March 31st is Transgender and Nonbinary Day of Visibility, but Caseyville Library also cares
about not just acknowledging and accepting the existence of transgender people, but celebrating them as individuals who make our world a little brighter. Unlike Transgender Day of Remembrance which is a somber day that honors the lives of trans folks lost, Transgender Day of Visibility celebrates the living, the right to be alive and visibly transgender, and the continued fight for equal rights for trans and nonbinary people in our laws, healthcare, jobs, and everyday lives. Caseyville Library wants the community to know all are welcome here. If you are trans, nonbinary, or fall in the LGBTQ+ community, you can find support and acceptance in your local librarians. If you want to be more connected to resources, let us help you find them. For now, we have listed below a few book recommendations to celebrate this day.
The ABCs of LGBT+ by Ash Hardell
Ash Hardell started talking about LGBTQ+ topics, gender, and their life on YouTube and became a trusted voice and source for people in the community. They published The ABCs of LGBT+ in 2016, and the book has become a bestseller. The audience is teens and young adults, but everyone can benefit from reading this book. It can help readers figure out their own identity in tangible terms or help allies support their friends and family who belong to the LGBTQ+ community. With this book, learn LGBTQ+ terms and definitions and hear about what they mean to folks in the community.
Everyone calls George a boy, but she knows she is a girl. Even though she wants everyone to know she is not a boy, she feels she must keep this part of herself a secret. When her teacher tells them their class play will be Charlotte’s Web, George yearns to be Charlotte, but her teacher forbids her from trying out and says she can’t because she is a boy. Fortunately, George has her best friend, Kelly to confide in, and decide they can change everyone’s mind about George and show the world who George really is. George is a wonderful book that could be read by fourth graders and up. Everyone can benefit from this story, not only gender diverse children. Caseyville Library invites you to check out George and experience coming out through a young girl’s eyes.
Queer by Meg-John Barker and Jules Scheele illustrates LGBTQ+ history through graphic nonfiction. What does queer mean? It is an umbrella term for people of varied sexual and gender expressions and identities that has been reclaimed by the community. By investigating the thoughts and lives of queer activists, philosophers, and scientists, Barker and Scheele discuss the intricacies of sex, gender, and sexuality. This book makes a great addition to our collection because it asks readers to stop thinking in black and white terms and start thinking more fluidly about humanity. Each new page offers thoughtful discourse that takes into account privilege, power dynamics, and asks us to shift our perspective to thinking more inclusively, less about what people are not and about who they are.
Not seeing a book that interests you? Try our online book requesting catalog, and order a book to your library from one of 500+ libraries in our system!
If you or a family member is part of the trans and nonbinary community and would like more resources, Metro Trans Umbrella Group is a wonderful organization that can get you connected with gender-affirming care, support groups, and necessities.