civil rights. She lives in Oakland, CA.
Review :
“We've had the audacity to fight for social justice for all LGBTQ citizens. This book highlights the contributions our community has made to the world in science, technology, business, religion, sports, the arts, government and entertainment. It is dedicated to all LGBTQ young adults and teenagers with big dreams and the perseverance to make those dreams come true. This book is sure to empower the next generation of LGBTQ youth to find their passions and transform the world.”
―Kate Kendell, executive director, National Center for Lesbian Rights
“For all LGBTQ teens and young adults, this book will help inspire and empower you to become your best selves. This book shares how the LGBTQ community has made invaluable contributions in the fields of science, technology, business, government, education, and the arts. It throws open the doors of queer possibility making it clear we can use our imagination to make distinctive marks on our world however we choose.”
―Dustin Lance Black, Academy Award-winning screenwriter, Milk
“Throughout history, the LGBTQ community has been erased, marginalized or vilified. Since the passing of the F.A.I.R. Education Act in California, that wrong is being corrected at long last. The inclusion of the contributions of the LGBTQ community to society is required to be taught in history and social studies classes in the California public schools. This book shines a spotlight on the amazing contributions to science, technology, business, government, education, sports and the arts of our community. School kids will learn that we are more than the stereotypes the media has projected and how our dedicated efforts in a variety of fields have enhanced the common good.”
―Ardel Thomas, PhD chair, LGBT Studies, City College of San Francisco
“Give this book to the young people in your life! It will offer inspiration regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. For LGBTQIA young people in particular―for whom coming out can be a tremendously isolating experience filled with uncertainty―this book provides a glimpse into the lives of well-known LGBTQIA people who live full, productive and happy lives, providing hope and strength for their journey as they grow into their blessed, God-created selves.”
―Bishop Karen Oliveto, PhD, first openly lesbian United Methodist Church bishop, author, Together at the Table: Diversity Without Division in the United Methodist Church
“The need for positive role models in the LGBTQ Community has never been greater. In a divisive political climate, books like this one encourage and inspire LGBTQ youth to focus on their part in advancing society. Whether in science, technology, education, sports, government or the arts, the LGBTQ community has made an indelible mark on the world. Undaunted by prejudice, marginalization, discrimination and violence, the community has persisted and dedicated its efforts to the greater good. In the words of MLK Jr., ‘the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.’"
―Libby Schaaf, Mayor of Oakland
“Right now, more than ever, we need these stories of sheroes and heroes and gender-expansive warriors to inspire us on our paths toward justice. Kathleen Archambeau and Eric Rosswood have eloquently lifted up these stories for all of our benefit, showing us queer and trans people as powerful agents of change, love and liberation.”
―Sean Dorsey, trans choreographer and activist, founder and artistic director, Fresh Meat Productions (2001-Present)
“Growing up in my Maori indigenous culture of New Zealand and with a father who was a leader of our local marae, sacred communal gathering place for 30+ years, I lived the value of community. We believe that we are never alone, our ancestors are always with us and so we share a collective and interconnected identity that helps us to stand strong in solidarity with our ancestors. This book may help you to remember that we are all connected to a global Rainbow family. Find the people―within family, friends, teachers, coaches, counselors, pastors―who will support you and help you on your sexual orientation and gender identity journey. We are the potential of our ancestors, free and equal and we are never alone.”
―Louisa Wall, member of Parliament, New Zealand; author of the Successful Marriage Amendment Act; co-chair of Cross-Party Rainbow Group, New Zealand Parliament; co-chair Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians, New Zealand Parliament ; co-chair of the First International Congress of Parliamentary Women's Caucuses, Dublin, Ireland, 2018
“This book should be required reading in schools and homes. All people―however they are born―should be free to reach their full potential. It is only an uninformed society which creates hurdles in this direction. Here we have the evidence that sexual orientation need not get in the way of success. Let us celebrate and speak about the high achievements of these great people, in the hope that they will be an inspiration to LGBTIQ youth. I thank the authors for creating this platform to commemorate these accomplishments.”
―Dr Helena Dalli, Minister for European Affairs and Equality, holder of European Diversity Award
“Echoing their chosen quote from Sally Ride, ‘You can't be what you can't see,’ the book makes an impactful holiday gift to any young queer person in your life looking to be reflected in history. Or, maybe, this is a perfect present for yourself if you happen to be seeking an extra role model, or two, from any and all fields.”
―Finbar LaBelle, The Bay Area Reporter
“This strong work will appeal to teens seeking queer role models and joy-centered narratives and may encourage readers to contemplate what it means to be a hero. It also holds value for adults who are raising or working with teens. A clear and persuasive introduction emphasizes the need to push back against the erasure of LGBTQ+ lives and stories from history curricula and public conversation.”
―Kirkus Reviews
