MacMillan 1

Meghan MacMillan

LIS 61095

Assignment 1 Option A

September 29 2017

According to a 2015 Gallup poll, Columbus, Ohio ranks 15th in the country in terms of size

of the LGBT population (about 4.7 percent of the total population). That being said, According to

a 2015 Gallup poll, Columbus, Ohio ranks 15th in the country in terms of size of the LGBT

population (about 4.7 percent of the total population). That being said, because the community

is relatively large, but still faces prejudice and hate from the larger population, thus creates a

need for resources, such as crisis centers and youth centers.

Columbus is a relatively gay-friendly city, but that doesn’t mean its libraries are

necessarily gay friendly—especially to LGBT and questioning youth. In Information Services to

Diverse Populations, Cooke explains that “the library can be a ‘chilly’ and potentially

unwelcoming environment for out youth or those considering coming out” (59).

A lot of their information needs focus on representation in the library, whether it be in

fiction or information resources in healthcare, domestic violence, and community.

Print/Online Resources:
 MacMillan 2

M. (2017, February 27). 2017 Rainbow Book List. Retrieved September 29, 2017, from

http://glbtrt.ala.org/rainbowbooks/archives/1255

The Rainbow Book List is a bibliography of books with significant gay, lesbian, bisexual,

transgender, or queer/questioning content aimed particularly at youth. The list includes

picture books, middle grade and young adult fiction as well as nonfiction. This list is a

good, thorough resource of books that have exceptional queer representation and

literary merit.

It Gets Better Project | Give hope to LGBT youth. (2017). Retrieved September 29, 2017, from

http://www.itgetsbetter.org/

The mission of this organization is to communicate to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender

youth around the world that it gets better, and to create and inspire the changes needed

to make it better for them. The site includes information on how to get help in a crisis,

videos from people (including celebrities) explaining how it got better for them, as well

as other social media resources and ways to get involved. A way for LGBT people to build

connections and find that they are not alone in what they're experiencing.

Kinsella, V. (2016). Fashionably late: gay, bi and trans men who came out later in life. Portland,

OR: Eldridge Books.

This book is a collection of stories about divorce, conversion therapy, misadventures in dating,

overcoming bigotry, and gender exploration in men coming out as queer later in life. This

resource could be beneficial for men going though something similar in their own lives

and has a relatively subtle cover allowing for discretion as well.

 MacMillan 3

National Center for Transgender Equality. (n.d.). Retrieved September 29, 2017, from

http://www.transequality.org/

This is is a website for the National Center for Transgender Equality and provides a wealth of

practical resources for trans individuals. Included in these resources are means for trans

people to know their rights (when dealing with everything from airport security to

housing to healthcare) and information on how to change their name and gender

information on a state by state basis.

The Community of LGBT Centers. (n.d.). Retrieved September 29, 2017, from

https://www.lgbtcenters.org/

Centerlink is a member-based coalition to support the development of strong, sustainable LGBT

community centers and currently serves over 200 LGBT communities across the U.S and

around the world. The website provides a means to search for centers near the user

through a directory.

Community Resources:

BRAVO (Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization)

BRAVO is an organization that works to eliminate violence based on sexual orientation

and/or gender identification through prevention, advocacy, violence documentation and

survivor services in Ohio. In addition to a wealth of online resources, BRAVO offers One on One

in person support, legal and medical advocacy and support groups.

Equitas Health
 MacMillan 4

Equitas Health is a non-profit community-based healthcare system that is on its way to

becoming one of the nation’s largest HIV and LGBTQI healthcare organizations. The organization

offers behavioral healthcare, dentistry, HIV support and preventative services, legal services,

medical services, pharmacy services and wellness services. There are 3 Equitas Health centers in

Columbus.

Kaleidoscope Youth Center

The mission of Kaleidoscope Youth Center is to provide advocacy, education, support,

and a safe environment for LGBT youth in Columbus. The center itself is made to feel like home

and has a game center, a computer lab, a performance lounge, a kitchen, a library, and an arts

room. Kaleidoscope puts on events as well, such as Other Prom and participates in Pride.

References:

Cooke, N. A. (2017). Information services to diverse populations. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries

Unlimited, an imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC.

Gallup, I. (2015, March 20). San Francisco Metro Area Ranks Highest in LGBT Percentage.

Retrieved September 29, 2017, from http://news.gallup.com/poll/182051/san-francisco-

metro-area-ranks-highest-lgbt-percentage.aspx