June is Pride Month – a time to come together and celebrate LGBTQ+ pride, love and being yourself. Pride is a chance to reflect on the incredible strides that have been made towards equality, while acknowledging the challenges that remain in the ongoing fight for rights and acceptance. We’ve put together a list of media that celebrates the LGBTQ+ community and promotes understanding and inclusivity for all.
Media Recommendations:
“Beats Per Minute”
Directed by Robin Campillo
Beats Per Minute features the story of a group of activists that go to battle against government agencies and pharmaceutical companies in support of those stricken with HIV/AIDS. While the French government has declared its intent to support HIV/AIDS sufferers, ACT UP stages public protests against their sluggish pace, accusing the government of censoring and minimizing the fight against the virus.
“Boy Erased”
Directed by Joel Edgerton
Boy Erased tells the courageous story of Jared Eamons, the son of a Baptist pastor in a small American town, who must overcome the fallout of being outed to his parents. Fearing a loss of family, friends, and community, Jared is pressured into attending a conversion therapy program. While there, Jared comes into conflict with its leader (Edgerton) and begins his journey to finding his own voice and accepting his true self.
“Call Me By Your Name”
Directed by Luca Guadagnino
Based on the Novel by André Aciman, This coming-of-age story features seventeen-year-old Elio and twenty-four-year-old American scholar Oliver. Oliver is an American student, who is selected by Elio’s parents to live with them for six weeks as part of an annual fellowship that they offer to young scholars, with the purpose of helping them revise a manuscript for publication. Set in 1983 Northern Italy, this film tells the story of Elio, Oliver and the relationship that develops between them.
“The Kids Are All Right”
Directed by Lisa Cholodenko
Nicole and Jules are a married, same sex couple raising two teenagers they each had given birth from an anonymous sperm donor. When their children contact the sperm bank to find out who their biological father is, they meet with him without either of their parents knowing. After an instant connection, conflicts arise when the teens bond with their father and invite him into their lives.
“All The Things We Don’t Talk About”
Written by Amy Feltman
In this novel, Morgan Flowers is a nonbinary teenager being raised by their neurodivergent father, Julian, after being abandoned by their mother many years ago. Morgan’s mother, Zoe, stumbles back into their lives after breaking up with her partner Bridgid. Through it all, Julian and Brigid have become unlikely friends, united by what it’s like to love and lose Zoe. Morgan is swiftly drawn into Zoe’s glittering orbit and into a series of harmful missteps, and Brigid may be the only link that can pull them back from the edge.
Archival Recommendations:
The “William J. Jones French Literature Collection” by Special Collections and Archives
Recommended by Jeffrey Lawson, library associate
The MSU Libraries Special Collections and Archives houses the William J. Jones French Literature Collection, which focuses on the literary works of Arthur Rimbaud and Michael Butor. Rimbaud (1854-1891) was a pioneering LGBTQ+ poet. Known for his legendary and tempestuous relationship with fellow poet Paul Verlaine, the two have been considered the first open and defiant gay couple in literary history.
Contact Special Collections and Archives to view the collection.
Digital Recommendations:
The “Ozarks Lesbian and Gay Archives” by Special Collections and Archives
Recommended by Tracie Gieselman France, archivist
This collection contains many local and regional newsletters such as Blossom, Tri-Life, and GLO, as well as organizational records that include publications, photographs, and records from organizations like the GLO Center, FOCUS, and PROMO. University-related items include records of the Lambda Alliance Organization, the debate over the addition of sexual orientation to the non-discrimination policy, and clippings and correspondence related to MSU’s production of ”The Normal Heart.”
As the collection has grown over the years, organizations such as the GLO Center, FOCUS, PFLAG, and PROMO have been reorganized into their own collections. View our collection guide or contact Special Collections and Archives with questions.
The “Jim House Collection” by Special Collections and Archives
Recommended by Tracie Gieselman France, archivist
The Jim House Collection includes digital scans of photographs from the estate of Jim House (1941-2019), an activist and influential member of the LGBTQ+ community in Springfield. House played an integral role in the foundation of both the GLO Center and AIDS Project of the Ozarks. The photographs originally appeared in a 2004 exhibit curated by House entitled “The Way We Were,” which showcased images of LGBTQ+ life in southwest Missouri throughout the 20th century.
The physical collection is available to researchers and contains other documents from House’s life, including newspaper clippings, LGBTQ+ articles and academic papers, and promotional items from the original exhibit.
See the finding aid for more information, or contact Special Collections and Archives with questions.