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Note: This post and the greater Compendium are no longer being updated as of April 2016. For far more comprehensive book lists, please visit LGBTQReads instead!

If you follow me on Twitter, or listen to me babble anywhere else, there’s a good chance you know I’m a pretty massive advocate of QUILTBAG YA/NA.

Yes, QUILTBAG is kind of a dumb word (for the unfamiliar, it stands for QUeer/QUestioning Intersex Lesbian Transgender Bisexual Asexual Gay), and I do sincerely apologize to anyone for whom this is not the preferred term, but I’ve chosen it for being the most outwardly inclusive option, particularly given that I actively wanted to highlight some Intersex books as well.

Since I’m always kinda going on about it in a lot of random places, I thought it’d probably be a good idea to get all that information down in one spot, particularly a spot with a comments section, since obviously I’m far from the be-all and end-all of knowledge on the subject.

(For a waaaay more comprehensive site entirely on the subject of GLTBQ+ YA, check out Lee Wind‘s fantastic review site. )

This will be another one of those posts I update with some frequency, but it’s important to me to get it started, so, this is me, doing that.

First up, some websites and blog posts – emphasizing the importance of writing and supporting it, recommending it, and helping you write and/or publish it:

Blogs/Sites

Gay YA – a site dedicated to featuring LGBTQIA+ characters in Young Adult Literature

Queer YA – A site dedicated to fiction for LGBTQ teens

DiversifYA – all posts under their QUILTBAG tag, including their DiversiTheme Roundtable on Diversity and Sexuality

Diversity in YA, which emphasizes both racial and sexual diversity and often includes specific rec lists

Publishers

Harmony Ink – the YA imprint of Dreamspinner Press, dedicated to publishing LGBT-themed YA

Bold Strokes Books – a publisher of LGBTQ YA/NA

Triton Books – the YA imprint of Riptide Press

Posts

LGBTQ & You: How to Support Your Students, by Lauren Barack in School Library Journal

All Things Queer and Wonderful, by Leah Raeder, on the importance of “Gaying up New Adult”

Graphic Guide to YA Novels with LGBTQ Characters, by Molly of Molly is Wrapped Up in Books, as part of this post for YALSA

YA Books About LGBT Characters of Color, by Malinda Lo

YA LGBTQ Novels Where the Focus Isn’t Coming Out, by Nita Tyndall

25 Must Read Books Featuring Gay Protagonists, by Epic Reads

8 Great LGBTQ Characters in YA Lit, by Me, via Barnes & Noble Blog

YA Misfits: Interview with Sara Megibow, on being LGBTQ-friendly

(Many thanks to Julie Sondra Decker, author of the upcoming THE INVISIBLE ORIENTATION: AN INTRODUCTION TO ASEXUALITY, for providing so many additional links in the comments!)

Along those lines, here are some agents who have stated they are actively seeking QUILTBAG YA/NA:

(Please note, I’d venture to say most, if not all, are! I just didn’t want to list anyone here without consent. Everyone here has specifically responded to this post.)

Laura Biagi of Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency

Amy Boggs of Don Maass Literary Agency

Laura Bradford of Bradford Literary Agency

Kaylee Davis of Dee Mura Literary Agency

Barry Goldblatt of BG Literary

Robert Guinsler of Sterling Lord Literistic

Cate Hart at Corvisiero Literary Agency

Saritza Hernandez at Corvisiero Literary Agency

Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary Agency

Victoria Lowes of The Bent Agency

Caitlin McDonald of Sterling Lord Literistic

Sara Megibow of Nelson Literary Agency

Jessica Negron of Talcott Notch Literary Agency

Jessica Regel of Foundry Literary+Media

Lindsay Ribar of Sanford J. Greenburger

Meredith Rich of Bloomsbury Spark*

Rena Rossner of the Deborah Harris Agency

Brooks Sherman of The Bent Agency

Bridget Smith of Dunham Literary Agency

Blair Thornburgh of Quirk Books*

Alycia Tornetta of Entangled Publishing*

Maria Vincente of P.S. Literary Agency

Kent D. Wolf of Lippincott Massie McQuilkin

Laura Zats of Red Sofa Literary

*Editor who accepts unagented submissions. NOT an agent.

Next up, a not-at-all comprehensive list of published QUILTBAG YA/NA.
Requirements for being on this list are:

1) The main* character, storyline, or love interest has to be QUILTBAG

and

2) At least one person whose opinion I respect has to have loved it, even if I didn’t (though if I thought it was a legit terrible book, it’s not making it on here)

*Dual-POVs in which one of two are QUILTBAG have been included

If a book is bolded, it means I’ve read it. If it isn’t, it means it was recommended by someone I trust. Just FYI, in case you have questions/complaints about a particular title. (And if I haven’t read it, it’s on my TBR.)

If a book is in blue, it means it’s intersectional – at least one of the characters who is QUILTBAG is also a PoC.

And yes I’m tagging which letters it encapsulates where I feel like it’s been firmly established (and Q where it hasn’t, I’m not sure because I haven’t read it, and/or the book is particularly focused on not putting characters in boxes) and please feel free to tell me if you think I’m misrepresenting, especially if you’re the author. I’m not trying to force any labels; I just want people to more easily be able to find the books they’re looking for, particularly the ones dedicated to less frequently represented members of the community:

The Rainbow Trilogy by Alex Sanchez (YA – G)
ANNIE ON MY MIND by Nancy Garden (YA – L)
ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE by Benjamin Alire Saenz (YA – G)
ASK THE PASSENGERS by AS King (YA – Q)
BOY MEETS BOY by David Levithan (YA – G)
EVERY DAY by David Levithan (YA – Q)
TWO BOYS KISSING by David Levithan (YA – G)
WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON by John Green and David Levithan (YA – G)
CODA by Emma Trevayne (YA – B)
TWIN SENSE by Lydia Sharp (YA – B)
EMPRESS OF THE WORLD by Sara Ryan (YA – Q)
ASH by Malinda Lo (YA – Q)
HUNTRESS by Malinda Lo (YA – Q)
ADAPTATION and INHERITANCE by Malinda Lo (YA – Q)
THE ART OF WISHING and THE FOURTH WISH by Lindsay Ribar (YA – B)
HERO by Perry Moore (YA – G)
FAN ART by Sarah Tregay (YA – G)
OPENLY STRAIGHT by Bill Konigsburg (YA – G)
THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST by Emily Danforth (YA – L)
PROXY by Alex London (YA – G)
SILHOUETTE OF A SPARROW by Molly Beth Griffin (YA – Q)
GEOGRAPHY CLUB by Brent Hartinger (YA – G,B)
MY MOST EXCELLENT YEAR by Steve Kluger (YA – Q)
WILDTHORN by Jane Eagland (YA – L)
IF YOU COULD BE MINE by Sara Farizan (YA – L)
PANTOMIME and SHADOWPLAY by Laura Lam (YA – I,B)
THE ELEMENTALS by Saundra Mitchell (YA – B)
OVER YOU by Amy Reed (YA – B)
GOLDEN BOY by Abigail Tarttelin (YA* – I)
SUICIDE WATCH by Kelley York (YA – Q)
THE SHATTERING by Karen Healey (YA – L)
SISTER MISCHIEF by Laura Goode (YA – L)
SCARS by Cheryl Rainfield (YA – L)
GREAT by Sara Benincasa (YA – L)
THE SUMMER I WASN’T ME by Jessica Verdi (YA – L)
FAR FROM YOU by Tess Sharpe (YA – B)
ONE MAN GUY by Michael Barakiva (YA – G)
EVERYTHING LEADS TO YOU by Nina LaCour (YA – L)
AN UNSTILL LIFE by Kate Larkindale (YA – L)
OTHERBOUND by Corinne Duyvis (YA – B,L)
LIES MY GIRLFRIEND TOLD ME by Julie Anne Peters (YA – L)
LUNA by Julie Anne Peters (YA – T)
FREAKBOY by Kristin Elizabeth Clark (YA – T)
BEAUTIFUL MUSIC FOR UGLY CHILDREN by Kristin Cronn-Mills (YA – T)
THE OTHER ME by Suzanne van Rooyen (YA – T)
ALMOST PERFECT by Brian Katcher (YA – T)
I AM J by Cris Beam (YA – T)
SOCIAL SKILLS by Sara Alva (NA – G)
LOVE LESSONS by Heidi Cullinan (NA – G)
THE GRAVITY BETWEEN US by Kristen Zimmer (NA – L)
MISMATCHED by Lydia Sharp (NA – L)

*Technically published as Adult, but whatever

And finally, a list of upcoming QUILTBAG YA/NA:

2014

I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN by Jandy Nelson (YA – G)
TELL ME AGAIN HOW A CRUSH SHOULD FEEL by Sara Farizan (YA – L)
LIES WE TELL OURSELVES by Robin Talley (YA – L)
AFTERWORLDS by Scott Westerfeld (YA – L)

RUSH by Nyrae Dawn (NA – G)
FEVER PITCH by Heidi Cullinan (NA – G)
*THE WICKED WE HAVE DONE and OUR BROKEN SKY by Sarah Harian (NA – L)

*LGBTQ romance is secondary in the novel, but primary in the associated novella

2015

SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA by Becky Albertalli (YA – G)
MORE HAPPY THAN NOT by Adam Silvera (YA – G)
NONE OF THE ABOVE by I.W. Gregorio (YA – I)
WONDERS OF THE INVISIBLE WORLD by Christopher Barzak (YA – Q)
UNSPEAKABLE by Abbie Rushton (YA – L)
BLEEDING EARTH by Kaitlin Ward (YA – L)
FANS OF THE IMPOSSIBLE LIFE by Kate Scelsa (YA – G,B)
UNBREAKABLE by Robin Talley (YA – GQ,L)
UNDER THE LIGHTS by Dahlia Adler (aka Me) (YA – B,L)

OFF CAMPUS by Amy Jo Cousins (NA – G,B)
TRUST THE FOCUS by Megan Erickson (NA – G)
BLACK IRIS by Leah Raeder (NA – Q)
SETH & GREYSON by Jessica Sorensen (NA – G)

If you’ve got a book rec, or read a blog post on the subject that meant a lot to you, or you’re an agent who wants to be added to the list – whatever – I just want to be as comprehensive as possible, so please help make it easier in the comments!