Author: Read with Pride

readwithpride.com When we talk about MM romance books or binge-watching the latest queer drama, we often bask in the “happily ever afters” and the hard-won victories. But behind every story of a gay man finding his soulmate in a small town or two soldiers falling in love on the front lines, there’s a real-world foundation …

The First March: Sydney Mardi Gras 1978Read More

readwithpride.com If you’re a fan of historical mm romance novels, you know all about the “slow burn.” You know that agonizing, heart-aching tension where progress feels like it’s moving at a glacial pace, where every step forward is met with two steps back, and where the payoff, that moment of ultimate liberation, feels like a …

Heroic Hearts: NZ’s Law Reform of 1986Read More

readwithpride.com When we think about the landscape of LGBTQ+ fiction, we often find ourselves stuck in a very Western, very urban perspective. We think of the Stonewall Inn, the bright lights of London’s Soho, or the sprawling pride parades of San Francisco. But if you look toward the horizon: specifically toward the rolling green hills …

Takatāpui: Māori Identity and Queer LoveRead More

readwithpride.com When we think of Tasmania, we usually picture the rugged wilderness, the adorable (if slightly scream-y) devils, and some of the most breathtaking hiking trails on the planet. But for a long time, the “Apple Isle” was known in the LGBTQ+ community by a much darker nickname: the “Hate State.” While the rest of …

The Last Frontier: Decriminalizing Love in TasmaniaRead More

readwithpride.com Long before the Sydney Mardi Gras became a televised glitter-fest and before “Drag Race” was a household staple, there was a different kind of magic brewing in the shadows of post-war Australia. If you think the “secret society” trope is just for gay fantasy romance, think again. In the 1950s and 60s, being queer …

Secret Societies: Australia’s Underground Camp SceneRead More

readwithpride.com G’day, legends! If there’s one thing we love at Read with Pride, it’s a story with a guaranteed Happy Ever After (HEA). We spend our days tucked away in the pages of MM romance books, swooning over “enemies to lovers” tropes and “forced proximity” heart-throbs. But sometimes, real life delivers a plot twist so …

The Big Yes: Australia’s Marriage Equality JourneyRead More

readwithpride.com G’day, legends. If you’ve ever looked at a map of Australia and thought, “That’s a lot of empty space for a romantic encounter,” you’re not alone. But here at Read with pride, we know that the vast, sun-drenched expanse of the Australian Outback isn’t just about red dirt and dangerous wildlife: it’s a landscape …

Outback Hearts: Gay Life in Rural AustraliaRead More

readwithpride.com Auckland, the “City of Sails,” is more than just a cluster of volcanic cones and a harbor full of expensive yachts. For those of us in the rainbow community, it’s a city that breathes history, defiance, and a whole lot of heart. Whether you’re walking down the neon-lit stretch of Karangahape Road (K’ Road) …

Queen City: The Queer Soul of AucklandRead More

readwithpride.com When you think of the Australian Outback, your mind probably goes to rugged landscapes, deadly spiders, and maybe a certain crocodile hunter. But for the global LGBTQ+ community, the red heart of Australia is forever painted with a different shade: the shimmering, iridescent lavender of a high-heeled shoe strapped to the roof of a …

Desert Queens: The Legacy of PriscillaRead More

readwithpride.com When we talk about the history of pride, the conversation often starts at a bar in New York in 1969. But if we’re being real: and here at Read with Pride, we’re all about that authentic life: the story of queer identity in the Southern Hemisphere goes back a lot further than a brick …

Always Was, Always Queer: First Nations PrideRead More

readwithpride.com If you’ve ever found yourself wandering through Sydney under a canopy of rainbow flags, heart thumping to the beat of a distant disco track, you’ve likely walked the “Golden Mile.” While London might have its famous shopping strip of the same name, for the LGBTQ+ community in Australia, Oxford Street is our spiritual home. …

The Golden Mile: A History of Oxford StreetRead More

readwithpride.com There is a specific kind of magic that happens when the wind whips off the Cook Strait and rattles the windows of a hillside villa in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. If you’ve ever spent a winter in Wellington, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s the kind of weather that practically begs you to stay …

Creative Sparks: Queer Life in WellingtonRead More

readwithpride.com When we think about the “ANZAC legend,” the images that usually spring to mind are rugged men in slouch hats, dusty trenches in Gallipoli, and the unbreakable bond of “mateship.” For decades, that legend was painted in very specific, very straight colors. But here at Read with Pride, we know that history: much like …

Mateship and Beyond: Queer ANZAC LegaciesRead More

readwithpride.com If you’re a fan of the enemies to lovers trope or the classic fake dating setup in your favorite MM romance books, you know that sometimes a massive, public, and slightly ridiculous performance is the only way to get what you want. In the world of gay fiction, we call it “the grand gesture.” …

The Coral Sea Kingdom: A Sovereign Act of PrideRead More

readwithpride.com Salty hair, sun-kissed skin, and that particular way a wetsuit clings to every muscle: if you’ve ever fallen down a rabbit hole of MM romance books, you know exactly the vibe I’m talking about. Australia has long been the poster child for the rugged, athletic surfer aesthetic. But for a long time, the “macho” …

Surfing the Rainbow: Australia’s Queer Wave RidersRead More

readwithpride.com If you’ve ever wandered through the graffiti-covered arteries of Melbourne’s CBD at 2:00 AM, you know that the city doesn’t just have a heartbeat: it has a bassline. Melbourne’s laneways are more than just shortcuts for commuters or backdrops for overpriced lattes; they are the literal foundations of a queer history that has fought, …

Laneway Love: Melbourne’s Queer Nightlife EvolutionRead More

readwithpride.com There’s a certain kind of magic that happens when a small nation decides to lead the world. Back in 2013, while much of the globe was still debating the “validity” of queer love, Aotearoa New Zealand stood up, cleared its throat, and sang its heart out. For those of us in the LGBTQ+ community, …

Kiwi Pride: NZ’s 2013 Marriage Equality WinRead More

readwithpride.com If you’ve ever wandered through the streets of Sydney or Melbourne during a Pride march, you’ve likely seen them: the towering headdresses, the stark white face paint, the neon-bright habits, and enough glitter to be seen from orbit. They are the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and while they look like a fever dream of …

Nuns of the Cross: The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence AURead More

readwithpride.com When you think of Dunedin, New Zealand, your mind probably jumps to a few things: the steepest street in the world, the legendary “Scarfie” culture, and a climate that makes you wonder if the sun forgot where the South Island is. But beneath the layers of woolly jumpers and the mist rolling off the …

Southern Stars: Queer Student Life in DunedinRead More

readwithpride.com When we think of queer life in Australia and New Zealand, our minds often go straight to the neon lights of Oxford Street in Sydney or the vibrant, windy hills of Wellington. We think of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, the glitter, the protest, and the pride. But there is a whole …

Wild Hearts: Nature and Queer Identity in the AntipodesRead More