Children's Websites
Teaching Tolerance
http://www.tolerance.org/teach
The Southern Poverty Law Center put together this collection of resources for
teachers and students.
Teen Websites
GLSEN: Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network:
http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/home/index.html
This network strives to assure that each member of every school
community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation
or gender identity/expression.
Youth OUTreach: LAMBDA youth
http://www.lambda.org/youth.htm
Working to make schools and gay teens' lives safer
Adult Websites
GLBT Historical Society
http://www.glbthistory.org/
The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual,andTransgender Historical Society (GLBTHS)
collects, preserves, and interprets the history of GLBT people
and the communities that support them.
GLBT Literature Gay and Lesbian Reading Group
http://jclarkmedia.com/gaybooks/index.html
This site is devoted to Literature
about Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) experience.
It is also the home of the
Gay & Lesbian Reading Group; and it includes original GLBT
film, music, and visual arts resources.
International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission
http://www.iglhrc.org/site/iglhrc/
The mission of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights
Commission (IGLHRC) is to secure the full enjoyment of the human
rights of all people and communities subject to discrimination
or abuse on the basis of sexual orientation or expression, gender
identity or expression, and/or HIV status.
Parents, Families &Friends of Lesbians & Gays
(PFLAG)
http://www.pflag.org
PFLAG promotes the health and well-being
of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons, their families
and friends through:
support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten
an ill-informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and
to secure equal civil rights.
Logo Online
http://www.logoonline.com
Logo is a lesbian and gay cable television network. The site includes full episodes
from its Real Momentum documentary series, a television schedule, music and travel
news and an online store.
Pridesource
http://www.pridesource.com
Pridesource is by far the most popular website for Michigan’s LGBT online
community, featuring an interactive calendar of events, resources, and all the
news and entertainment from Between the Lines.
OutHistory
http://www.outhistory.org
A wiki-style site, OutHistory covers U.S. LGBTQ history from pre-colonial times
to the present.
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Periodical/Online Resources
Children's Periodicals
“What Does Gay Mean?” How to Talk with Kids about Sexual Orientation and Prejudice
by Lynn Ponton, M.D. (www.nmha.org/whatdoesgaymean)
This document is an encouraging support for parents and caregivers who would like to discuss sexual orientation with children of all ages. Specific help and information is given for a variety of age ranges.
On Spies and Purple Socks and Such
by Kathleen T. Horning (The Horn Book Magazine, January/February 2005)
Author and Librarian Kathleen T. Horning writes on homosexuality in children’s literature and how it is important to make it available to children.
Adult Periodicals
Between The Lines
Michigan’s only weekly newspaper for the LGBT market, with 20,000 copies distributed each week at over 600 sites, mostly in the densely populated southeastern Michigan area.
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Books
Children
Picture Books
And Tango Makes Three
by Justin Richardson, c2005 (E/ Richardson)
At New York City's Central Park Zoo, two male penguins fall in
love and start a family by taking turns sitting on an abandoned
egg until it hatches
Daddy's Roommate
by Michael Willhoite, c1990 (Easy/Willhoite)
After his parents divorce, a young boy gets to know his father's gay roommate.
The Dragon of an Ordinary Family
by Margaret Mahy, c1969 (E/ Mahy)
Mr. Belsaki brings home a dragon as a pet for young Gaylord to
prove he isn't a fuddy-duddy. But the pet soon grows bigger than
an elephant. Before parting with him, they all take a trip to
the Isles of Magic and fly back home on a magic carpet.
An Enchanted Hair Tale
by Alexis De Veaux, c1987 (Easy/De Veaux)
Sudan's hair sets him apart from his peers and he goes in search of those
similar to him.
King & King
by Linda de Haan, c2002 (E/ Haan)
When the queen insists that the prince get married and take over
as king, the search for a suitable mate does not turn out as
expected.
King & King & Family
by Linda de Haan, c2000 (E/ Haan)
King Lee and King Bertie take a honeymoon trip to the jungle
and bring home a surprise.
Molly’s Family
by Nancy Garden, c2004 (E/Garden)
In school Molly draws a picture of her family and quickly discovers
that family means something different to everyone.
Oliver Button Is a Sissy
by Tomie dePaola, c1979 (E/Reader Level 2 dePaola)
Oliver is teased at school because he prefers reading, drawing and jumping rope
to sports. When pushed to do sports, Oliver chooses a tap-dancing class.
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Juvenile Fiction
Between Mom and Jo
by Julie Anne Peters, c2006 (J/Peters)
Nick finds his life affected by his
lesbian parents’ struggles
with prejudice, cancer, work problems and more at the sensitive
age of fourteen.
The Misfits
by James Howe, c2001 (J/Howe)
In a small-town middle school, four students create a third party for their student
council for all those who have ever been picked on.
My Heartbeat
by Garret Weyr, c2002 (J/ Weyr)
As she tries to understand the closeness
between her older brother and his best friend, fourteen-year-old
Ellen finds her relationship
with each of them changing.
Totally Joe
by James Howe, c2005 (J/ Howe)
This work focuses on a thirteen year-old boy who writes a school
assignment on the challenges of being a gay teen.
Juvenile Non-Fiction
Gay Rights
by Tricia Andryszewski, c2000 (J/305.9 An)
This title traces the history of the entire Gay Rights Movement,
from riots to issues such as gays in the military.
Heather Has Two Mommies
by Leslea Newman, c1989 (J/306.87 Ne)
Heather goes to daycare and discovers that she does not have
a daddy like most of the other children. Soon Heather learns
that all families are different except for the love they have
for one another.
What if someone I Know is Gay? Answers to Questions About Gay
and Lesbian People
by Eric Marcus, c. 2000. (J/306.76 Ma)
Real teenagers ask and Marcus answers candidly on everything
from sex to religion, helping kids to understand what being gay
is really all about.
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Young Adults
Young Adult Fiction
Boy Meets Boy
by David Levithan, c2003 (YA/Levithan)
Boy Meets Boy is a marvelous fiction debut, a funny and inspiring
novel, and a perfect choice for stimulating discussions about
why the world we inhabit stands in such sharp contrast to that
of Paul and his friends.
Getting It
by Alex Sanchez, c2006 (YA/Sanchez)
Getting It teaches young teens to stand up for themselves, even
if they get teased. It also teaches readers that friends will
like you for who you are, whether you are gay or not.
The House You Pass Along the Way
by Jacqueline Woodson, c1997 (YAF/ Woodson)
When fourteen-year-old Staggerlee, the daughter of a racially
mixed marriage, spends a summer with her cousin Trout, she begins
to question her sexuality to Trout and catches a glimpse of her
possible future self.
Luna
by Julie Anne Peters, c2004. (YA/Peters)
Fifteen year-old Regan keeps her brothers transsexuality a secret
from everyone. But life begins to change when he starts sharing
his secret with others.
Young Adult Non-Fiction
Gay and Lesbian Rights: A Struggle
by Marilyn Tower Oliver, c1998 (YA/305.9)
Examines the issue of gay and lesbian rights in the United States,
covering the history of the gay rights movement, the current
struggles it faces, and arguments both for and against it.
GLBTQ: The Survival Guide for Queer and Questioning Teens
by Kelly Huegel, c2003 (YA/301.424 Hu)
Offers real experiences, advice and support for teens.
Talking in the Dark: A Poetry Memoir
by Billy Merrell, c2003. (YA/811 Me)
In a narrative done in poetry, Merrell addresses many issues
of youth including sexuality.
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Adults
Adult Classic Fiction
A Boy’s Own Story
by Edmund White, c1982 (Fiction White)
A teenage boy’s account of discovering
and accepting his homosexuality.
The Beautiful Room is Empty
by Edmund White, c1988 (Fiction White)
The sequel to A Boy’s Own Story, as the author’s
protagonist begins an odyssey of sexual awakening.
Invisible Life
by Harris, E. Lynn, c1991 (Black Life Fiction Harris)
The first of Harris’s popular
novels exploring issues surrounding alternative sexual lifestyles
within the African-American community.
Tales of the City
by Maupin Armisted, c1978 (Fiction Maupin)
Interconnected stories of San Francisco friends and lovers, their
joys and sorrows. Inspiration for an acclaimed public television
dramatic series.
The Well of Loneliness
by Radclyffe Hall, c1928 (Fiction Hall)
First published in 1928, this timeless portrayal of lesbian love
is now a classic. The thinly disguised story of Hall's own life,
it was banned outright upon publication and almost ruined her
literary career.
Adult Contemporary Fiction
A Home at the End of the World
by Michael Cunningham, c2004 (Spoken CD Fiction Cunningham)
This poignant and absorbing novel is one of a kind: at once revealing
a remarkable gay sensibility, a serious appraisal of how parents
and children relate over the years, and a clear-eyed account
of '80s ways of looking and living.
A Killing Cure
by Ellen Hart, c1993 (UNC/PBK Hart)
" Hart has created a wealth of
traditional mysteries with modern sensibilities and a distinctly
literary edge. In a very real sense, she has become our gay
Agatha Christie."
Sandra Scoppettone, award-winning author of the Lauren Laurano mystery series.
Always
by Nicola Griffith, c2007 (New Book Mystery Griffith)
At the start of Griffith's intense third thriller to star Aud
Torvingen (after The Blue Place and Stay), the stylish half-American,
half-Norwegian lesbian ex-cop and self-defense teacher is still
grieving over the shooting death of her lover, Julia, a year
earlier.
Biceps of Death
by David Stukas, c2004 (Mystery Stukas)
Sexy, catty, and downright hilarious, Biceps of Death deliciously
skewers the cult of the body while delivering an absolutely perfect
nail-biter of a mystery.
Chocolate Sangria: A Novel
by Tracy Price-Thompson, c2003 (Black Life Fiction Price-Thompson)
This page-turning tale of sexuality and self-identity puts a
startling spin on the bonds of friendship and the devastating
consequences of keeping secrets, telling lies, and betraying
those you love.
Deadly Tease: A Novel
by Michelle McGriff, c2007 (Black Life New Books Fiction McGriff)
This thrilling novel brings us into the world of homosexuality
and murder.
Delta Belles
by Penelope J. Stokes, c2006 (Fiction Stokes)
Four friends under varying degrees of desperate circumstances
meet at their 25-year college reunion.
Everything You Have is Mine
by Sandra Scoppettone, c1991 (Fiction Scoppettone)
Starring “Lauren Laurano,” New York City lesbian
investigator, in a series with both suspense and humor.
Hot Rocks: A Nick Hoffman Mystery
by Lev Raphael, c2007 (Mystery Raphael)
A trip to the gym proves anything but healthy for a writing professor
at a Midwestern college.
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Adult
Non-Fiction
Black Like Us: A Century of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual African-American
Fiction
Edited by Donald Weise, c2002 (Black Life 813.5 Bl)
An overview of 100 years of African American queer fiction that
affirms rather than negates the interconnections among race,gender, and sexuality.
Come Out and Win: Organizing Yourself, Your Community and Your
World
by Sue Hyde, c2007 (New Books 306.766
Hy)
Come Out and Win will educate, engage, and agitate LGBT and straight
activists to become involved in the political movement to win
full equality under the law and sexual/gender freedom.
The Complete Lesbian & Gay Parenting Guide
by Arlene Istar Lev, c2004 (649 Le)
Gay parenting is a productive and positive decision, but author and lesbian mother Arlene Lev admits it isn't always an easy one. With practical wisdom and advice, and personal real-life stories, Lev prepares gay parents for this endeavor with everything they need to know and everything they can expect while making their own significant and challenging mark on family life in the 21st century.
Confessions of the other mother : nonbiological lesbian moms tell all
c2006 (306.874 Co)
This candid peek into a previously unexamined side of lesbian parenting is full of stories that are sometimes humorous, sometimes moving, but at all times celebratory. Each parenting tale sheds light on the many facets of motherhood, offering gay and straight readers alike a deeper understanding of what it means to love and parent in the twenty-first century.
Covering: The Hidden Assault on our Civil Rights
by Kenji Yoshino, c2006 (342.73 Yo)
In this remarkable and elegant work, acclaimed Yale Law School
professor Kenji Yoshino fuses legal manifesto and poetic memoir
to call for a redefinition of civil rights in our law and culture.
Death & Fame: Last Poems 1993-1997
by Allen Ginsberg, c1999 (811 Ginsberg)
Famous for energizing the Beat Generation literary movement upon
his historic encounter with Gregory Corso, Jack Kerouac, and
William Burroughs in mid-century New York City, Ginsberg influenced
several generations of writers, musicians, and poets.
Dress Codes: Of Three Girlhoods – My Mother’s, My
Father’s and Mine
by Noelle Howey, c2002 (306.874 Ho)
In this extraordinarily funny and tender memoir, Noelle Howey
weaves together three unique yet thoroughly intertwined journeys
toward self-realization: those of herself, her transgender father,
and her tomboy mother.
Families Like Mine: Children of Gay Parents Tell it Like it
is
by Abigal Garner, c2004 (306.87 Ga)
Garner offers empathetic yet unapologetic opinions about the
gifts and challenges of being raised in families that are often
labeled "controversial."
The Funny Thing Is …
by Ellen DeGeneres, c2003 (817 DeG)
This medley of comic essays is satisfyingly rambling as DeGeneres
muses about the familiar and fantastic, from toilet paper to
the conjectured advantages of living in prison.
The Gay and Lesbian Guide to College Life
by John Baez, c2007 (COPE 378.19 Ba)
How to thrive on campus as a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and/or questioning student, featuring advice from students and administrators at more than seventy of the nation’s top colleges.
Gay and Lesbian Parenting Choices: From Adopting or Using a
Surrogate to Choosing the Perfect Father
by Brette McWhorter Sember, c2006 (362.82 Se)
McWhorter Sember, an attorney, provides a complete and easy-to-understand
explanation of the many ways gay or lesbian couples can create
a family and the legal hoops they must jump through as part of
the process.
Greatest Taboo: Homosexuality in Black Communities
Edited by Delroy Constantine-Simms, c2001
(Black Life 305.9 Gr)
Twenty-eight powerful, provocative essays from academics and
writers of all ethnic heritages, genders, and sexuality.
The Rights of Lesbians, Gay Men, Bisexuals and Transgender People: The Authoritative ACLU Guide to the Rights of Lesbians, Gay Men and Transgender People, Fourth Edition
by Nan D. Hunter, Courtney G. Joslin and Sharon M. McGowen, c2004
(342.73 Hu)
Utilizing an accessible question-and-answer format and nontechnical
language, this book provides an overview for understanding both
the general themes in legal doctrine and the way in which individuals
can begin the process of asserting rights provided by the law.
Same Sex Intimacies: Families of Choice and Other Life Experiments
by Jeffrey Weeks, Brian Heaphy and Catherine Donovan, c2001 (306.84
We)
Based on extensive interviews with people in a variety of non-traditional
relationships, this fascinating book argues that the popular
acceptance of same sex partners and same sex parenting is closely
linked to wider changes in the meaning of family in society at
large and that each can cast light on the other.
Swish: My Quest to become the Gayest Person Ever
by Joel Derfner, c. 2008 (306.76 De)
In Swish, Derfner takes his readers on a flamboyant adventure along the glitter-strewn road from fabulous to divine. Whether he’s confronting the demons of his past at a GLBT summer camp, using the Internet to “meet” men—many, many men—or plunging headfirst (and nearly naked) into the shady world of go-go dancing, he reveals himself with every gayer-than-thou flourish to be not just a stylish explorer but also a fearless one.
Transparent : love, family, and living the T with transgender teenagers
by Cris Beam, c.2007 (306.76 Be)
When Cris Beam first moved to Los Angeles, she thought she might put in just a few hours volunteering at a school for transgender kids while she got settled. Instead she found herself drawn deeply into the pained and powerful group of transgirls she discovered. In Transparent she introduces four of them—Christina, Domineque, Foxxjazell, and Ariel—and shows us their world, a dizzying mix of familiar teenage cliques and crushes with far less familiar challenges like how to morph your body on a few dollars a day.
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Adult Biography/Autobiography
Aaron Copland: The Life and Works of an Uncommon Man
by Howard Pollack, c1999 (780.92 Copland, A, Po)
“
...the first full-length scholarly biography of the composer,
deals honestly and in detail with Copland's secret lives, and
one puts it down knowing what needs to be known.” Terry
Teachout, Wall Street Journal.
Alvin Ailey: A Life in Dance
by Jennifer Dunning, c1996 (Black Life 793.392 Ailey, A. Du)
Filled with stunning photographs and hundreds of interviews with those who
knew him (including such stars of dance and theater as Mikhail Baryshnikov,
Judith Jamison, Lena Horne, Katherine Dunham, Sidney Poitier, and Dustin Hoffman),
Alvin Ailey is the story of a man who wove his life and his culture into his
dance - and into the fabric of America itself.
Barbara Jordan: American Hero
by Mary Beth Rogers, c1998 (Black Life
328.73 Jordan, B Ro)
“
Just remember the world is not a playground, but a school room.
Life is not a holiday, but an education. One eternal lesson for
us all: to teach us how better we should love." These are
the words of Barbara Jordan, one of the most extraordinary women
to grace our political arena.
Cary Grant: The Biography
by Marc Eliot, c2004 (792.092 Grant, C. El)
Grant's sparkling image on-screen hid a tumultuous personal life that he tried
desperately to keep out of the public eye, including his controversial eleven-year
relationship with Randolph Scott, five marriages, and numerous affairs.
His song : the musical journey of Elton John
by Elizabeth J. Rosenthal, c2004 (780.92 JOHN,E Ro)
More comprehensive than previous biographies, His Song provides the full story behind all of Elton John's recordings, including lyrical and musical analyses which, to date, have been offered by only a few books in only skeletal fashion; a complete chronicle of all the artist's concert tours; an authoritative view of how Elton John grew from a meek, unassuming man into a personality powerhouse both on and offstage and a major superstar; and the true story behind John's flamboyant costumes and why he wore them.
Isherwood : a life revealed
by Peter Parker, c.2004 (823.09 ISHERWOOD,C Pa)
Based in part on Isherwood’s private papers–unavailable until now–this fascinating book presents the real story of his life, a life that saw a relatively conventional boy become an acclaimed writer, mystic, and “grand old man” of the gay liberation movement. In the end, Isherwood: A Life portrays someone who misled as much as he revealed.
Jane Addams and the Dream of American Democracy
by Jean Bethke Elshtain, c2004 (B Addams, J El)
Jane Addams, the founder of Hull House and winner of the Nobel
Peace Prize for her work in the international peace movement,
inspired both great adoration and great censure in her day.
Man in the middle
by John Amaechi, c.2007 (796.32 AMAECHI,J Am)
Man in the Middle chronicles John Amaechi's extraordinary journey from awkward,overweight English lad to jet-setting NBA star. Along the way, he endured endless obstacles to his hoop dreams; being abandoned by his father, being cut from his first college team, recovering from a life-threatening injury, playing for abusive coaches, and losing his mother -- while also protecting a vital secret that could have ended his career: John Amaechi was gay.
Red Carpets and Other Banana Skins
by Rupert Everett, c.2006 (792.092 EVERETT,R Ev)
A superb raconteur and a keen observer of human folly (especially his own), Rupert Everett turns his life into a captivating story of love, nostalgia, fame, glamour, gossip, and drama. From the eccentricities of the British upper classes to the madness of Hollywood, from the Russian steppes to an Easter egg hunt in Elizabeth Taylor's garden, Everett reveals himself as a consummate storyteller and a charming guide to life lived in the fast lane.
Walking with Garbo: Conversations and Recollection
by Raymond Daum and Vance Muse, c1991 (792.092 Garbo, G. Da)
Superb collection of Garbo photos along with a running monologue
by Garbo - taken down by Daum and with a text by Muse (a Life
magazine editor) that covers her history.
Warrior poet : a biography of Audre Lorde
by Alexis De Veaux, c2004 (811.09 LORDE,A DeV)
During her lifetime, Audre Lorde (1934-1992), author of the landmark Cancer Journals, created a mythic identity for herself that retains its vitality to this day. Drawing from the private archives of the poet's estate and numerous interviews, Alexis De Veaux demystifies Lorde's iconic status, charting her conservative childhood in Harlem; her early marriage to a white, gay man with whom she had two children; her emergence as an outspoken black feminist lesbian; and her canonization as a seminal poet of American literature.
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Adult Video/DVD
Fiction
Andre’s Mother
Director: Deborah Reinisch, c1998 (Videotape
Fiction, Andre’s)
Cast: Richard Thomas, Sada Thompson, Sylvia Sidney, Haviland
Morris
After her son dies of AIDS, a woman must come to terms with his
abbreviated life. Sada Thompson stars as the mother in this Emmy
award-winning movie that aired on PBS. Thompson is joined in
her grief by her dead son's lover played by Richard Thomas
Brokeback Mountain
Director: Ang Lee, c2006 (DVD-Fiction Brokeback)
Cast: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal
Set against the sweeping vistas of Alberta's Rocky Mountains, this film tells the story of two young men - a ranch-hand and a rodeo cowboy - who meet in the summer of 1963 and unexpectedly forge a lifelong connection, one whose complications, joys and tragedies provide a testament to the endurance and power of love.
Gods and Monsters
Director: Bill Condon, c1999 (Videotapes-Fiction Gods)
Cast: Ian McKellen, Brendan Fraser, Lynn Redgrave
“Frankenstein” director James Whale lives his days accompanied only by images from his past. When his dour housekeeper, Hannah, hires handsome, young gardener Clayton Boone, the openly gay director and the simple yardman develop and unlikely friendship.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Director: John Cameron Mitchell, c2001 (DVD-Fiction Hedwig)
Cast: John Cameron Mitchell, Miriam Shor, Stephen Trask, Theodore
Liscinski
Based on Mitchell and Stephen Trask's Off-Broadway musical, the
film is a reminiscence of the familial and sexual trauma that
drove a young German boy to a sex-change operation gone horribly,
hilariously wrong.
Music Lovers
Director: Ken Russell, c1970 (Videotape Fiction Music)
Cast: Richard Chamberlain, Glenda Jackson
The compelling and bizarre story of Tchaikovsky's life and music.
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