Are You a Friend of Dorothy?: The True Story of an Imaginary Woman and the Real People She Helped
Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Levi Hastings
This picture-book history explores the coded phrase “friend of Dorothy,” used by LGBTQ+ people in the years after World War II. It considers several possible Dorothys, including a neighborhood woman, a writer who hosted open dancing, and the Kansas girl from a famous story. The answer is that this Dorothy was imaginary, yet the name gave people a way to recognize one another, seek safety, and build connection while hiding their identities.
This book appears on 3 reading lists across 2 editions from 3 organizations.
