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Discover weekly, the best short stories

Looking for a steady supply of lgbtq+ short stories? Every week thousands of writers submit stories to our writing contest.

1790+ Lgbtq+ Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. Discover incredible works of queer fiction right here, on this page of fresh new LGBTQ+ stories.

Lgbtq+ Short Stories – Page 4 of 120

A Letter To My Ex-Husband

Submitted to Contest #298

My Dearest M,I’ve wanted to write this letter for a long time. I think there are moments in life that deserve to be honored with more than a passing word or a nod. Moments that deserve stillness, breath, and reverence. This is one of those moments, and this is one of those letters.You and I have been through a lot—more than some, less than others, but still, our own mountain to climb. And today, I just want to say: I love you. I am so proud of you. And I’m grateful beyond words that we walked so much of this life together. I feel as though w...

10 likes 2 comments 2
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Everywhere is an Exit

Submitted to Contest #297

The station clock turns 22.36. Four minutes until the last train home.I look around my things, check I’ve got everything. Suitcases, backpack, phone. I see the train guard throwing me a dirty look. Again. He’s bored and uncomfortable - I can tell because he keeps messing with his boxers, pinching his thighs and shifting. Well his approach to his work is as uptight as his underwear, ‘cause he’d already come up to me half an hour ago, asking to see my ticket. Valid. He seemed put out that I was legit.‘We’ve had loads of trains go to Portsmouth...

18 likes 6 comments 6
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Stone me as the sinner that I am

Submitted to Contest #296

Helen tilted her head back, the sea mist tender as a lover’s kiss on her flushed skin. She gasped for air, the distant rumble of the tidal flow echoing her own labored breaths as the waves surged at the beat of her heart. Shh-shh, thump thump. Shh-shh, thump thump.A tremor passed over her, and she wrapped her shawl tightly around herself. She sensed warmth leaving her body, oozing from her wet clothes like vapor from a saturated fire log. Her own feelings tugged at her, throwing her off balance, and she shifted her weight.Coming here was a m...

7 likes 4 comments 4
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2 months

Submitted to Contest #296

This story does have some offensive language in it. It might be triggering."It is the judgment of this court that the young male child be taken from the mother and sent to live with the uncle so that a he can have a strong, stable father figure."The words hit like a backhand across the face as young Eric tried to process what his mother was telling him. Tears stung at his eyes while he stood there in the school office while other children watched with a mixture of curiosity and fear.Eric could hear the trembling in his mother's voice on the ...

13 likes 2 comments 2
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Prentiss

Submitted to Contest #296

Monday A new bistro, simply called “B”, opened near my home. I have a work-from-home job, and always go somewhere for lunch. It had a pretty patio, built out of a light-colored wood, and looked quite sturdy. The building itself was made to look like a large mansion-style home. Two bright red doors for entry and exit faced the parking area.I pulled the entry door – festooned with a cheery sign reading, “Come on in!” – and walked into the ordering area. To my delight, this place had old-school chalkboards for the menus, rather than the high-te...

12 likes 1 comment 1
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Suburban Living

Submitted to Contest #296

Sensitive Content Warning: This story contains a reference to a transphobic slur, a reference to a mental health condition, a mention of alcohol use, and mature themes. The funeral is crowded. Charlie was an extrovert, the life of the party, friendly and generous, a beloved member of the community. His sisters give tearful speeches. Their baby brother is gone, just like that. His kind face smiles out at the mourners in the pews. It smells like dead roses in here. I am suffocating. People nod sorrowfully in my direction. The pity in their ey...

15 likes 6 comments 6
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Reconsecration

Submitted to Contest #295

The church stood upon the hill, its weathered stones pale beneath the shifting light of the evening. Green and golden ivy had made its home here, weaving itself over its worn architecture. The narrow windows held simple tracings of colored glass which caught the waning light. Beyond the sanctuary, the courtyard stretched out beneath the open sky, ringed by trees whose spires pointed heavenward.The village had all gathered in hushed reverence, their faces shadowed and still in quiet congregation. The women watched on, swathed in long gowns of...

4 likes 0 comments 0
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Everything Has Its Place

Submitted to Contest #295

Moving is quite possibly the worst. Now packing... Packing is fine. You get the cathartic pleasure of grouping your belongings in labeled boxes. Everything has its place. You travel down memory lane as you reminisce on when you wore those rainbow sunglasses to pride or when your mom bought you that watch that you wore twice before placing it in a box and never allowing it to see sunlight again. Well, until now. Now that you're looking at all the knick-knacks, pieces of clothing, and junk you’ve acquired over the years, you’re emotional and r...

7 likes 0 comments 0
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ATHENA'S DINNER PLATE

Submitted to Contest #295

ATHENA’S DINNER PLATE “Athena, don’t stack your doll dishes that way. You could break one! Especially that big one with the nice pattern. That was a gift from Grandmother Foster. I don’t understand why a young girl would want a Greek platter, but she must have had her reasons. She said something about Aunt Elsie that eluded me.”“This one is my favorite. This big one. Aunt Elsie is not my favorite.”“Athena, that’s a terrible thing to say. Aunt Elsie is very generous. “Remember, she gave you that beautiful doll with the Hawaiian grass ski...

6 likes 0 comments 0
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The "What If" Lives of Jeanie the Dreamer

Winner of Contest #295 🏆

'Let’s have no two ways about it. Jeanie really could be a twat.'El leaned over the lectern and looked the front row of mourners straight in the eyes. She had one elbow on the celebrant’s notes, and for all the world looked like she was ordering a pint of Bishop’s Finger down at her local in Dalston.'Oh no, it’s the ex wife, I can see some of you thinking. How’d she get up there?'She chuckled.The celebrant suddenly took on a very bird-like stance, her gaze flitting from El’s biceps, tattooed with pitchforks and spades, to the family sitting ...

82 likes 43 comments 43
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Sunkissed

Submitted to Contest #295

Sunkissed, that’s what I always called her. With her freckled-painted body. Her frizzy, curly brown hair begged for my hands at any moment. Inevitably, every time, my fingers would get caught in a tangle, always ending with an accidental tug and quietly apologizing by my lips on her skin, my tongue gently running over a patch of freckles.She’d always let out the most beautiful sounds in response, stuck between a shocked laugh and a hitch of breath. I’d flash a cheeky grin, continuing my actions once again just to get the same reaction out of...

4 likes 1 comment 1
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The Words Starting With A

Submitted to Contest #294

It’s not as if Atticus was ever much of a talker, even when he was younger. He was always one to keep to himself, shying away from all social interactions. However, this did not mean he wouldn’t speak at all. If you were to bring up one of his special interests, he could talk for hours on end with few pauses and little hesitancy. Of course, after he had finished jabbering his little heart out, he would always be quite embarrassed about how verbose he had just been. Atticus was always quiet, but he was kind. He may have been shy, but he was s...

4 likes 2 comments 2
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Adolescent by taiyon winter wai

Submitted to Contest #295

At a young age, I was always a determined flower, swaying between extremes, chasing the fleeting images reflected in my own mirror. I never imagined I would end up where I am now, tangled in a strange and unpredictable coincidence that felt like the luminous glow of a full almond moon, serene yet enigmatic. My life was nothing short of a labyrinth, and when I fell into his arms, he enshrouded me like a delicate web, wrapping me up in a spell I couldn't shake off. And so, today, I share the story of an 18-year-old boy who married a 60-year-ol...

13 likes 1 comment 1
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Before The Storm

Submitted to Contest #294

Rain pounded against the windows of the cruise ship with a ferocity Evan hadn't seen or felt since he started working on the ship almost two years earlier. Passengers scrambled along the corridors, searching for their rooms... or a safe place to ride out the lockdown before the storm hit full force. Tensions grew as the PA system blared warnings, piercing loudly across all decks.  Outside, the horizon blurred, the ocean rolling up and down like a carnival ride gone haywire. Thunder cracked, lightning flashed, setting the stage for a n...

5 likes 2 comments 2
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Dear Maria

Submitted to Contest #294

Dear Maria,I regret to inform you that our son has passed this mournful morning. My pen hovers above the parchment not willing to ink further the words that will cement this fact. My son is dead, not at the cruel hands of fate did he die, he died at my hands. I, ignorant of the connection he had to the world, plucked his soul from his connection to God himself and cast our boy to Lucifer, into the awaiting mouth of the devil himself.I hold all the blame to our son’s untimely demise. It is with a sorrowful hand that I feel the need to express...

4 likes 0 comments 0
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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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