Official News Outlet for the Rainbow Round Table of the American Library Association
By Tess Goldwasser What is your role in the GLBTRT? I joined GLBTRT when I first joined ALA my first semester of library school. If anything I suppose I could describe myself as a conscientious lurker. I pay attention to the listserv to stay current, but I’ve also met some great friends and colleagues as […]
By John Mack Freeman On February 23, 2015, Secretary of State John Kerry appointed Randy Berry as the US State Department’s first LGBT envoy. Berry had previously served as Consul General in Amsterdam with prior postings in Bangladesh, Egypt, South Africa, and Uganda. Secretary Kerry had the following to say (via PinkNews): “Randy’s a leader, […]
GLBTRT Members Elected to Executive Board: GLBT Round Table members Peter Hepburn and Gina Persichini have been elected to the ALA Executive Board. Though they’re not ones to brag, we’re very proud on their behalf of the fact that they were elected by the two largest margins among any of the members joining Executive Board. […]
The winners of this year’s Stonewall Book Awards have been announced. Congratulations to Hilary Sloin, David McConnell, Lori Duron, Kirstin Cronn-Mills, and e. E. Charlton-Trujillo on their wins. The GLBT Round Table would also like to extend our thanks to the committee members who devoted their time this to these awards: Petery Coyl (chair), Amanda Clay, […]
The First Circuit Court of Appeals in a 2-1 ruling upheld a 2012 decision that classifies gender-confirming surgeries as necessary medical care. As such, transgendered inmates should have access to this care due to the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. The refusal by a Portland, Oregon area bakery to refuse to bake […]
Judges have found both Utah and Oklahoma’s gay marriage bans to be unconstitutional. This has led many to believe that the writing is on the wall for gay marriage bans nationwide. Indeed, many lawsuits are currently working their way through, challenging gay marriage bans in several states. In Kentucky, a case challenging that state’s gay […]
In the past few weeks, judges in both Utah and Oklahoma have found those countries anti-marriage equality amendments unconstitutional. Higher courts have stayed both rulings, but the march of progress seems to continue unabated. But, looking only at the United States can give a false view of where LGBTQ people stand around the world. Problems […]
Upcoming anthology in New Lit Salon Press’s new series: Behind the Yellow Wallpaper: New Tales of Madness is seeking submissions. Pieces should address issues of intersectionality that may affect women’s mental health such as physicality, sexuality, trans’ identity, race, class, pregnancy and motherhood, religion, etc.; address any other social issues that impact women’s mental health; […]
U.S. schools had 53 percent more book banning incidents in 2013 than in the previous year, according to the National Coalition against Censorship. A project called The Kids’ Right to Read Project investigated three times the average number of problems, according to Coordinator Acacia O’Connor. The Coalition provides resources on its website including a Book […]
Maybe He’s Not Gay: Another View on Homosexuality is no longer available on amazon.com. Author Linda Harvey pulled it off the website because she “saw the rotten reviews, a smear campaign by those who had not read the book.” After amazon did not immediately take down the reviews, Harvey took her book. Harvey is known […]