Library Showcase: LGBT

Welcome back! This month the library presents a new showcase: LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender). The faces of the LGBT community are diverse: they are teachers, parents, soldiers, doctors, students, sisters, brothers, neighbors, colleagues, friends. Their lives are rich and varied, but many times they are painful and lived under the shadow of bigotry, ignorance and hatred.  Look below for a list of  books on the topic, and come by the library to take one or more of these great books home!

Ask & Tell: Gay and Lesbian Veterans Speak Out -- Steve Estes interviews gay and lesbian veterans to explore the way that policy and politics have affected gay identity among veterans and along the way shows the reader a group of American heroes who had to wage war on prejudice and homophobia as they fought for our country.

Dignity for All: Safeguarding LGBT Students -- Presents ideas, anecdotes, templates for codes of conduct and more, to help educators understand the needs of the LGBT community so they can work towards a safe, respectful environment.

Families Like Mine -- Author Abigail Garner's father came out as gay when she was five years old. Now she writes about her experiences and those of others and addresses the issues that LGBT parents and their children face.

Fighting to Serve: Behind the Scenes in the War to Repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" -- Learn about the struggle to defeat DADT.

From the Closet to the Courtroom -- Explores five LGBT rights lawsuits that changed our country.

Gay Families and the Courts -- Explores the role of the courts in the battle for equal rights for members of the LGBT community, and the complexity of the litigation related to the battle for LGBT rights.

Gay Marriage and Democracy -- In this comprehensive analysis of gay marriage rights and the positions of both the right and left on this issue, author R. Claire Snyder argues that the denial of marriage rights on the basis of sexual orientation is incompatible with democracy.

Growing up Gay -- Adolescence is a trying, turbulent time for everyone, but gay and lesbian teens have an added layer of complexity in their quest for identity and belonging. This book contains a lot of black and white photographs that along with the text chronicle what it means to be a gay teen.

Here Come the Brides! -- Women writers explore issues of lesbian love and marriage.

The LGBT Casebook -- Presents 20 cases dealing with mental and emotional health issues in members of the LGBT community, and seeks to help mental  health professionals address the needs of these patients.

LGBT Youth in America's Schools -- Combines policy advocacy with portraits of LGBT students that have faced discrimination for their sexual orientation. An essential guide for educators.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post -- Cameron Post kissed a girl, and before she could come out to her parents, they died in a car accident, leaving her to face her religious aunt's campaign to try to "fix"her. This novel examines what it means to be true to one's identity, and the cost of denial.

My Two Moms -- When he addressed the Iowa House Judiciary committee in 2011, author Zach Wahls said that "The sexual orientation of my parents has had zero effect on the content of my character." A video of his short speech quickly went viral, and his memoir, subtitled Lessons of Love, Strength, and What Makes a Family expands on the topic and celebrates the power of family in all its varieties.

Oscar Wilde -- Part of the Gay and Lesbian Writers series on writers who suffered persecution and censorship due to their sexual orientation, this short biography covers the life and talent of this brilliant Irish writer and poet.

The Price of Salt -- You may not know who Patricia Highsmith is, or you may be familiar with some of her most famous thrillers: The Talented Mr. Ripley and Strangers on a Train. Before writing Strangers on a Train, Highsmith (using the pseudonym Claire Morgan), wrote The Price of Salt, a romance novel with lesbian content.  This novel is one of the classics in LGBT literature, and is considered unusual because of its happy ending.

A Queer History of the United States -- Activist and scholar Michael Bronski covers how the LGBT  experience and history has influenced our culture and shaped our country.

Queer Images -- This book covers the history of gay and lesbian film in America, from Hollywood to art houses and underground cinema.

Rubyfruit Jungle -- Rita Mae Brown's bestselling novel about growing up lesbian in America.

What's Wrong with Homosexuality? -- John Corvino teaches philosophy, is gay and is in a long term relationship, and in this book he explores the answer to what is wrong with homosexuality (the answer is: nothing) and along the way he also delves into the cultural wars surrounding the issue. 

The World Out There -- An introduction to being part of the LGBT community: answers to questions, resource lists, topics such as dealing with homophobia, work issues, spiritual issues and more.