The Gay Icon's Guide to Life

The world's most famous gay icons share everything you need to know about life in this bright and lively illustrated book of pithy preambles and indispensable quotes from Liza to Lil Nas X.

If life had its own GPS system, navigating it would be a far less stressful slog. Alas, we suffer this pothole-filled dirt road alone… guideless. Thankfully, there’s one thing more knowledgeable and dependable than a GPS, and that’s a Gay Icon!

From Beyonce to Betty White, and RuPaul to David Bowie, no one understands the highs and lows, loves and losses quite like a gay icon. Featuring inspiring and entertaining quotes and dynamic illustrations of the icons who said them, you'll find these musings priceless, refreshing, and relatable... even if they're coming from Oscar-winners, music legends, and fashion royalty.

MORE THAN 70 ICONS are featured in this all-star collection of quotes and illustrations, including Judy Garland, Madonna, Cher, Ariana Grande, Billy Porter, Bowen Yang, and Leslie Jordan.

ACCLAIMED ARTIST: Peter Emmerich has worked with such clients as Dreamworks and The Walt Disney Company, and provides his signature style to the illustrations in The Gay Icon’s Guide to Life.

PITHY PREAMBLES: Michael Joosten, the author of My Two Moms and Me and Pride 1 2 3, provides hilarious context to each of the icons’ impactful quotes.

“So perfect and Gay!!!”
- Eric Williams, host of That’s a Gay Ass Podcast
(@ericwillz / @gayasspodcast)

“This little book of iconic-ness . . . I love it so much!”
- Frank Socha of @franksforeword

"I love encouraging quote books - Brave Enough and What I Know for Sure are two faves - and I'm adding The Gay Icon's Guide to Life. This was great! Very fun and uplifting, and I loved the art!"
- Hunter Mclendon of the Instagram account @shelfbyshelf

Writer and editor Michael Joosten is the author of such titles as My Two Moms and Me, My Two Dads and Me, Pride 1 2 3, #baby, Mom Hugs, My Little Golden Book About Airplanes, and My Little Golden Book About Construction Vehicles. He currently lives in New York City where he attempts to put into practice the wise words of the Gay Icons featured in this work.

Peter Emmerich is the illustrator of A Is for Audra: Broadway's Leading Ladies from A to Z, B Is for Broadway: Onstage and Backstage from A to Z, and It’s Raining Tacos. He has worked with DreamWorks and the Walt Disney Company, for which he illustrated the U.S. Postal Service's "Art of Disney" stamp series.