Books and Authors

When her father Tina came out as trans about three-and-half years ago, Australian author Jessica Walton was inspired to write “Introducing Teddy.”

An elementary school in Michigan has banned the latest “Captain Underpants” novel because one of the main characters is gay.

For example: In 2011, the state of Gujarat banned Joseph Lelyveld’s biography on Mohandas K. Gandhi, after reviews suggested Gandhi had a homosexual relationship.

“I feel as if I would have to compromise my personal Christian moral beliefs to read it.”

A public meeting in a small North Carolina town over the reading of a story about a gay prince to third-graders has been canceled.

He’s been part of a wildly popular superhero team since its very beginning. But there’s something we never knew about Bobby Drake, aka Iceman of the X-Men… Bobby is gay.

The playful picture book was a cultural and legal flashpoint 25 years ago, angering conservatives over the morality of same-sex parenting, has been revised and updated with fresh illustrations from a new artist.

David Pratt, Lambda Award-winning novelist for “Bob the Book,” is back with a funny and touching new novel, “Looking After Joey.” In it, Calvin, a single accountant, must look after Joey, a porn character who unexpectedly steps through the TV into Calvin’s life — and can’t go back.

The book, “Emma and Meesha My Boy: A Two Mom Story,” tells the story of a little girl who learns how to be nice to her cat with the help of her two mothers.

Proulx says that ever since her 1997 short story was adapted into a film, too many people misunderstand its message.

RICHMOND, Va. — Dan Parent, creator of Archie Comics’ first gay character, Kevin Keller, says Kevin will return in a new series next year. Parent was at Virginia Comic Con on Nov. 23 and spoke about the history of Kevin Keller, and the controversy that ignited after the when the character was first introduced.

MIAMI — In Richard Blanco’s Miami, memories linger outside coffee windows and in Cuban grocery store aisles. Barack Obama’s 2013 inaugural poet grew up here, gathering experiences and stories as the son of Cuban exiles that would lay the foundation for his written work and inspire his new memoir, “The Prince of Los Cocuyos.”

NEW YORK — Los Angeles Galaxy soccer star Robbie Rogers wants some company, now that he’s the last man standing as an openly gay athlete in a U.S. professional league. Jason Collins recently retired from the NBA, and Michael Sam is without an NFL team. That leaves Rogers, the first openly gay player in Major League Soccer, hoping for a bigger fraternity.

NEW YORK — Chris Colfer is planning many return trips to the Land of Stories.

Publisher Little, Brown and Company said Monday the actor best known for “Glee” has a multi-book deal. Colfer has two more “Land of Stories” installments planned, the fourth and fifth of his best-selling middle grade series, coming in July 2015 and July 2016. Both are currently untitled.

Leslie Feinberg, the author best known for the 1993 novel “Stone Butch Blues,” died Saturday at home in Syracuse, N.Y., of “complications from multiple tick-borne co-infections,” according to Feinberg’s partner and spouse, Minnie Bruce Pratt, a poet and professor at Syracuse University. Feinberg was 65.

In his new book, “The Andy Cohen Diaries: A Deep Look at a Shallow Year,” author and television host and executive Andy Cohen tries to explain to his rescue dog, Wacha, the luck of going from a West Virginia kill shelter to lunching at Jerry Seinfeld’s estate in East Hampton, New York. Wacha may not get it, but we do.

As the debate surrounding transgender children swirls, one girl is sharing her personal story in the hope that she can help others. By age 2, Jazz Jennings began to verbalize her feelings that “she was a girl,” and by 5 she was one of the youngest people ever to be diagnosed with gender dysphoria.

NEW YORK — Nathan Lane’s first book is no shaggy dog story. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers announced Monday that the Broadway actor known for his starring role in “The Producers” has a deal for a picture book, “Naughty Mabel.”

I really hated my life. I hated living like I was in prison. It was hurting my relationship. And it was all so fucking stupid. Was this a “special privilege”? Was this about sex? I was not asking to have sex in the military. If given the chance of a rebuttal after Mr. Santorum answered my question with his “sex has no place in the military” and “gay people want special privileges” rhetoric, I would have told him that story.

Laurie Higgins is a Christian grandmother with a limited professional background (according to her bio). She has worked as “cultural analyst” for The Illinois “Family” Institute for six years, and before that was employed in the “writing center” for a high school. I am not exactly sure what the job qualifications are to be a “cultural analyst” but whatever they are, they have not won Ms. Higgins many friends…