2017 MLA Annual Conference

When John Donovan's novel I'll Get There: It Better Be Worth the Trip was published in 1969, it was considered to be one of the first mainstream novels for teens about homosexuality. Ths was important, because it gave gay teens a chance to see themselves in literature, however, it also sparked a controversy surrounding the appropriateness of LGBTQ themes in children's and young adult literature. However, in the last 38 years, tremendous progress has been made towards portraying characters in young adult literature that accurately reflect the diversity of the LGBTQ community. But there is still lots to do. As society has changed, so has the the number of teens between the ages of 13-17 who identify as LGBTQ. However, according to Human Rights Campaign's groundbreaking 2017 study, Growing Up LGBT in America, nearly half of LGBTQ teens feel they are disconnected from their communities, in comparison to only sixteen percent of non-LGBTQ teens. This is troubling! How can libraries help to provide support to LGBTQ tweens and teens? In particular, how do the books on the shelves either support or discourage a sense of belonging for young people? This presentation will provide an in depth insight on the evolution of GLBTQ history, a brief look into the literature over the decades and highlight some resources that we, as librarians, educators and readers, should use when evaluating and implementing literature and programs into their libraries.