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  • Essential Reading
  1. Resources
  2. Essential Reading

Essential Reading

Essential Reading

Our bookshelf, open.

Books by, for, and about Black trans, queer, and non-binary lives. Memoirs, theory, history, poetry. Some have been in print for years. Some are brand new. All have shaped how we see ourselves and each other.

Click any cover or title to learn more. Buying through these links supports the authors — not us — which is how it should be.

Black Trans Feminism
Black on Both Sides by C. Riley Snorton
Redefining Realness by Janet Mock
Surpassing Certainty by Janet Mock
Trap Door anthology
Hiding My Candy by Lady Chablis
The Bold World by Jodie Patterson
The Good Arabs by Eli Tareq Bechelany-Lynch
Memoir · 2026
A Body Made Home
Kai Marshall Green

A memoir-manifesto on becoming trans, on Black trans love, and on queer kinship in the face of erasure.

Pages of Hackney
History · 2026
A Black Queer History of the United States
C. Riley Snorton & Darius Bost

Part of the ReVisioning History series. Unearths the contributions of Black trans and queer figures, linking racial and gender justice from slavery to today.

Find the book
Poetry · 2026
Soulmate as a Verb
Kelsey L. Smoot

A striking poetry collection exploring trans identity, love, and the work of living authentically.

Find on Waterstones
Interviews / Movement
Miss Major Speaks
Miss Major Griffin-Gracy & Toshio Meronek

Conversations with a Black trans revolutionary — survival, leadership, and a roadmap for collective liberation. One of our elders, in her own words.

Find the book
Memoir · 2023
The Risk It Takes to Bloom
Raquel Willis

A memoir from the Black trans activist on personal tragedy, family, and the fight for collective liberation.

Find the book
The shelf is never finished
Got a book we should read?

We welcome book recommendations by Black trans and/or queer authors. Send us a title, an author, a few lines on why it matters — we will read it and consider adding it here.

Send us a recommendation

Published: 3rd September, 2020

Updated: 30th May, 2026

Author: Chris Deshields

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https://www.blacktransalliance.org/essential-reading
Essential Reading

Latest

  • EHRC Updates Equality Act Code of Practice: What It Means for Black Trans and Non-Binary Communities in the UK

    EHRC Updates Equality Act Code of Practice: What It Means for Black Trans and Non-Binary Communities in the UK

    The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has submitted an updated services Code of Practice to Parliament. This is the first major overhaul of the legally binding guidance since 2011, and it is now facing a 40-day parliamentary review before becoming law. For Black trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse communities, this update reshapes how UK service providers must handle discrimination and inclusion across four key areas

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Hardship Fund

Support our Hardship Fund with a £1, £5, £10 donation or any other amount that you can give. Read more

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Published: 19th September, 2020

Updated: 29th May, 2026

Author: Chris Deshields

EHRC Updates Equality Act Code of Practice: What It Means for Black Trans and Non-Binary Communities in the UK

EHRC Updates Equality Act Code of Practice: What It Means for Black Trans and Non-Binary Communities in the UK

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has submitted an updated services Code of Practice to Parliament. This is the first major overhaul of the legally binding guidance since 2011, and it is now facing a 40-day parliamentary review before becoming law. For Black trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse communities, this update reshapes how UK service providers must handle discrimination and inclusion across four key areas Read more

Published: 29th May, 2026

Author: Chris Deshields

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