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 March, 2026
Comments
Oooh thank u for this đ will def be yoinking some!
nezuuOP
yoink away!! hope you find some good reads :)
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
YAAAY love this đŤś
nezuuOP
was thinking about you and all the other lovely desis on this platform while making this đĽš
đĽşđŤ
love this!! ty for the detailed breakdown too
nezuuOP
ahh thank you! and ofc đââď¸đââď¸
