LibGuides: Virtual Exhibits: Pride Month: June 2024

Happy Pride! This guide offers additional resources related to the Health Sciences Library's Pride Month display (located on the third floor of the library) and to the HSC's 2024 Pride Month events. Explore ebooks, articles, local resources, and more related to the LGBTQIA2+ community. Check out HSLIC's Research Guide for LGBTQIA+ Health Resources for clinical information and resources.

Queer Liberation Library Event

Queer Liberation Library (QLL) is fighting to build a vibrant, flourishing queer future by connecting LGBTQ+ people with literature, information, and resources that celebrate the unique and empowering diversity of our community. We’re excited to share how we brought this project into the world, how we see QLL as an online extension of the queer history of creating our own spaces, and how we as a queer library are celebrating queer joy.

REGISTER HERE: https://libcal.health.unm.edu/event/12456185

Book Bans

Book bans, both attempted and actual, have a disproportionate impact on literature for/by/featuring queer people and themes. According to PEN America's 2023 report, Banned in the USA: The Mounting Pressure to Censor, 36% of books banned in US public schools during the 2022-2023 school year featured gender and/or LGBTQIA+ themes. The American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom's Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2023 list reports that seven out of the top ten titles were cited for LGBTQIA+ content, including all top five. Please remember that scholarship includes the production of literature. States banning or attempting to ban gender and sexuality studies at publicly funded schools are also repressing possible forms of queer literature.

A brief list of additional content:

GLAAD, Book Bans - A Guide for Community Response and Action This toolkit is a terrific start to learning what communities can do to remain welcoming and inclusive.
Malinda Lo, My Books Have Been Banned or Challenged in 16 States A celebrated author of frequently queer themed young adult fiction discusses the challenges her books have met and reminds everyone "that being queer is natural, and we deserve to love and be loved."
Book Riot, How To Prepare for Pride Month in Libraries 2024: Book Censorship News, May 10, 2024 Suggestions for libraries and their supporters as communities prepare for Pride month.
PEN America, Educational Censorship An in-depth exploration of education censorship efforts impacting higher education and K-12 schools, including content on gag orders, a resource guide for campus leaders, and information on supporting intellectual freedom in education.

Queer Literature

'Solace, joy and a lifeline': Why queer literature is vital for people growing up LGBTQ+
Three people from different generations and backgrounds share how reading played a role in finding their identity.
The Benefit of LGBTQ+ Books for Kids
Showcases themes and learning opportunities found in LGBTQ+ children's books and dispels myths about LGBTQ+ books. Includes a long reading list for children and young adults.
The Queer History Book List
A list of nonfiction books about queer history that honor the history of the LGBTQ+ movement in the US and point towards a more liberated future. Also has links to other topics including transgender and gender non-conforming authors and queer writers of color.
The 25 Most Influential Works of Postwar Queer Literature
"Still, one thing many queer people share is that we first discovered ourselves on the page." A reading list curated by six queer authors focusing on literature after the end of WWII and including diverse voices.
Lambda Literary Awards
A list of finalists for 2024. Includes fiction, non-fiction, poetry, children's, YA, and more.

Providers as Advocates

Health providers interested in understanding their role as advocates for their LGBTQIA+ patients' interests in public libraries may consult some of the following resources.

Public Health Post: Censorship in the Classroom: Book Bans and Challenges Part I
Kara Schmidt hosts the PHPod, a public health podcast. In this episode, Kara discusses the public health implications of book bans with Christina Dobbs, a professor at Boston University Wheelock College of Education and Human Development.
UNC Research Guide on LGBTQIA Advocacy
This Research Guide created by UNC provides several resources for advocacy for the LGBTQIA community in the health care context.
Banned Books Week
This list contains five things you can do to support the right to read.
American Library Association's Freedom to Read Statement
PEN America
This issue page on the PEN America website explains current legal battles around book bans.

Staff Favorites

Check out these great titles for Pride Month, recommended by the librarians at HSLIC (use the arrows to scroll). Most of these titles are available through the Albuquerque Public Library-- just click on the book cover to check availability.

You Should See Me in a Crown

Recommended by Arthur

Determined to get out of her small town, Liz Lightly runs for prom queen in the hopes of receiving the scholarship that comes with it. Along the way, she finds herself falling for the new girl, Mack, who is also making a bid for prom queen.