An overview of serving GLBTQ teens in a public library setting

1. I’m Coming Out:
The Ins and Outs of
Serving GLBTQ Teens
Monica Harris
Oak Park Public Library
11.20.09

3. Beginning at the Beginning
• What does GLBTQ
mean?
• Why the words matter
• Terminology
o Homosexual
o Lifestyle

4. More Definitions
(adapted from Serving LBGT and Q Teens by Hillias J. Martin
and James R. Murdoch, 2007)
• Transgender
o People who dress or behave
in a way that differs from
traditional gender
expectations
• Transsexual
o People who seek hormone
therapy and reassignment
surgery to change their sex.
• Intersex
o People who are born with
the sexual organs of both
sexes

5. More Definitions (cont.)
• Queer
o Traditionally meant sexually deviant or abnormal. Gays and
lesbians began reclaiming the word in the 1980s
o Today considered the most inclusive terms to encompass
lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and trans people.
• Gender
o Construct that reflects society’s expectations of how
someone of a given sex should look, act and behave.
o Broken down: sex is biological, gender is social

6. Symbols of Pride
• Pink Triangle
o Now a gay rights and gay
pride symbol.
o Was originally used to
identify gay men as a Nazi
concentration camp flag.
• Rainbow Flag
o Represents the diversity of
gays and lesbians around
the world.
o Greater use after the 1978
assassination of politician
Harvey Milk

7. Why Focus on GLBTQ Teens?
• The average coming out age
is now 13 years old
according to a recent study
reported in the Florida Sun-
Sentinal (October 11th,
2006).
• Boys’ average age when
coming out is slightly lower,
while girls’ average age is
slightly higher.

8. Why Focus on GLBTQ Teens?
• Roughly 5 to 6 percent of teens in the US identify as
lesbian, gay, or bisexual.
• The population of questioning teens is even larger,
with nearly 20 percent of teens having engaged in
sexual behavior with someone of the same sex.
• GLBTQ teens live in every community: urban,
suburban, and rural.

9. Why Focus on GLBTQ Teens?
• While trying to deal with all
the challenges of being a
teen, GLBTQ teens
additionally have to deal with
harassment, threats, and
violence directed at them on
a daily basis.
• They hear anti-gay slurs
such as "homo", "faggot"
and "sissy" about 26 times a
day or once every 14
minutes

10. Why Focus on GLBTQ Teens?
• A recent study found that
thirty-one percent of gay
youth had been threatened
or injured at school in the
last year alone.
• The Safe Schools Coalition
Web site notes that research
done for the FBI in 1998
found that these GLBTQ
teenagers make up 30 to 40
percent of the nation's
homeless youths.

11. Why Focus on GLBTQ Teens?
• Research has found that the
people who have the most
positive attitudes toward gay
men, lesbians and bisexuals are
those who say they know one or
more gay, lesbian or bisexual
person well—often as a friend
or co-worker.
• Exposure of the public towards
gay characters in movies,
television, and books often
offers a new perspective on the
humanity of the GLBTQ
community.

12. A New Generation
• 75% of teens approve of civil unions
or marriage for gays and lesbians,
while only 20 to 27% of adults
approve.
• More LGBT characters and reality
programs are available in popular
media – although they still make up
only 3% of broadcast TV characters
in the 2009-2010 season (GLAAD).
o http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/09/s
tudy-gay-characters-on-
broadcast-reach-alltime-high.html

15. Media Stereotypes and the
New Debates
• Does it matter if the media portrays
so many gay characters as "fey"?
• Lesbians on television face
different issues
• Important to remember that not
every LGBTQ person will fall
under the umbrella of people we
see on television.

16. Where is the Library’s Role in This?
• Homophobia often manifests in isolation and
fear for many queer teens
o Likely to have smaller social networks than other
teens
o Fear of rejection or retribution from parents
• Access to books, magazines, and online
resources can break the silence and know
they are not alone.
• Reading is a personal and private activity

17. What is the Library’s Role in This?
• LGBTQ teens are looking for
role models
o “I know there are a lot of
bisexual people but you just
can’t find them because
there’s always that fear. A
book is like a substitute for
the real thing and its good
enough. Well, for me it is.”
 -14 year old teen
interviewed for Serving
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender, and
Questioning Teens.

18. What does Your Community Need?
• What’s right for my library may not be right for yours
• You know your community best
o Do a survey
o Review the research
• Only 20% of teens surveyed felt safe from
harassment in the library
• Remember that branches and small collections still
need more than one or two titles.
• Biggest divide is not red state/blue state, but
urban/rural

20. More Great Books to Explore

21. Building Your Collection
(adapted from SLJ, January 2006)
• Start with good quality
and current
bibliographies.
• Talk to other librarians
and professionals serving
GLBTQ teens about their
suggestions.

22. Building Your Collection
• Support your selections
with good reviews.
• Make sure your kids
can find them with good
cataloging and
bibliographies available
in your library and on
your website.

23. Building Your Collection
• Include gay titles in
booktalks and summer
reading lists.
• Make the books
accessible to teens, but
don’t label them with
rainbows or pink
triangles.

24. Building Your Collection
• Have collection development
and book-challenge policies
in place so that everyone
knows the proper
procedures.
• Trust yourself, and don’t be
afraid. You know your
community best, so do what
will work in your library.

25. What is Still Missing from YA
GLBTQ Fiction?
• GLBTQ titles featuring people of color –
especially African American boys and men
• YA books featuring gay to lesbian characters
are published at approximately a 3-to-1-ratio.
• Bisexual characters (particularly male)
• Trans identities (although that has started to
change)
• More titles featuring joy and humor

26. What’s Still Missing?
• Periodicals
o YGA (Young Gay
America) no longer in
print
o Not other print publication
to fill the void at deadline

27. Why don’t libraries offer (more)
LGBTQ material?
• Fear of challenges
• Fear of losing funding
over controversy
• Assuming ILL
availability
• Lack of awareness or
denial of the population

28. Preparing for a Challenge
• GLBTQ books are among those most frequently
challenged
• Provide for balance
o Point/Counterpoint series by Chelsea House
• Consult your library’s collection development plan
• Be prepared to explain that your collection strives
for balance
• Know who is working with individuals to take books
out of libraries
o PABBIS (Parents Against Bad Books in Schools)

29. What Would You Do?

30. Self evaluation
• How many LGBTQ titles can you name off the top of
your head?
• How many subject headings for a catalog search
can you name off the top of your head?
• Which supporting organizations in your community
can you name?
• Note which LBGTQ titles you have and which are
available in the branches.
• Look at the atmosphere of your library- from visibility
of your titles and displays to staff body language

31. Creating a Safe Space
• Visibility and Integration
• No assumptions
• Respect Teen Privacy
• No Hate Language Allowed
• http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/educ

32. Promotion
• GLBTQ History month is
celebrated in October.
• National Day of Silence
(April 18th) youth-run day to
commemorate and protest
anti-LGBT bullying,
harassment, and
discrimination in schools.
• Pride is typically celebrated
in the month of June.

33. Promotion
• Over 10% of high schools
now have recognized Gay-
Straight Alliance clubs. See
if your high school has one,
and partner with them if they
do.
• Remember diversity and
sensitivity in all of your
promotional material for the
library.

34. Great Resources
• Martin, Hillias J., and James R. Murdoch. Serving Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Teens. 1st ed. New York:
Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc., 2007.
• Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults 2006 – GLBTQ:
http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/popularpaperback/06ppya.htm
• Alex Sanchez’s Great Gay Teen Books:
http://www.alexsanchez.com/gay_teen_books.htm
• The Safe Schools Coalition: http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/
• Pink Books: http://www.pinkbooks.com/

35. More Resources
• Rainbow Project’s Awards for books 2005-07
http://www.myspace.com/rainbow_list
• Matthew’s Place. A support site for GLBTQ Youth
http://www.matthewsplace.com/
• Supporting Gay Teen Literature by David Levithan
(2004):
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA456885.
html

36. More Resources
• Databases and Tools
o GenderWatch (ProQuest)
o GLBT Life (Ebsco)
o GLBTQ Encyclopedia (www.glbtq.com)
• National Organizations
o Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
www.glsen.org
o Human Rights Campaign www.hrc.org
o National Youth Advocacy Coalition www.nyacyouth.org
o PFLAG: Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and
Gays (www.pflag.org)
o Safe Schools Coalition www.safeschoolscoalition.org

37. References
• Cloud, John. "The Battle Over Gay Teens." Time 02 October 2005
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1112856,00.html
• Safe Schools Coalition. March 2007. Safe Schools Coalition. 27 Mar
2007 http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/
• Martin, Hillias J., and James R. Murdoch. Serving Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Teens. 1st ed. New York:
Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc., 2007.
• Whelan, Debra Lau. "Out and Ignored." School Library Journal 01
January 2006 20 03 2007
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6296527.html

38. Questions? Contact Me
Monica Harris
Assistant Manager of
Adult and Teen Services
mharris@oppl.org
http://www.opplteen.org/