Days We Won't Forget – QBW Special Events

When I started this site—all of 3 weeks ago—I simply wanted to bring more awareness to queer authors and celebrate queer books. I didn’t intend for it to be anything more than a side project I am passionate about.

But that changed yesterday when I read something online that made me furious. In case you haven’t heard the news, Google and Apple have decided to remove certain events from their calendars, including Pride Month and many other days and weeks meant to highlight the achievements of and bring awareness to people in marginalized groups.

I’ve been stewing about this for awhile and decided I am going to do something about it. I won’t let these companies erase us, silence us, and pretend we don’t exist. Even if they do not want to celebrate diversity, that doesn’t mean we can’t.

One or twice a month, Queer Books Weekly will have special events to celebrate the days that Google/Apple/the far-right want us to forget. Each special event will be dedicated to books that fit into a specific niche or theme, be it fiction or non-fiction.

If you are an author and want to participate, please use the links! Note: we have switched to a new scheduling platform. This switch is what is allowing us to make these kinds of events possible!

Additionally, I have ADDED a brand new holiday! Yes, I am making one up right now. If they want to erase our holidays, we will just make MORE. So, this is the official unveiling of ALREADY OUT DAY. October 25th, two weeks after Coming Out Day. Already Out Day is a celebration of another year on HRT and only getting hotter, another year of being in a beautiful queer relationship and only getting stronger, another year with your queer-platonic partner and it’s only getting better, another year out and you’re only getting more stubborn. This day is for people who came out already and are living their best life as their authentic self—proof we survived, proof we will persist. Proof we can’t be erased. Proof we’ve always been here.

Without further ado, here are the events as well as the links for signing up if you are an author and want to join in! This post will be pinned in the header so you can easily find it later.

<3 Queer Books Weekly

FEBRUARY:

February 21st: Celebrate Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week ( February 15th – 21st)

QWB Event: February 21st. Please submit by the 20th.

Books featuring main characters on the aromantic spectrum across all genres and formats!

Submit here to the Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Event

MARCH:

March 31st: Celebrate International Transgender Day of Visibility

QBW Event: March 31st. Please submit by March 30th.

Books featuring trans characters or about prominent trans public figures that are out and proud or come out during the events of the books! All genres, all formats.

Submit here to the Transgender Day of Visibility Event

APRIL:

April 26th: Lesbian Visibility Day

QBW Event: April 26. Please submit by April 25th.

Books featuring lesbian main characters that are out and proud or come out during the book, books about lesbian historical figures, or books about the history of lesbian identity. All genres, all formats.

Submit here to the Lesbian Visibility Day Event

MAY:

May 19th: Agender Pride Day

QBW: May 19th. Please submit by May 18th.

Books featuring agender main characters that are out and proud, come out during the events of the book, books about agender historical figures, or books about the history of agender identity. All genres, all formats.

Submit here to the Agender Pride Day Event

May 24th: Pansexual and Panromantic Visibility Day

QBW: May 24th. Please submit by May 23rd.

Books featuring pansexual or panromantic main characters that are out and proud or come out during the book or books about prominent pansexual and panromantic people from the past or present. All genres, all formats.

Submit here to the Pansexual and Panromantic Visibility Day Event

JUNE

PRIDE MONTH

QBW Events:

JULY

July 14th: International Non-Binary People’s Day

QBW Event: July 14th. Please submit by July 13th.

Books featuring non-binary (including genderqueer, genderfluid, agender, etc) main characters that are out and proud or come out during the book or books about prominent non-binary people from the past or present. All genres, all formats.

Submit here to the Non-Binary People’s Day Event

July: Disability Pride Month

QBW Event: July 25th. Please submit by July 24th.

Books featuring main characters that are both queer and disabled written by ownvoices authors; this includes physical disability, invisible disabilities, chronic illnesses, and mental illnesses. All formats, all genres.

Submit here to the Disability Pride Event

AUGUST

All Month: Transgender History Month

QBW Events:

SEPTEMBER

September 23rd: Celebrate Bisexuality Day / Bi+ Visibility Day

QBW Event: September 23rd. Please submit by September 22nd.

Books featuring bisexual and/or biromantic main characters that are out and proud or come out during the book or books about prominent bisexual and biromantic people from the past or present. All genres, all formats.

Submit here for the Bi Visibility Day Event

OCTOBER

October 11th: National Coming Out Day

QBW Event: October 11th. Submit by October 10th.

Books about a main character coming out, memoirs about coming out, or autobiographies featuring coming out stories. All genres. All formats.

Submit here for Coming Out Day Event.

October 25th: Already Out Day

QBW Bonus Event: October 25th. Submit by October 24th.

Books about characters who have been out for a long time prior to the start of the book. They’ve accepted who they are and are ready to move on to the next battle. Already Out Day doesn’t currently exist, but maybe I can make it happen. Because if they think they can erase our holidays, we will just keep making more.

Submit here for Already Out Day Event.

October 19th – 25th: Asexual Awareness Week / “Ace Week.”

QBW Event: October 19th. Submit by October 18th.

Books with main characters who are out and proud on the asexual spectrum or books with main characters who come out as ace during the events of the book, books about prominent asexual people including historical figures, books about the history of asexual identities around the world. All genres. All formats.

Submit here for the Ace Week event.

NOVEMBER

November 13th – 19th: Transgender Awareness Week

QBW Event: Trans Joy: November 16th. Please submit by November 15th.

Books set in trans-normative worlds, free of shame, stigma, marginalization, and transphobia. Futures, alternative pasts, and parallel universes full of trans joy. All genres and all formats.

Submit here for the Transgender Awareness Week Event.

DECEMBER

December 1st: World AIDS Day

QBW Event: December 1st. Please submit by November 30th.

Books with main characters living with HIV/AIDS or non-fiction books about the HIV/AIDS epidemic and its relationship to queer rights, or autobiographies, memoirs, or biographies of LGBTQIA+ people living with HIV/AIDS.

Please submit here for the World AIDS Day Event.

I wish I could include every event, every week, every month, and every day dedicated to people in the LGBTQIA+ community. We deserve it. Alas, I am but one person / 13 cats in a trench coat. I’ll make sure when the time comes to plan 2026, that I shake things up! If you don’t see an event your book slots into, remember you can always have it promoted in our weekly list and/or monthly new releases!