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Because LGBTQ+ materials have been widely censored, many earlier publications were self-published or the product of a small and niche publishing house. There are a number of books and resources which can help you find your way around LGBTQ+ specific publishers and publications.
The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.
Putting Out: A Publishing Resource Guide for Lesbian & Gay Writers by 
Lesbianism: An Annotated Bibliography and Guide to the Literature by The Directory of Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Community Publications in the United States and Canada by Early LGBTQ+ publishers and organizers worked creatively to get relevant books into the hands of anyone who wanted one. This included owning their own presses and putting out a number of unique publications dedicated to connecting readers to books.
Some examples include:
The following title links to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.
Gay Bar by This list is not comprehensive. It can be helpful to search by publisher, especially if you are searching broadly. To find additional titles, search the Library of Congress Online Catalog
The Office of the Gender and Women’s Studies Librarian at the University of Wisconsin-Madison maintains a current list of LGBTQIA+ publishers on their website External. Likewise, Lambda Literary External is a helpful resource for learning about both established and emerging LGBTQIA+ publishers.
Many of these publishers are no longer publishing. However, it can be helpful to have a list of publishers past and present for the purposes of research. Lesbian publishers with holdings in the Library of Congress include:
This list is not comprehensive. To find additional titles search the Library of Congress Online Catalog:
