Nine Poems to Inspire

April is National Poetry Month. To ensure our voices and perspectives are heard during this annual celebration, we’ve collected nine poems from LGBTQ poets adept at using their sharp pens to express and fuel resistance.

Their words, spoken and written, shine a spotlight on the exploitation of women and girls; illuminate racism and its impact; rally protection for our planet; decry the unequal distribution of wealth; comment on foreign policy and immigration, and highlight the need for equality for the LGBTQ community.

We hope the links below introduce you to a few new poets or remind you of those you’ve long admired:

  1. Watch Stacey Ann Chin read her poem ”If Only Out of Vanity
  2. Read CA Conrad’s poem ”It’s too Late for Careful”
  3. Read Danez Smith’s poems for Ferguson ”Not An Elegy For Mike Brown” and “Alternate Names for Black Boys”
  4. Listen to K. Ulanday Barrett read ”Homebois Don’t Write Enough” at the Asian American Writer’s Workshop in 2015
  5. Read Michael Kiesow Moore’s poem ”The Visitor”

And we’d be remiss if we didn’t include a few local queer poets on this list:

  1. Watch Nicole Masangkay perform their poem ”My Gender is For Mothers”
  2. Watch Aleks Stefanova read her poem at the Portland Poetry Slam in 2007
  3. Watch Ebo Barton read their poem “Arizona” at the National Poetry Slam in 2014

Join the celebration!

Poetry lovers, share the names of your favorite queer poets or favorite poems by or about our community. If you are a poet, share a few lines with our community. Throughout the month, Pride Foundation staff will also be sharing a few of our favorites.

Join the discussion on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #QueerPoetPride.  

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