Kindness to Gender Diverse Youth

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

Last month, ALSC blogger Chelsey Roos, wrote a brilliant post about ways we can show respect, kindness and support for gender diverse youth in our communities.

They wrote: "Transgender and gender-diverse youth deserve safety, respect, and kindness within your library, just like any other young person in your community. In 2020, ALA issued a statement affirming the rights of transgender people, stating that ALA “unequivocally and emphatically stands in solidarity” with both transgender library staff and transgender members of our communities. However, we have to acknowledge that there seem to be more and more obstacles to supporting our young patrons. Depending on your service area, you may be facing book challenges, programming bans, and also outright hostility towards children who just want to be themselves. But there are resources at hand and choices you can make to welcome all young people, regardless of their gender identity."

Their post, full of tips, ideas and a wealth of resources can be found here. [No One Can Stop You from Being Kind: Supporting Gender-DiverseYouth in Your Library. Roos, Chelsey. ALSC blog. December 7, 2024]