Resources for LGBTQIA+ Materials Support

Current censorship efforts, book challenges, and harmful educational state legislation are disproportionately targeting our LGBTQIA+ children, family members, neighbors, and educators. Start here if you need help pushing back against targeted hate. Each link leads to its own set of extensive resources, so we highly recommend you use a bookmarking tool to save the ones that will be the most helpful to you (for example, Wakelet or Pearltrees).

Facing LGBTQIA+ Specific Material Challenges

1. Book Bans: A Guide for Community Response and Action - A GLAAD guide for communities to defeat book ban attempts, and send a powerful signal of welcome and acceptance. It is a well written, step-by-step plan for community members to follow when planning for school board or other civic meetings where book challenges and associated issues are going to be discussed.

2. Defending Intellectual Freedom: LGBTQ+ Materials in School Libraries - A specific toolkit from the American Association of School Librarians that helps with methods for addressing challenges related to censorship and patron privacy issues, particularly with LGBTQ+ materials.

3. Drag Story Hour Support - "This workbook was created by front line library workers to support our colleagues as they stand up for their communities. As staff work through the guide, they will complete a safety plan for their program and work together as a team to help keep the event as safe as possible. The plan also has information for administrators to help them give their staff, board, and community the support they need."

4. Family Equality Guide on Book Bans Targeting LGBTQIA+ Materials - A brief but extremely informative guide for how to assert your legal rights, including a Title IX guide.

5. Libraries Respond: Drag Queen Story Hour - A collection of resources pulled together by the American Library Association to help guide library and community response to challenges targeting Drag Queen Story Hour programs.

6. Movement Advancement Project's Talking About LGBTQ Issues Messaging Guides - "a set of research-based resources designed to help shape discussions with conflicted or undecided Americans—and help them better understand key issues of importance to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people."

7. Preventing Censorship of LGBT Information in Public School Libraries - A detailed document developed by Lambda Legal that includes pointers, legal guidance, a description of student information access rights, supportive references, and citations for other resources addressing books and materials challenges, and the needs of LGBTQIA+ public school students.

8. What To Do When You See Pride Displays in Libraries This Month - A brief article on Bookriot by Danika Ellis, that lists the positive impact of support, and the ways you can reach out to public and school librarians who continue to advocate for their LGBTQIA+ patrons.

9. Why It's Not 'Grooming': What Research Says About Gender and Sexuality in Schools - An article by Madison Czopek that will help you prepare for combatting hypersexualization and sexual abuse arguments used in censorship efforts.

Inclusive Curriculum and Educational Resources

1. Black and LGBTQ: Approaching Intersectional Conversations - The Trevor Project created a primer on approaching intersectional conversations with Black LGBTQ people. The report is intended for Black LGBTQ people who wish to talk with non-Black and/or non-LGBTQ people about their experiences as a Black LGBTQ young person, with an emphasis on maintaining wellbeing and safety. 

2. Contribute to a Public LGBTQIA+ Resource List - Created by the Augusta Baker Diversity Lecture Series, this list is always changing.

3. Family Acceptance Project Publications -  The Family Acceptance Project® focuses on the areas of research, education, intervention, and policy, using research-based evidence “to help ethnically, racially and religiously diverse families to support their LGBT children.” The site provides a variety of research publications and recommendations based on these publications for families, educators, and faith leaders working with LGBT youth.  

4. GLSEN Educator Resources - GLSEN holds a treasure-trove of information for you to use when learning how to support and advocate for your LGBTQIA+ child's education and well-being. This page (one of many we encourage you to explore) focuses on educational resources and support for why inclusive curriculum benefits all students.

5. Inclusive Curricular Standards - GLSEN's report on how curriculum standards that represent LGBTQIA+ and other marginalized communities foster student academic achievement and well being. [.pdf file]

6. LGBTQIA+ Inclusive Children's Librarianship Resource List - A comprehensive annotated resource list that includes links to materials on activities and curriculum support, advocacy, collection development, LGBTQIA+ communities, demographic and statistical portraits, recommended reading, glossaries and language guides, intersectionality, legal organizations, mental health, policy guides, social media packages and resources, to name a few. This is a powerful collection.

7. Penguin Young Readers Thematic Booklists - Booklists organized by themes (including a Pride collection) and paired with teaching guides.

8. Reading for Liberation - "A youth-led book club focusing on revolutionary texts and books about marginalized identities for marginalized communities."

LGBTQIA+ Student Rights

1. ACLU LGBTQ Rights Issues - The American Civil Liberties Union houses an expansive legal database that includes court cases, assets, press releases, and video. These can also be searched by subtopic and by year. These materials are helpful case studies, guidance in policy and program development, and for educating and informing administrators and community leaders when advocating for children’s rights.

2. Children’s Rights for LGBTQ  - A fantastic organization that focuses especially on child welfare, the foster system, and juvenile justice systems. Here you will find extensive reports and information, suggested action steps, opportunities for service learning and volunteering, and access to newsletters to remain up to date on issues affecting children nationwide.

3. Southern Poverty Law Center “Know Your Rights”: A comprehensive and up-to-date list of LGBTQIA+ student rights in schools maintained by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The SPLC also offers legal support and guidance for families who need assistance with a broad range of social justice issues.