Overview

This contest is open to writers who identify as LGBTQIA+. As institutions scale back their commitments to diversity and inclusion, we ask: what does Pride look like when it is no longer palatable, profitable, or polite? For this contest, we invite fiction that reimagines queerness not as something to be tolerated but as a force for radical liberation. Think joy that disrupts, kinship that defies bloodlines, and characters who love, live, and rage beyond the limits of respectability. Send us stories that riot. Stories that shimmer. Stories that refuse to shrink.


Deadline

31 May 2025

Eligibility

  • You must identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum

  • Submissions must be your own work and in English

  • Stories must be in English and between 1,000 and 4,000 words

Submissions

  • Multiple entries allowed ($3 per story)

  • Simultaneous submissions welcome; notify us if accepted elsewhere

Formatting

  • Submit as a PDF

  • Keep your name and any identifiers out of the file (blind judging)

Submission Platform

  • Submit via Duosuma

  • Winner receives $50. We aim to respond within a month of the deadline.

  • No individual feedback provided at this time

Judging

  • All work is read by Arjun, litl’s founder and editor-in-chief. Stories are judged on originality, craft, emotional impact, and depth. Decisions are final.

Rights & Publication

  • If selected, litl holds first digital rights. We will publish the whole story on our Instagram page @litl.gram

  • Rights revert to you after publication; we ask for credit in any reprints. Stories may also appear in future zines or anthologies. 

  • If your story was previously published, we’re happy to acknowledge the original outlet.

Ethical Standards

  • No AI-generated content. Only human-written work will be considered. Submissions with hate speech or gratuitous content will be rejected.

Contact

arjun@litl.world