NNLM Network of the National Library of Medicine

Library Programs

Reduce the stigma and discrimination often associated with sexual orientation or gender identity by reading and discussing an NNLM Reading Club book selection. Then incorporate LGBTQ+ materials into your library programming for all ages.

Curriculum

The LGBT+ Inclusive Curriculum references K-12 educational resources, lesson plans, and children's books to foster respectful behavior, critical thinking, and social justice through exploration and discovery of LGBT+ people, history, and culture.

For the Bookshelf

This Day in June | Gayle E Pitman, Ph.D. | Magination Press | 2014 | 32 pages | ISBN: 978-1433816598 "Read the children's book that teaches respect, acceptance, and understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Included is a reading guide with facts about LGBT history and culture, as well as a Note to Parents and Caregivers with information on how to talk to children about sexual orientation and gender identity in age-appropriate ways." Winner of the 2015 Stonewall Book Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature, and a Top Ten Rainbow List Title Order a poster and bookmark set from the American Library Association (ALA) featuring the vibrant art of Kristyna Litten, illustrator of This Day in June.

Trans+: Love, Sex, Romance, and Being You | Karen Rayne Ph.D. and Kathryn Gonzales MBA | Magination Press | 2019 | 304 pages | ISBN: 978-1433829833 | Young Adult Ages 15-18 "TRANS+ is a guide for teens who are transgender, non-binary, gender-nonconforming, gender-fluid, queer, or questioning their sexual and gender identity. It answers both easy and hard questions about gender and covers mental health, physical health, reproduction, transitioning, relationships, sex, and life as a queer individual."

That's So Gay!: Microaggressions and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community | Kevin L Nadal Ph.D. | American Psychological Association | 2013 | 220 pages | ISBN: 978-143381280 "Microaggressions are interactions that occur in a wide variety of social settings, including school or the workplace, among friends and family, and even among other LGBTQ people. These accumulated experiences are associated with feelings of victimization, suicidal thinking, and higher rates of substance abuse, depression, and other health problems among members of the LGBTQ community. Case examples make the book, That's So Gay!, ideal for discussion. Each case is followed by an analysis of the elements involved in microaggressions and questions for the reader to reflect upon."

The Lives of LGBT Older Adults: Understanding Challenges and Resilience | Nancy A Orel Ph.D. and Christine A Fruhaurf Ph.D. | American Psychological Association | 2015 | 241 pages | ISBN: 978-1433817632 "The Lives of LGBTQ Older Adults uses a life course perspective to investigate how LGBT older adults have been shaped by social stigma and systematic discrimination. Although many of their experiences are similar to those of younger LGBT individuals, LGBT elders grew up in a particularly oppressive time, which continues to impact their well-being. However, these individuals have also developed coping mechanisms to adapt to stigma, discrimination, and the challenges of aging."

Skills Training

The Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) provides in-person and online instruction. Webinars often are recorded for future viewing. Check the NNLM Training page for a complete list of programs and schedules.

There's an NIH for that...and more

The National Institutes of Health is the nations' leader in medical research. Its Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion is engaged in sexual and gender minority (SGM). Research opportunities in SGM health span the interests of a number of NIH institutes, centers, and offices (ICOs). The NIH SGM Research Coordinating Committee, a trans-NIH committee, facilitates and coordinates collaborations and other activities related to SGM health across the NIH ICOs and the Department of Health and Human Services.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a comprehensive resource for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health information.

National LGBT Health Education Center, a program of the Fenway Institute, provides educational programs, resources, and consultation to health care organizations with the goal of optimizing quality, cost-effective health care for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT+) people.

The American Psychological Association (APA) can provide answers to questions about sexual orientation and gender identity. Fact sheets are available for PDF download in multiple languages.

Book

Suzette has been devoted to Lionel from an early age, and vice versa. At first glance, they don't look like siblings—a black girl and white boy barely a year apart in age—but their blended family is closely knit. At her parents' insistence, Suzette has been away at boarding school since Lionel's mental health began to deteriorate and he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Now she's back in L.A. for the summer, and she finds more complications waiting. Suzette is dealing with the aftermath of a secret relationship with her roommate at school, new feelings for her childhood friend Emil, and an attraction to the same girl her brother likes, and the secrets Lionel wants her to keep are the last thing she needs. Intersectional and honest, this book covers topics of mental health, sexuality, and family without sugarcoating or melodrama. 

Little & Lion: A Novel | Brandy Colbert | Little, Brown Young Readers | 2017 | 352 pages | ISBN: 978-0316349000

Author

Brandy Colbert was born and raised in Springfield, Missouri. Her debut novel, Pointe, won the 2014 Cyblis Award for young adult fiction and was named a best book of 2014 by Publishers Weekly, BuzzFeed, Book Riot, and more. Her short fiction and essays have been published in several critically acclaimed anthologies for young people. She is on faculty at Hamline University’s MFA program in writing for children and lives in Los Angeles.

Official Website of Brandy Colbert

Book

Raised in a military, Mormon household outside San Antonio, Texas, Black always found inspiration in his plucky, determined mother. Having contracted polio as a small girl, she endured leg braces and iron lungs, and was repeatedly told that she could never have children or live a normal life. Defying expectations, she raised Black and his two brothers, built a career, escaped two abusive husbands, and eventually moved the family to a new life in Northern California. While Black struggled to come to terms with his sexuality - something antithetical to his mother's religious views - she remained his source of strength and his guiding light. He pays tribute in this moving account. 

Mama's Boy: a story from our Americas | Dustin Lance Black | Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group | 2019 | 406 pages | ISBN: 978-1524733278

Author

Dustin Lance Black is a filmmaker and social activist, known for writing the Academy Award-winning screenplay of the Harvey Milk biopic Milk, and for his part in overturning California’s discriminatory Proposition 8. Dustin Lance Black grew up in the South, surrounded by stories that made people stronger.

Official Website of Dustin Lance Black

Book

When Rosie and Penn and their four boys welcome the newest member of their family, no one is surprised it’s another baby boy. But Claude is not like his brothers. One day he puts on a dress and refuses to take it off. He wants to bring a purse to kindergarten. He wants hair long enough to sit on. When he grows up, Claude says, he wants to be a girl. Rosie and Penn aren’t panicked at first. Kids go through phases, after all, and make-believe is fun. But soon the entire family is keeping Claude’s secret. Until one day it explodes. 

"Every once in a while, I read a book that opens my eyes in a way I never expected.” ―Reese Witherspoon (Reese’s Book Club pick)

This Is How It Always Is | Laurie Frankel | Flatiron Books | 2017 | 336 pages | ISBN: 978-1250088567

Author

Laurie Frankel is the bestselling, award-winning writer of three novels. Her writing has also appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Publisher's Weekly, People Magazine, and other publications. All three of her novels have been optioned for film or TV. She lives in Seattle, Washington with her daughter and husband and makes good soup.

Official Website of Laurie Frankel

Interview