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Rhino Diversity Book Club: Pride 2021

June 7, 2021

The Rhino Diversity and Inclusion Committee has launched a book club and a reading list focusing on monthly cultural and heritage celebrations.

In June 2021, the D&I Book Club is exploring Pride Month.

“This is a collaborative gathering of resources to kick start our understanding, appreciation and respect for the LGBTQIA+ community, according to Book Club co-leader Kat Wolfe. “The offerings here start from the very essence of definitions of what it means to be LGBTQIA+, through documented perspectives of fundamental moments in LGBTQIA+ history, and resources for education in this topic area for people of all ages. We have included some podcasts, plus free materials for firm employees to and a lending library for those who just love the feel of a book in their hands.”

“We did our best to find books that are available at the local libraries, as well,” said Wolfe. If you wish to delve even further into this subject matter, please explore https://glbtrt.ala.org/rainbowbooks/archives/1341. Happy reading!

Click here to contact Kat Wolfe with any questions.

Recommended reading and listening:

Memoirs and Autobiographies

  • All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
  • Fairest by Meredith Talusan
  • Leaving Isn’t the Hardest Thing by Lauren Hough

History / Political Perspectives

  • The Stonewall Reader, New York Public Library
  • The Laramie Project and The Laramie Project Ten Years Later by Moises Kaufman, et al
  • The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. The United States of America by Eric Cervini
  • The Gay Revolution by Lillian Faderman

Novels

  • Guapa by Saleem Haddad
  • Passing by Nella Larsen
  • With Teeth by Kristen Arnett

For Teens/Young Adults

  • The ABC’s of LGBTQ+ by Ashley Mardell
  • Queer: The Ultimate LGBTQ Guide for Teens by Kathy Belge and Marke Bieschke
  • Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
  • This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson (maybe more adult themes here)

For Adolescent and Younger Kids

  • 99% Chance of Magic by Amy Eleanor Heart (Editor)
  • They, She, He As Easy as ABC by Maya Christina Gonzalez and Matthew SG
  • The Gender Wheel by Maya Christina Gonzalez
  • It Feels Good to be Yourself by Theresa Thorn and Noah Grigni
  • Pride 123 by Michael Joosten
  • My Rainbow by DeShanna Neal, Trinity Neal, et. al.
  • Love Makes a Family by Sophie Beer

Websites to visit:

Blogs to check out:

  • Joe.My.God is an award-winning blog that covers “news and politics on gay issues, culture and disco knowledge.” https://www.joemygod.com/
  • Mark King shares stories of his life with HIV/AIDS, recovery from drug addiction, LGBTQ+ advocacy news, and more. https://marksking.com/
  • TransGriot (pronounced Gree-oh) is written by Monica Roberts, “a proud unapologetic lack trans woman speaking truth to power and discussing the world around her since 2006.” https://transgriot.blogspot.com/
  • The Fab Femme, created by Aryka Randall in 2010, is written for LGBTQ+ women and has a goal to “publish creative content that sheds light on stories told by feminine women in society.” https://www.tffmag.com/

Podcasts

  • Making Gay History
    “Eric Marcus’ interviews provide a roadmap to our community’s long history of resistance. Initially recorded for his 1992 book of the same name, Making Gay History documents the oral history of those on the frontlines of the LGBTQ movement from 1945-1990, including Randy Shilts, Evelyn Hooker, Vito Russo, Larry Kramer, and Ann Northrop. “ To listen, start here.
  • One from the Vaults
    “With the trans history podcast, One From The Vaults, Morgan M. Page has created a vital resource for the LGBTQ community. Page’s exquisitely researched interviews show how the history of trans people is threaded throughout the history of the world.” To listen, start here.
  • Nancy
    “Nancy is an exploration of what it means to be LGBTQ in a radically changing world. Part of the joy of the podcast is following along as the hosts, Tobin Low and Kathy Tu, grow more comfortable with their queerness.” To listen, start here. 

Short Stories

  • For those of us outside of the trans experience, “You Wouldn’t Have Known About Me” is an entrance to a very specific perspective and set of circumstances. It holds up a small fragment of an experience through which we might, in some small way, come to understand trans life, all of its joys and all of its hardships and all of its beauty. To read, click here.
  • Drawing on the unexpected juxtaposition of WWII Japanese-American conflict and binary gender expectations, “Little Boy” explores the power of intangible indicators — feeling, legacy, and sensation — to uproot our logic, identities, and classifications. To read, click here.