Official News Outlet for the Rainbow Round Table of the American Library Association
By John Mack Freeman Despite a continuing press offensive by Governor Pat McCrory, organizations and businesses are continuing to cancel conferences or reconsider plans to host events in North Carolina. This week, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation cancelled a potential 7 year contract in Asheville that would have been worth $1.5 million annually because of […]
By John Mack Freeman This week, anti-GLBT legislation in both South Carolina and Missouri died in those states’ respective legislatures. In South Carolina, South Carolina Senate Bill 1203, which would have prevented cities and schools from establishing protections that would allow transgender individuals from using sex-designated bathrooms, missed the so-called “crossover” deadline. The crossover deadline is the date […]
By John Mack Freeman This past Monday night, unknown assailants attacked and hacked to death two men in an ongoing series of attacks that have targeted atheists, moderates, and foreigners. Via the Associated Press: The victims were identified as USAID employee Xulhaz Mannan, who previously worked as a U.S. Embassy protocol officer, and his friend, Tanay […]
By Peter D. Coyl Recently ALA has taken a stand on a number of pieces of legislation that affect the GLBT community including Georgia and North Carolina. In the case of Georgia, the GLBTRT was invited to help draft and co-sign a letter with ALA President Sari Feldman and in the case of North Carolina, with […]
By Elizabeth Gartley Last week, I had the opportunity to work with two public librarians to lead a session on serving LGBTQ youth at a state conference for children’s and youth librarians. The collaboration was especially rewarding because while the three of us are librarians with a shared interest in serving LGBTQ youth, we also […]
By Charlie McNabb Medicine has historically been a field that defines and pathologizes LGBTQ and intersex people. From DSM codes labeling trans identities “disorders” to surgeons routinely reconstructing the genitals of intersex babies, those outside the medical establishment’s norm (cisgender, heterosexual, and unambiguously male or female) have been variously victimized, underserved, and stereotyped. Fortunately, many […]
By John Mack Freeman The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has found in a 2-1 decision that the US Department of Education’s interpretation that current civil rights laws protect transgender people is valid. The court upheld the interpretation as part of the 1972 Title IX Education Amendments. Via Buzzfeed: The Gloucester County School Board, however, […]
Via press release The Board of Directors of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association, voted today to cancel its 2016 National Institute scheduled for September in Charlotte, N.C. The cancellation is a response to the passage last month of North Carolina’s Public Facilities Privacy & Security […]
By John Mack Freeman The United Kingdom’s Foreign Office has updated its travel advice regarding the United States to warn GLBT travelers of new anti-GLBT legislation that has been passed in North Carolina and Mississippi. The new advisory reads: The US is an extremely diverse society and attitudes towards LGBT people differ hugely across the country. […]
Via press release For the seventh year, the Freedom to Read Foundation is offering grants to support a wide variety of engaging, provocative and fun events commemorating Banned Books Week. Applications are open for the 2016 Judith F. Krug Memorial Fund Banned Books Week event grants, sponsored by the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF). Organizations are […]
