GLBTRT Newsletter A publication of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Round Table of the American Library Association http://www.ala.org/glbtrt Reviews (Pages 5 -12): Films Vol. 23, No. 2 ◊ Summer 2011 A Marine Story Two Spirits Youth 365 Days GLBTRT Social in New Orleans Hidden Jumpstart the World The Social Committee Eric Johnson, Tom Fortin, This is the place to see Sleeping Angel and Rod MacNeil and the GLBTR co-chairs, and be seen. A trendy Non-Fiction Anne Moore and Dale McNeill, are looking bar opens into a forward to welcoming everyone at our social lush courtyard and 100 of the Most during at this year’s annual meeting in New offers a fine wine and Influential Gay Orleans. The social will be held at Hotel tequila selection along Entertainers LeMarais (717 Conti Street) in the heart of the with its signature French Quarter from 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm purple cocktail. Binding the God Sunday the 26th. Donations will be gladly accepted to defray the costs of the event. How to Find Love in a Gay Bathhouse Hotel Le Marais is New Orleans’ newest upscale From the Closet to the boutique hotel. According to the hotel website, Courtroom this French Quarter hotel is a modern and upscale sanctuary with four-star amenities and It Gets Better a high level of personal service. The L Life Out Loud A Saving Remnant True Stories Attend Membership Meeting and Participate in Fiction Vote for Over the Rainbow Committee Black Fire Blood Sacraments Over the Rainbow was given ad hoc status a year ago to complete important work meeting the missions of our Head Trip Round Table, specifically creating an annual bibliography of “titles of interest to adult readers that reflect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ) experiences.”. In the last year, OTR Spanking New created an annotated bibliography of 108 recommended books and In less than 6 months and has had more than 4,000 hits on their new web page. This year the OTR has already identified 200 potential titles, of which 80 have been nominated by at least one Committee member. Please attend the GLBTRT Membership Meeting on Sunday at 10:30 AM @ at the JW Marriott Hotel (JW-Maurepas Meeting Room), 614 Canal Street. Not only can you network with other members of GLBTRT, but one of the agenda items is approval of the Over the Rainbow (OTR) Ad hoc Committee application for permanent committee status. Deadlines for the newsletter for the next year will be: Fall 2011 August 31, 2011 Winter 2011 November 31, 2011 Spring 2012 March 20, 2012 Summer 2012 June 9, 2012 Please try to get your reports, articles, book reviews, etc. in by these dates or let us know if there will be a short delay so room Page 2 Volume 23 Number 2 Kid Stuff About young readers for people who care June marks the twelfth national LGBT Pride but part of a larger LGBT community—had of the web in areas of concern to LGBTQ Month, and I would like to describe some of been publicly avowed.” He recognized that communities after the Yale Law School the things that make me proud. the culture at that time would not have notified the ACLU in its “Don’t Filter Me” permitted them to speak, but “their campaign when students reported schools’ First is the progress that our community has visibility would have been an antidote to blocking Internet content. made under the presidency of Barack the fear and lies of Anita Bryant and her Obama. He has signed the repeal of the supporters.” I’m proud of other adults, especially “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, an act that will librarians and educators, as they allow lesbians and gays to serve openly in Over 30 years later, young people are demonstrate the courage to provide young the military. He has work to stop speaking out. When Tennessee Senate people with materials and information discrimination against LGBT people in federal voted for its “Don’t Say Gay” bill that proving to them that they deserve an equal housing programs and in the federal prevented any discussion about LGBT part of the great American pie. Reading workplace. Because of his efforts, LGBT issues in Grades K through 8, 13 high Bronski’s The Queer History would add to people can freely visit their partners in the school students who attended the session adults’ understanding and appreciation of hospital. The White House has also led a opposed their action. These students were the past 500 years of LGBT experiences in global campaign to guarantee that the term part of a larger group from three our country. I honor Beacon Press for “sexual orientation” be included in the United downtown Nashville high schools that making this invaluable book the first in its Nations resolution on extrajudicial execution. attended every Senate meeting for two Revisioning American History Series, weeks as well as showing their opposition devoted to “examining history though the During Obama’s presidency, Congress along the street outside the capitol. lens of those groups whose stories have passed the Matthew Shepard and James been excluded from the canon.” In a highly Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Crime. He I’m proud of the young people across the readable style, the author writes, among has begun work to stop the threat of bullying country willing to be open about their many other things, about the diversity of of young people in the schools and joined participation in Gay-Straight Alliances and gender identities accepted by the Native administration officials to create “It Gets other youth who stand up for bullied kids— Americans when the white men first Better” videos. A commitment for next year like Olivia who reported the physical arrived, the practice (more frequent than is expanding access to HIV/AIDS prevention violence that suffered by a son of lesbian many people realize) of same-sex love and care. The Office of Public Engagement partners. Rebecca Haskell and Brian during all these centuries, and the has launched a new landing page, Winning Burtch’s Get That Freak: Homophobia and accomplishments in the past half-century. the Future: President Obama and LGBT Transphobia in High Schools (Fernwood Americans, providing updates about White Publishing, 2011) supports Bronski’s call We can all benefit from reviewing the House actions that benefit the LGBT for LGBTQ visibility in youth. According to following from The Queer History,--An community. the author’s research, “silence about queer Outline of Imperatives for Gay Liberation, http://www.whitehouse.gov/ people and the issues affecting them reprinted from Carl Whitman’s “The Gay blog/2011/06/01/winning-future-lgbt- fuelled homophobia and transphobia, Manifesto” (1969): americans which in turn further silences queer 1. Free ourselves; come out everywhere; youth.” The young people interviewed initiate self-defense and political activity; I’m proud of the young people who are talked about the missing pieces in teacher initiate counter community institutions. willing and able to come out to fight for training, curriculum, role models, and 2. Turn other gay people on; talk all the LGBTQ rights. During the past year, many of intervention in bullying. Young people are time; understand; forgive; accept. them fought their schools to attend proms helping to change these omissions. 3. Free the homosexual in everyone; be with their same-sex loved ones and use their gentle and keep talking and acting free. preferred gender identity for photos in the I’m proud of their legal struggles and the 4. We’re been playing an act for a long yearbook. In A Queer History of t he United adults, such as ALCU lawyers, who support time, so we’re consummate actors. Now we States (Beacon Press, 2011), Michael Bronski them in trying to achieve their rights such can begin to be, and it’ll be a good show. said that the events surrounding Save Our as the use of the Internet for information and social networking. One recent Children promulgated by hate-filled Anita I realize that I’ve painted a very rosy example is the communication with Kansas Bryant in 1977 “would have taken quite a picture of our successes in this column. and Missouri public high schools different turn if the voices of LGBT youth— Yes, the term “sexual orientation” for the demanding that they stop the censorship proclaiming that they were not in danger, United Nations resolution—and everywhere—needs to include gender identity. Transgender people are often (ISSN 1533-7219) is an official publication of the Gay, GLBTRT Newsletter omitted from laws protecting gays and Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered Round Table of the American Library lesbians; I have not heard that term used Association. It appears quarterly in March, June, September, and January. at all in the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” debate. Young people are still killing themselves American Library Association because of gender identity/orientation 50 E. Huron St., bullying, and ignorant principals are still Chicago, IL 60611 outing them through suspensions for the “public displays of affection” which straight Letters to the editor, correspondence to the above address care of: kids are allowed everyday. Sarah E. Wright But I plan to bask in the accomplishments GLBTRT Newsletter Editor for just a short time before diving back into [email protected] the fray. Happy LGBT Pride Month! -Nel Ward Volume 23, Number 2 Page 3 2011 Annual Conference Schedule Saturday, June 25, 2011 Steering Committee I 8:00-10:00 am Morial Convention Center Rm 239 Rainbow Project Task Force/Committee 8:30-10:00 am Morial Convention Center Rm 240 All-Committees Meeting Time 10:30-noon JW Marriott