Access to LGBTQIA+ materials as a teen can be life-changing and can help young folks understand themselves sooner. Here are some fiction and nonfiction titles we’d recommend for grades 9-12 or for a high school library: 

Nonfiction 

• LGBTQ: the Survival Guide for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Teens by Kelly Huegel 
• The Pride Guide: A Guide to Sexual and Social Health for LGBTQ Youth by Jo Langford 
• A Queer History of the United States for Young People by Michael Bronski 
• How to Understand Your Sexuality: A Practical Guide for Exploring Who You Are by Meg-John Barker 

• A Quick & Easy Guide to Queer & Trans Identities by Mady G (Mady M. Giuliani) 

Fiction 

• Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender 
• You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson 
• Lumberjanes by Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, et al. 

• Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (adapted to the popular TV series Love, Simon) 
• The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily Danforth 
• Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire 
• Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson 
• Heartstopper by Alice Oseman 

Thanks for making your school library a great resource to LGBTQIA+ young people, 

Queer Gabby
November 2022

We might be biased, but we think one of the best ways to figure out your identity is to read and educate yourself on all the different LGBTQIA+ identities and experiences in the world, and finding which one resonates with you.  

You can check out our reading lists to find materials that might help you understand your experience: LGBTQIA+ 101 Reading List

You might be interested in this material in particular: How to Understand Your Sexuality: a Practical Guide for Exploring Who You Are, opens a new window by Meg-John Barker.

You may also find comfort in a support group or peer group, which you can find here: Cincinnati Support Groups

The journey to discovering yourself is different for each person, and you may find it to be a lifelong pursuit. You may want to attend LGBTQIA+ events to meet new people to discuss your experiences with, or find music, movies, and media that helps you feel comfortable in your identity (like here at the Library). If you feel that you’re struggling a lot and need more support than just books and events, you may want to talk to a trusted friend or family member, a therapist, counselor, or mental health hotline. 

Queer Gabby
November 2022

Good luck on your journey, 

Queer Gabby

You are a great friend for trying to understand your friend’s situation and for wanting to be sensitive about how to talk about her identity. First of all, you should definitely ask your friend what she is and isn’t comfortable with because everyone is different!  

If you haven’t already, read up on LGBTQ+ identities and terminology so that you can better understand your friend’s experience. One book we recommend is This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson. This book covers many questions you might not feel comfortable asking your friend directly, and may help you understand what topics are “okay” and what might be offensive to your friend. (https://cincinnatilibrary.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S170C3590693) 

Another great book just for allies is The Savvy Ally by Jeanne Gainsburg. This book describes itself as "An enjoyable, humorous, encouraging, easy to understand guidebook for being an ally to the LGBTQ+ communities. It is chock full of practical and useful tools for LGBTQ+ advocacy.” This might be just the thing to help you support and talk to your friend! (https://cincinnatilibrary.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S170C3546227)  

Thanks for being an awesome friend and ally! 

Queer Gabby
November 2022

Some folks believe that there are as many sexualities as there are people, and that each person’s experience of their sexuality is different! Sexuality or sexual orientation is defined as a person’s sexual identity in relation to the gender to which they are attracted such as being heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or asexual. This is separate from their gender identity or gender expression. This is also separate from their romantic attractions, meaning the gender(s) or people they experience love or emotional feelings for.  

Under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella, there are a few main sexual orientations:

Homosexual: A descriptor for a person that is sexually attracted to people of the same gender.
Bisexual: Anyone who is attracted to men, women, and/or other genders.
Pansexual/"Pan": A descriptor for a person whose sexual attraction is not limited by gender identity or expression.
Demisexual: A person on the asexuality spectrum that experiences sexual attraction as a byproduct of a strong emotional connection with their partner.
Asexual/"Ace": a descriptor for a person that does not experience sexual attraction to any gender. 

These are just a few descriptors of sexuality, but there are many more. Sexuality can be fluid, and some people might use multiple or different terms to describes themselves. You can also see our glossary of definitions for more clarification on these terms: https://chpl.org/lgbtqia/orientation/. You can also check out this website to see the ever-growing list of sexualities and their definitions: https://rainbowandco.uk/blogs/what-were-saying/sexuality-definitions. Remember that you can define yourself in whatever way feels right to YOU. 

Thanks for writing to us! 

Queer Gabby
November 2022

It can be tricky to find a safe space that suits your age group and your interests! In the Greater Cincinnati Area, here are few places you can go for all ages events and meetups if you identify as LGBTQIA+: 

TreeHouse Cincinnati Community Center - https://treehousecinci.org/
TreeHouse works with both GLSEN and PFLAG to host youth groups, storytimes, and other family events. But they also host meet ups, support groups, community events, and arts events that are open to all ages! 

Women Writing for (a) Change - https://www.womenwriting.org/
Women Writing for (a) Change is not just for women or those who identify as female. This nonprofit group hosts many different writing groups and workshops for all kinds of mediums, styles, ages, and identities.  

Transform Cincinnati - https://www.transformcincy.org/
Transform provides gender-affirming wardrobes to trans youth, but they do so much more! Not only are they accepting volunteers of all ages, they also have support groups, programming, and book clubs open to all ages.

Your local library! - https://chpl.org/lgbtqia/
Keep your eyes peeled for LGBTQIA+ programming at your local library branch or a branch close to you, which is always open to parents, families, allies, and LGBTQIA+ of all ages and backgrounds.  

Best of luck finding the right space for you, 

Queer Gabby
November 2022

There are lots of awesome teen and adult graphic novels about being biracial and trans that you might find relatable!  

Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms  Main character is biracial and trans and has to keep up her grades and her social life to earn her parents' acceptance of her transition. Great trans, lesbian, and non-binary representation set in today’s social battlefield that is high school cheerleading. 

Obie is Man Enough Main character is tween trans boy who has been kicked off the swim team by his transphobic coach. Obie is white and Korean and as his friends start to drift away or bully him, he wonders if he is “man enough” to deal with these challenges. 

A Quick and Easy Guide to Queer and Trans Identities Not quite a graphic novel, this is more of a non-fiction comic guide to queer and trans identities. Told from the point of view of a group of snails as they observe some humans around a campfire, we learn from one of the human’s pet snails who “effectively covers a broad swath of identities and topics” (School Library Journal’s Review). I don’t think any of the humans are biracial, but they are a racially diverse group of campers. 

Hope you enjoy! 

Queer Gabby
November 2021

We have some amazing materials in our collection about Cincinnati LGBTQ+ history here at CHPL, including a book by Ohio historian Ken Schneck called LGBTQ Cincinnati (Images of Modern America) This book gives an overview of several decades of Cincinnati queer history, including how Pride began and the fight for same-sex marriage. You should definitely check out the Ohio Lesbian Archives too, one of the only queer archives in the country, which is based right here in Cincinnati. They have Cincinnati-related LGBTQ+ books, music, magazines, newspapers, news tapes, and ephemera collected from over forty years! You might also take a look at our newspaper databases and do a search for “LGBTQ” or another related term to see newspaper articles and noteworthy stories from Cincinnati’s past.  

Thanks for writing in! 

Queer Gabby
November 2021
 

Courage is an international organization with multiple chapters across the US and all over the world. Courage and EnCourage International describes itself as "an apostolate which offers support for those who experience same-sex attractions and their loved ones" and is affiliated with Catholic Church. Some religious members of the LGBTQIA+ community may find solace in this organization; however, this organization's mission is to encourage LGBTQIA+ folks to remain abstinent from same-sex sexual and romantic relationships and describes itself as a “pro-chastity ministry." Courage has received criticism from LGBTQIA+ advocacy organizations citing concerns that the ministry promotes and practices a non-violent form of conversion therapy. Check out some links below: 

https://couragerc.org/about/ 

https://www.hbgdiocese.org/evangelization/courage-ministry/  

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/calls-to-ban-abhorrent-and-shameful-gay-therapy-by-courage-international-zd9zmsr6w 

Thanks for your question! 

Queer Gabby
November 2021

It can be really complicated to learn all the terminology thrown around in the LGBTQIA+ community! CHPL created a guide right here on our website to break down those terms and help folks understand each other and themselves.  

A person who is bisexual or bi is attracted to men, women, and other genders, or genders both the same and opposite of themselves. This is very similar to pansexuality. A pansexual person is a person whose sexual attraction is not limited by gender identity or expression, meaning they could potentially be attracted to anyone. Though the terms are similar, many folks identify more strongly with one or another. Transgender or trans is not a sexual orientation like bi or pan, but rather an identity. A transgender person is a person whose gender identity does not match the one they were assigned at birth. Some transgender folks choose to transition and some do not. Transgender people can be gay, straight, bi, pan, etc.  

For more terms and definitions, you can visit TSER, [Trans Student Educational Resources (youth-led organization)], AVEN [The Asexual Visibility and Education Network], the APA, [American Psychological Association] (PDF), and the HRC, (Human Rights Campaign). The vast majority of these terms are adjectives, so they should be used in a sentence as such. For instance: “That bisexual man is wearing a red coat” rather than “That bisexual is wearing a red coat,” or “My friend is transgender” rather than “My friend is a transgender.” 

Hope this helps you! 

Queer Gabby
November 2021