When Leadership Falls Short: The Crisis of Care in Library Work
Posted on in Blog Posts
Gearing Up for Pride
Posted on June 11, 2024 in Blog Posts
Authors:
Ashleigh Coren
For the past several weeks, I have been leading an undergraduate course titled “Critical Museum Interpretation and Storytelling,” and it has been delightful. Through the class we explore how educators, curators, interpreters, and other museum practitioners can be more mindful and inclusive when analyzing and sharing the narratives of marginalized communities. Now that it’s Pride Month, I would like to share a few ideas we have explored, along with a selection of fantastic resources for anyone keen on delving into or writing about LGBTQ+ history and culture.
If you are crafting an exhibit, a book display, an event, or any content for yourself or others to celebrate Pride, here are some questions to ponder before proceeding:
Is your concept or resource overly dependent on narratives of triumph or tragedy? It is important to incorporate narratives that underscore the value of everyone’s story, and stories of both triumph and tragedy are not the only ones that matter.
Is there an opportunity to collaborate with members of the relevant community to incorporate their voices and viewpoints? Celebrating LGBTQ+ history without offering platforms and opportunities for the community to have a voice in developing content is surface-level engagement.
Are you narrowly focused on highlighting “firsts” and “pioneers”? Again, it is crucial to integrate narratives that emphasize the worth of everyone’s story, while also recognizing that numerous social and political movements are the result of collective efforts, rather than the contributions of solitary individuals.
Need help sorting this out? Below, I detail a number of useful tools and resources available online.
This list of resources from the Boston Public Library offers a few suggestions that can assist anyone seeking thoughtful and valuable resources to commemorate pride at their institution. From the website: “We Are Pride is a list of books published in the previous year for all ages concerning the diverse experience of the LGBTQ+ community. This printing is part of the Boston Public Library’s annual observance of LGBTQ+ Pride Month since 2017.” There are many exceptional public libraries that have curated LGBTQ+ book lists, and this is just one example. If you are seeking a book recommendation for yourself or someone else, rest assured that the staff at the Boston Public Library (or your school or local public library!) have you covered.
Margaret Middleton’s Family Inclusive Language Chart is another helpful resource that can “[help] … avoid making assumptions about the identities of individuals and their relationships with others.” I have referred to Margaret’s language guide numerous times while creating teaching posters, writing blog posts, and even while writing labels for exhibitions. It is a valuable and easy-to-use resource that anyone can access, and best of all, it is available to download for free.
For a map-based tool that can allow students and library patrons to visualize LGBTQ+ history, there is the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project, a project of the Partner Program of the Fund for the City of New York. As the website states, project workers “are continuously documenting and adding sites that reflect the ethnic and geographic diversity of the LGBT community and date from the city’s founding in the 17th century to the year 2000.” This innovative interactive map showcasing LGBTQ+ history in New York City is a staple for me whenever I am seeking fresh stories to incorporate into my teaching, whether for lectures, digital content, or workshops. The map’s functionality also underscores the significance of studying communities and neighborhoods in American history. The individuals, sites, and organizations highlighted (Love you forever, Lesbian Avengers!) are not merely relics of the past, they represent enduring legacies.
In looking for individual stories, podcasts can be a great place to start. The episode “Lucy Hicks Anderson” from Sidedoor, a Smithsonian podcast, is one such illuminating example highlighting a trailblazer in LGBTQ+ American history. As detailed in the podcast description, “Lucy Hicks Anderson never let anyone tell her how to live her life—not even the courts. When her gender was put on trial in the 1940s, the publicity around her case made her one the first documented Black transgender figures in American history.” For full disclosure, I should note that I am a featured guest on this episode. However, putting aside any self-promotion, one of the main reasons I highlight this podcast episode is because, as an educator and historian specializing in women’s history, it is crucial for me to locate and disseminate resources that contextualize LGBTQ+ narratives predating Stonewall. Ensuring inclusivity involves sharing stories such as this to demonstrate that diverse stories exist and that gender fluidity has long been a topic of discussion, particularly within communities of color, throughout history.
This is just a glimpse into some of the incredible resources available online that can help librarians and museum staff create inclusive and meaningful exhibits and displays for Pride. Further, we must not forget that while Pride is celebrated in June, LGBTQ+ history should be celebrated every day.
About the author:
Ashleigh Coren is a content strategist, educator, and curator based in the Washington, D.C. area.
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Header image is a detail of This is Harlem by Jacob Lawrence. Courtesy of Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. © 2021 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. For more information, click here.