Rainbows in the Rough: The Unlikely Queer Icons That Shaped a Closeted Queen – A Hilarious, Heartfelt Journey Through Pop Culture’s Hidden Rainbows
In Rainbows in the Rough, writer and cultural commentator Shaun Ponsonby queers the canon in the most gloriously unexpected way. This witty, deeply personal memoir-meets-cultural critique tracks the queer coming-of-age of a closeted working-class kid in 1990s Britain—not through the expected icons of glitter and drag, but via prog rock, American sitcoms, Bruce Springsteen, and Laurel & Hardy.
Part queer pop-culture confessional, part takedown of mainstream LGBTQ+ representation, Ponsonby blends sharp humour, music nerdery, and poignant reflection in essays that span from Stan Laurel to Queen, Freddie Mercury to Pretty Woman. The result is a love letter to the misfit icons who offer solace in the most unlikely places—and a reminder that queerness isn’t one note, it’s a full, messy, spectacular symphony.
Perfect for fans of LGBTQ memoirs, queer pop culture, music history, humour writing, and books like Boyslut or The Queer Bible.
