LGBTQ +
COMICS
WHY WE CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO BE SCARED
Drama by Raina Telgmeier , This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki , illustrated by Jillian Tamaki - both were part of the ALA ’ s Top 10 Most Challenged Books in 2018 ( Office for Intellectual Freedom , 2020 ). Both graphic novels include LGBTQ + characters . With two of the top 10 being LGBTQ + comics , it is more than likely that many libraries are wary of including these titles in their collection , especially school libraries in conservative areas like mine .
California is often labeled as a liberal state , but not where I live . I teach in a rural , one-high school town : six years as an English teacher , and six in the library . Some of my community is supportive of our LGBTQ + teens , but I have had more than a handful of students come to me , afraid to come out to their parents . I have seen students shame other students for the way they are . I have also seen the community on my campus shift in the twelve years I ’ ve been there . I have started to see more acceptance , more conversation , more openness from the teens on my campus , and part of that must come from adults willing to invest in the LGBTQ + community and help these teens through their struggles .
Often , books with LGBTQ + content come under fire from parents who don ’ t agree that school-aged children should have access or exposure to these titles , and it is easy to self-censor by not purchasing these books for our libraries . However , censoring , whether intentional or not , goes against some of the core tenets of librarianship . It does a disservice to an increasingly important section of your library collection and to your vulnerable students . In a recent study of the National Violent Death Reporting system , researchers found that “ almost one quarter ( 24 %) of 12- to 14-year-olds who died by suicide were LGBT ” ( Ream , 2019 ). In a world where many of these students don ’ t have a safe haven , their school libraries can become that place for them by offering a safe space , guidance , connection to services , or a few books on the shelves , including graphic novels that have characters who reflect them and their struggles . The need for LGBTQ + representation in our collections is more important than ever .
Libraries are all about building communities where readers can be part of the whole . We do this most effectively by maintaining a collection where all our readers are fairly represented . That includes purchasing titles that positively reflect the core values of the LGBTQ + community , titles where LGBTQ + characters are present in normal every-day situations , and not titles that sensationalize the relationships or lifestyle choices . “ Many LGBT
teens and young adults are looking for a community and libraries have the ability to do create [ sic ] those communities . One way to help accomplish this , [ Steenz ] said was for libraries to ensure their collections include books to which their patrons relate ” ( Kaplan , 2019 ). It is important to include stories that show LGBTQ + characters participating in the plot , where their sexuality is not the focus . One example is The Backstagers by James Tynion , illustrated by Rian Sygh and Walter Baiamonte , where romantic attraction and shy blushing happens at the all-boy school , and where there are several gay characters , but the focus is more on solving the mysteries that abound in their theater . Another example is Lumberjanes , created by Shannon Watters , Grace Ellis , Brooklyn A . Allen and Noelle Stevenson , where one of the main characters is a trans girl who helps guide another into accepting themselves . Titles such as these remove the stigma that all conversations regarding the LGBTQ + community must include plot points about sexual attraction . The characters reactions come from an openminded community where finding out your friend is gay or trans is not something worthy of judgment and ostracization , rather just a fact about a friend . “ Graphic novels for younger readers can focus on the idea of love between gay characters rather than sex , for instance . Being gay is about identity , not just sexuality , and establishing identity is something children are on intimate and intense terms with ” ( Jesse Karp , quoted in Alverson , 2017 ). Our teenage years are some of the most formative in helping us understand and diamondbookshelf . com
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