south asian pride
queer/trans south asian books! this list is multi-genre, and so includes queer rep from fantasy, romance, memoirs/non-fiction, poetry, etc.! recs are always welcome :)
created by nezuu
last updated April, 2026
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nez!! found this really sweet book https://bookspring.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/92168-friends-under-the-summer-sun.pdf its not on goodreads so ill just leave it here as a rec! a children's book with a south asian trans character!
nezuuOP
youâre such a gem 𼚠thank you darling! pinning for visibility đŤś
HULLOH i've got "Missing Sam" by Thrity Umrigar for you! about a brown queer couple! i'm about to read it this month so ill lyk how it goes :)
tried my best to find rep from various countries within the south asian subcontinent (not just india). as of right now, there are books written by or featuring characters from india, sri lanka, bangladesh, and pakistan. i am still looking for books with queer rep that also represent nepal đââď¸ if anyone has any suggestions from these countries, please feel free to recommend it!
here's a breakdown for reference! if i haven't listed a book in these categories it's because i haven't yet read it, and couldn't find specific info about what south asian ethnicity it represents :)
indian rep All This Could Be Different - lesbian No One Can Pronounce My Name - gay/drag Facing the Mirror - lesbian nf The Ivory Key - sapphic, gay, gender-queer A Burning - hijra (trans/intersex) I am Vidya: A Transgender's Journey - trans Tritiya-Prakriti: People of the Third Sex - trans, queer, intersex Cobalt Blue - gay The Devourers - bisexual, gender-fluid Nights Like This - sapphic (unsure if the character is lesbian or not) She of the Mountains - queer, gender-queer Love Bi the Way - bisexual The Paths of Marriage - lesbian The Man Who Was a Woman and Other Queer Tales from Hindu Lore - queer, trans, gender-queer Kari - gender-queer Truth About Me, The: A Hijra Life Story - hijra Out! Stories From The New Queer India - lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans AIDS Sutra - gay, trans The Jasmine Throne - sapphic
pakistani rep Lessons in Drag - drag We Have Always Been Here - gender-queer, queer If They Come for Us - queer A Case of Exploding Mangoes - gay Broken Verses - lesbian The Good Children - gay The Wish Maker - gay The Geometry of God - gay
sri lankan rep Swimming in the Monsoon Sea - gay Marriage of a Thousand Lies - gay, lesbian Cinnamon Gardens - lesbian, gay Funny Boy - gay The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida - drag
nepali rep Between Queens and the Cities - gay Walk Like a Girl - gay
bangladeshi rep Survival Takes a Wild Imagination: Poems - queer, gender-queer The Henna Wars - lesbian The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali - lesbian Bright Lines - gay, lesbian, and potentially bi? Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating - bisexual
Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel - this is iranian rep, and i included it because there are a lot of overlaps between iran and south asian cultures, despite iran being considered a part of west asia :) also, lesbian and gay rep
Oooh thank u for this đ will def be yoinking some!
nezuuOP
yoink away!! hope you find some good reads :)
love this!! ty for the detailed breakdown too
nezuuOP
ahh thank you! and ofc đââď¸đââď¸
so grateful and happy this made it to the list :) nez ur incredible, and my heart is so happy rn. we deserve the best qt south asian rep!!!
edit: the subtweet by vivek shraya would be awesome if ur taking recs! trans rep by a trans author!
nezuuOP
YES we do đĽš
i found this book: Forbidden Desire: How the British Stole India's Queer Pasts and Queer Futures and it might fit this list! i also understand if you'd rather not add more books about queer india specifically, and are looking more books for more south asian countries. lovely lovely list! đ
nezuuOP
ahh thank you! def gonna add that in as well, thatâs such a relevant and important topic to learn about đĽš
oh my gosh yes, especially in the current political climate here. for a country that appears to be very proud of its history, we are disgustingly selective about it
nezuuOP
absolutely đââď¸ we love to debate the ways in which colonialism set us back economically but not socially. itâs really sad :(
YAAAY love this đŤś
nezuuOP
was thinking about you and all the other lovely desis on this platform while making this đĽš
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