Serving LGBT+ Youth in the

Library
Inservice
Sylvia Chris
25 March 2018
 Why LGBT+ Youth?
• They are underrepresented
• They need to feel safe, secure, and
represented.
• Libraries are meant to be safe places for all
people.
 Small Groups
• Consider your community: what kinds of
issues do you think LGBT+ youth might face?
Discuss with the people sitting around you.
• We will meet back as a group to talk about the
different responses.
 Difficulties for LGBT+ Youth
• Lack of Support
• Half of LGBT+ youth are not supported in their own
homes (Cray, 2013).
• LGBT+ teens who are not supported by their families
are 8 times more likely to commit suicide and 3 times
more likely to use illegal substances (Cray, 2013).
• Their needs tend to be ignored in schools.
• They may not be accepted within their community.
 Bullying
• LGBT+ youth are at a higher risk of being bullied than
their peers (Stopbulling.gov, n.d.).
• 10% of LGBT+ teens were threatened or hurt with a
weapon while on school property (CDC, 2017).
• 34% have been bullied on school property (CDC, 2017).
• 28% have been cyber-bullied (CDC, 2017).
• Many transgender youth report being verbally harassed
by their teachers (Cray, 2013).
• They are more likely to skip school because of bullying
(CDC, 2017).
• They are twice as likely to be called names
 Homelessness
• Lack of family support is cited as one
of the main reasons for LGBT+ youth
homelessness (Cray, 2013).
• 20-40% of homeless teens are LGBT+
(Cray, 2013).
 Isolation

• LGBT+ youth may feel alone

without the support of their
friends and family.
Social Isolation (Johnson, 2014)
–LGBT+ youth may not be
able to talk to anyone about
their sexuality.
–They may not have contact
with an LGBT+ community.
–They may withdraw from
those around them.
Emotional and Cognitive Isolation
–LGBT+ teens may feel emotionally separated
from peers and family.
–They may be more defensive and
emotionally guarded.
–Some LGBT+ youth do not have access to
LGBT+ information.
»They are exposed to a great deal of
negative information through social
media, their classmates, media, and
families.
 Identity (Johnson, 2014)

–Many LGBT+ teens will try to conform

to hetero-normative expectations.
–They feel pressured to be “normal”.
–They might try to avoid associating
themselves with other LGBT+ people
out of fear of being discovered.
 Depression
• LGBT+ teens are at a greater risk for suicide than their
peers.
– They are four times more likely to attempt suicide
than non-LGBT+ peers (mentalhealthamerica.net,
2015).
• Depression may lead to substance abuse.
• Depression may stem from lack of support systems at
home or school.
 Discrimination
• Alabama, Texas, and Utah have laws that do not allow
schools to discuss LGBT+ topics at school (Human Rights
Watch, 2016).
– Many schools limit LGBT+ information available to students.
• Many schools have rules against same sex couples at
school events, such as homecoming and prom.
• Transgender students have been restricted from
bathrooms and locker rooms.
 Statistics
– LGBT+ teens are twice as likely to experiment with
alcohol and drugs (mentalhealthamerica, 2015)
– 37% of LGBT+ teens report being happy compared to
the 67% of non-LGBT+ teens who report being happy
(mentalhealthamerica, 2015).
– Self-harm is twice as likely with LGBT+ teens.
(mentalhealthamerica, 2015).
– 25% felt judged in the library (GLBT Youth, n.d.).
– Between 2 and 4.5% of teens identify as LGBT+ (GLBT
Youth, n.d.).
– Increased risk for STDs (CDC, 2017).
 LGBT+ Teens Today
– LGBT+ youth are “coming out” at younger ages,
often 12 (Dewitt, 2012).
– Many feel that they need to move away from their
home towns to be truly happy
(mentalhealthamerica.net, 2015).
– Many have known their sexual identity since
childhood (Dewitt, 2012).
– They want to be included and matter in their
communities.
LGBT+ Teens and the Library
• They might not feel included.
• They might not feel immediately
safe.
• They need resources and books
to read for fun, like all young
adults.
 Communication
• Be mindful and respectful of the teens’ pronouns. It is
a simple way to show respect.
– Pronouns might encompass more than
he/she/they.
• Get to know LGBT+ terminology.
• Get to know the young adults in the library by taking
some time to talk to them and ask how they are.
– Build connections with the teens.
• Make sure LGBT+ are represented on teen advisory
boards.
 Be an Ally
• Establish a safe environment.
–Are there gender-neutral bathrooms?
–Are the youth left unsupervised?
• Do not tolerate bullying.
–Whether from patrons or staff.
–Library staff should not react in a
negative way when a patron requests or
checks out LGBT+ materials.
• Keep up with current LGBT+ issues.
 Available Resources
• Post recent information on the teen part
of the library website and as physical
flyers in the teen section.
–Offering an online alternative can help
teens who are not ready to come out
but are still looking for information.
• Include resources on STDs,
discrimination, depression, physical
health, etc.
 Programming
– Use surveys (online and in person) to get an idea
of what teens are looking for.
– Consider community needs.
• Consider having an LGBT+ adult to help run the
program if you are straight or cis-gendered (someone
who identifies with the gender they were assigned at
birth).
• Provide outreach to shelters for LGBT+ teens who may
not have library access.
 Programming cont.
– Support and social groups.
• Local LGBT+ support groups.
• Book clubs.
–Include LGBT+ positive books.
–Invite LGBT+ authors to speak.
• LGBT+ mentorship programs
• LGBT+ positive move nights.
 Collection Development
– LGBTQ Materials (General)
• They are protected by the ALA Bill of Rights (Library Bill
of Rights, 2017).
– “Books and other library resources should be provided for the
interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the
community the library services. Materials should not be
excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those
contributing to their creation” (Library Bill of Rights, 2017).
• Label some materials with LGBT+ stickers, but not all for
people who want to remain anonymous.
– Or consider an LGBT+ section.
– Provide a pamphlet of materials that people can take.
 Nonfiction
• There should be a diverse collection for LGBT+ teens
and their caregivers.
– Include a variety of nonfiction – health, lifestyle, biographies,
etc.
» Ex: historical books about people who were LGBT+
• Discard books that promote stereotypical, harmful, and
outdated information regarding LGBT+ people.
• Display nonfiction books that are about LGBT+ people.
• Pay attention to circulation.
– Highlight low circing books by putting them on display.
 Fiction
• Make sure materials vary in subject and gender.
• Be familiar with new publications.
• Pay attention to circulation.
• Look up LGBT+ booklists.
• Remember that wants and needs will change so it is
important to expand the materials available.
• Be familiar with different awards.
– Celebrate award-winning books with displays.
• Create book lists.: “If you liked ____ try _____”.
 Reference Collection
• Have materials for caregivers and
teens.
• Keep up with current publications.
• Make sure money in budget is put
toward LGBT+ reference books.
Questions?
 Other
• See the outline provided for suggested
nonfiction and web materials that may be
useful.
• Also see the handout for suggestions on
LGBT+ positive fictional books for your
collection!
• Citations are also available on the outline.
 Thank you!
• Thank you for taking the time today to learn
more about LGBT+ Youth and the library!
 PowerPoint Image Citations
• Title page: (https://miami-beach-
pride.myshopify.com/products/rainbow-pride-
flag)
• Other images are from Clipart.