15th Lambda Literary Awards

The 15th Lambda Literary Awards were held in 2003 to honour works of LGBT literature published in 2002.

Special awards

Category	Winner
Bridge Builder Award	Betty DeGeneres
Editor's Choice Award	John D'Emilio, The World Turned
Pioneer Award	Barbara Grier, Judy Shepard
Small Press Award	Kings Crossing Publishing

Nominees and winners

Category	Winner	Nominated
Anthologies/Fiction	Devon Carbado, Dwight McBride and Don Weise, eds., Black Like Us	Peter Burton, Bend Sinister – The Gay Times Book of Disturbing Stories Michael Rowe, Queer Fear II Jay Quinn, Rebel Yell 2 Chris Kenry, William J. Mann, Andy Schell and Ben Tyler, Summer Share
Anthologies/Non-Fiction	Bruce Shenitz, The Man I Might Become	Lawrence Schimel, Found Tribe Benjamin Shepard and Ronald Hayduk, From ACT UP to the WTO Joan Nestle, Riki Wilchins and Claire Howell, GenderQueer Analouise Keating and Gloria Anzaldúa, This Bridge We Call Home
Autobiography/Memoir	Betty Berzon, Surviving Madness	Paul Lisicky, Famous Builder Terry Wolverton, Insurgent Muse Michelle Tea, The Chelsea Whistle Kevin Bentley, Wild Animals I Have Known
Biography	David Kaufman, Ridiculous!	Thomas Wirth, Gay Revel of the Harlem Renaissance Jerry Rosco, Glenway Wescott Personally Carmen L. Oliveira, Rare and Commonplace Flowers Suzanne Rodriguez, Wild Heart
Children's/Young Adult	Bonnie Shimko, Letters in the Attic	Leslea Newman, Felicia’s Favorite Story Linda De Haan and Stern Nijland, King & King Andrew Calimach, Lovers' Legends: The Gay Greek Myths Harvey Fierstein, The Sissy Duckling
Erotica	Tristan Taormino, ed., Best Lesbian Erotica 2003	Leslea Newman, Bedroom Eyes Richard Labonté, Best Gay Erotica 2003 Bob Vickery, Cocksure Stephen Greco, The Sperm Engine
Gay Fiction	Jamie O'Neill, At Swim, Two Boys	Michael Lowenthal, Avoidance Jim Grimsley, Boulevard Noel Alumit, Letters to Montgomery Clift David Gerrold, The Martian Child
Gay Mystery	Christopher Rice, The Snow Garden	Michael Craft, Hot Spot Greg Herren, Murder in the Rue Dauphine Dorien Grey, The Hired Man Drew Gummerson, The Lodger
Gay Poetry	J. D. McClatchy, Hazmat	Krandall Kraus, The Christmas Poems Rafael Campo, Landscape with Human Figure Reginald Harris, Ten Tongues David Groff, Theory of Devolution
Humor	Dan Savage, Skipping Towards Gomorrah	Donald F. Reuter, Gaydar Mo Brownsey, Is It a Date or Just Coffee? Dennis Hensley, Screening Party Alisa Surkis and Monica Nolan, The Big Book of Lesbian Horse Stories
Lesbian Fiction	Sarah Waters, Fingersmith	Carol Anshaw, Lucky in the Corner Lynn Breedlove, Godspeed Nicola Griffith, Stay Lydia Kwa, This Place Called Absence
Lesbian Mystery	Elizabeth Woodcraft, Good Bad Woman	Claire McNab, Accidental Murder Lauren Maddison, Death by Prophecy Ellen Hart, Immaculate Midnight Heather Dune Macadam, The Weeping Buddha
Lesbian Poetry	Ellen Bass, Mules of Love	C. C. Carter, Body Language Eloise Klein Healy, Passing Melanie Braverman, Red Jenny Factor, Unraveling
LGBT Studies	Neil Miller, Sex-Crime Panic	Craig Rimmerman, From Identity to Politics Colm Toibin, Love in a Dark Time Ruth Vanita, Queering India David Nimmons, Soul Beneath the Skin
Romance	Andrew W. M. Beierle, The Winter of Our Discothèque	Jon Jeffrey, Boyfriend Material Orland Outland, Different People Nancy Garden, Nora and Liz Leslea Newman, She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not
Science fiction, fantasy or horror	Michael Rowe, ed., Queer Fear II	Katherine V. Forrest, Daughters of an Amber Noon Laura Adams, Seeds of Fire Randy Boyd, The Devil Inside Cecilia Tan, ed., Wired Hard 3
Spirituality	Geoffrey Duncan, Courage to Love	Lawrence Schimel, Found Tribe Andrew Calimach, Lovers' Legends: The Gay Greek Myths David Shneer and Caryn Aviv, Queer Jews Robert E. Goss, Queering Christ
Transgender	Noelle Howey, Dress Codes	Chloe Brushwood Rose and Anna Camilleri, Brazen Femme Joan Nestle, Riki Wilchins and Claire Howell, GenderQueer Jeffrey Eugenides, Middlesex T Cooper, Some of the Parts
Visual arts	Dominique Fernandez, A Hidden Love	Tom Bianchi, On the Couch – Volume One Thomas Waugh, Out/Lines Richard Meyer, Outlaw Representation Justin Spring, Paul Cadmus: The Male Nude

References

• "15th Annual Lambda Literary Awards". Lambda Literary Awards. July 9, 2003. Retrieved August 23, 2025.