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

150+ 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 8 of 10

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...

14 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...

6 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...

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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 45 comments 45
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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...

12 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...

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What's Left Unspoken

Submitted to Contest #294

“I didn't mean that.” The words come out soft, meek. Riley is curled into himself as he speaks them. The towel in his hands has become the most interesting thing in the room, picked from the pile of laundry that surrounds him on their living room floor. “It sounded pretty convincing.” These words are plain. Spoken with a raised brow and crossed arms, but very little inflection comes from the hall doorway that Rhys leans into. Riley shrugs. Folds the towel. Refuses eye contact, picks up a t-shirt. Rhys watches him for a minute, searching f...

6 likes 2 comments 2
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Ghost Friend

Submitted to Contest #294

My apartment was cold. Not just in the winter, but every day. I tried everything I could to warm it up, carpeted rugs on the floor, space heaters. Nothing could take the edge off. Since moving to the practically Antarctic climate of South Melbourne, I had become quite the coffee fanatic. Three cups a day, minimum. It was the only thing that warmed me.I boiled the kettle, rolling my wrists and ankles in a light stretch as I waited. Click. The kettle switched off.“Not today ghost friend, come on,” I groaned, taking the kettle to the bathroom.I...

9 likes 2 comments 2
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We Could Go North

Submitted to Contest #293

With dread and anticipation, in even measure, Eli rapped the door with a heavy exhale. The door opened just a crack, and Stanley’s face was on the other side. The hour was late but his expression relaxed for a moment when he saw it was Eli. He released the chain and opened the door wide, leaning out to look down the hallway.  “What are you doing here? Someone will see you.” He stepped back from the door, ushering him in with a quick wave.  “I’ve written three letters.” Eli said. No pleading, no urgency, just the fact. He’d written ...

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My Gorgeous French Girl

Submitted to Contest #293

Traveling was on my bucket list. Seeing the giant mountains in Europe, or even the salty breeze in the Caribbean. If I didn't complete my bucket list, I would feel lost. But maybe I would anyway. “Max!” A familiar voice calls my name. I turn to meet her blue eyes, which sparkle in the sun. She currently has three suitcases, all a matching purple with ripples that line the sides horizontally. Her arms wrap around my shoulders, hugging me tight. Her name is Henriette, and she is my gorgeous French girl. A train blows its whistle beside us, st...

5 likes 0 comments 0
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Fourth of July

Submitted to Contest #293

I boarded a flight in Los Angeles in the early morning hours of June 16th and immediately put on my noise-cancelling headphones and played “Fourth of July” by Sufjan Stevens. Gratefully, the two and a half hour flight to Portland was sparse, so there was no one else seated in my row. When the song ended, I played it again. And then again. Soon we were in the still-dark sky as it turned from black to blue with the sunrise. I set Spotify to repeat that single track as a cumulation of tears that I’d been holding in since mid-afternoon the previ...

7 likes 2 comments 2
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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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