So reads the Mission Statement of Lambda Literary, the parent group of the Lambda Literary Awards. Are they upholding those values in their literary awards? I’ll take a look back to the origins of the awards, the judging process, and the main controversies that have come up over the years to let you decide for yourself.

AIDS Literature Gay Debut Fiction Gay Fiction Gay Mystery/Science Fiction Gay Nonfiction Gay Small Press Lesbian Debut Fiction Lesbian Fiction Lesbian Mystery/Science Fiction Lesbian Nonfiction Lesbian Small Press Poetry

As you can see, the categories were much more GL than LGBT. Of those original categories, only two remain as-is in 2022: gay fiction and lesbian fiction. The others have either been moved on from entirely, as happened with AIDS literature, or absorbed into other categories, like LGBTQ Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror. In addition to the primary awards listed above, there are also several special awards. In year one, they were “Editor’s Choice” and “Publisher Service.” Both of these categories were retired in the 11th Lambda Awards and new categories have been added over the years. There were 24 awards in 2022: As you can see, there were separate categories for fiction and nonfiction in both the bisexual and transgender categories. This is not always the case. In some years, not enough titles were submitted in each category to warrant two separate lists. In those cases, there was a single category for bisexual fiction/nonfiction and a single category for transgender fiction/nonfiction. To confuse the issue further, in some instances the judges were presented with a merged fiction/nonfiction category but chose to award works separately in each category. For instance, in 2013 the judges were given works in a single Bisexual Literature category for the 25th Lambda Literary Awards. They chose to award two winners: In One Person by John Irving won for fiction and My Awesome Place: The Autobiography of Cheryl B by Cheryl Burke for nonfiction.
Note that works translated into English and works by self-published authors are eligible. Works that are ineligible include those that were published exclusively on subscriber-based sites. This includes Wattpad, blogs, newsletters, and Patreon. Authors who publish in this way can become eligible by later publishing an edition online or in acceptable ebook format. Other ineligible works include reprints of books that were previously published in the United States and modified versions of books that were previously published in the United States. As of 2022, the Betty Berzon Debut Fiction Award and Pioneer Awards are no longer given. However, the Jeanne Córdova Prize, established in 2018, is given to a lesbian/queer-identified woman or trans/gender non-conforming nonfiction author “committed to nonfiction work that captures the depth and complexity of lesbian/queer life, culture, and/or history.” For example, to qualify for the LGBTQ Erotica category, the work must feature LGBTQ characters or topics and must quality as erotica. Here is what they said about the judging process: You can also read the Lambda’s “official” Judging Guidelines, but it has not been updated since 2012. We were given a sample review sheet to rate books on with categories for language, characterization, plot, style, originality, editing, research, clarity, adherence to genre, and editing, but we didn’t have to use it (and I know I didn’t). We had a video call to discuss after we’d all read the books. We all submitted our top 12 for the long list and the ones we were unanimous on automatically made the list, then we discussed the others. In the video call, we talked about our final winner and short list. The info I was given said usually there are several calls to finalize the order. The impression I got was that each category had quite a bit of leeway in how they make the decision, but that the two top considerations are the LGBTQ representation in the story and the literary quality.” It wasn’t until the 19th Lambda Literary Awards, given for works published in 2006, that there was a separate bisexual literature category. There was also significant transphobic content in the book itself. The trans community protested, gathered many thousands of petition signatures, and demanded answers from the Lambda Literary Awards. The judges for the foundation looked at the book again, agreed that there was transphobic content, and subsequently removed its inclusion as a finalist. Less than a year later, the executive director involved in approving the book for inclusion resigned and Charles Flowers took over. He claims to have “completely overhauled” the nomination process to ensure no similar issues in the future. Cleopatra Acquaye and Maxwell Scales, Lambda Literary’s interim co-executive directors As evidenced by the removal of Lauren Hough’s book, those behind the scenes of the award now do seem to be more willing to listen to the community and follow their lead. But is that enough? This is of course up to each reader to determine. Personally, I have loved many of the books on the most recent lists of finalists and winners. I would hate to see incredible authors lose this platform for reaching their base. But I’d also hate to see those same authors disrespected by the awards that should be hurting them. My hope is that those who are leading the company are more sensitive to the needs of the LGBTBQI+ community than leaders of their past.