Attempts to ban books are still widespread in school districts and libraries across the country. Banned Books Week, held this year from Sept. 24-30, seeks to bring readers' attention to the practice.
This graphic novel by cousin duo Jillian and Mariko Tamaki tells the story of two teenage girls whose friendship is tested by growing up, family drama, and crushes over the course of a summer vacation. This One Summer was critically acclaimed and awarded the Printz Honor and Caldecott Honor, but it was still challenged for its "LGBT characters, drug use and profanity," and "mature themes."
Raina Telgemeier's graphic novel about a middle-school drama club is a sweet, compelling read, but some objected to the book's LGBT content — that is, a storyline involving two gay teenagers and an onstage kiss. Per the ACLU of Texas, the book was successfully banned for being "politically, racially, or socially offensive."
The title character of Alex Gino's George is a transgender teenager who dreams of playing Charlotte in her school's production of Charlotte's Web. This moving story about George's identity and her journey to becoming who she truly is, was challenged for LGBT content.
4. I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel & Jazz Jennings, illus. by Shelagh McNicholas
Jazz Jennings, the teenage transgender activist and YouTube star, wrote this book about her real-life gender identity journey with Jessica Herthel and illustrator Shelagh McNicholas. Targeted towards kids who may have questions about their own identity, it was challenged "because it portrays a transgender child and because of language, sex education, and offensive viewpoints."
The cover alone of this book, which depicts two boys kissing, was cited as a reason for challenging, not to mention the fact that it was said to include "sexually explicit LGBT content." The novel earned high praise from critics and was longlisted for the National Book Award in 2013.
For more information on Banned Books Week, see our blog post for information and ways to participate.
Happy Pride 2018! This LGBTQ Pride Month, The New York Public Library will host Roxane Gay, Tim Gunn, and Eileen Myles, as well as drag queens, film screenings, workshops, and discussions. Check out these events for all ages, and happy #RainbowReading!
#RainbowReading: 30 Books for Pride Month 2018
June is the American Library Association's GLBT Book Month. To celebrate, The New York Public Library's staff members are bringing awareness to recently published books featuring LGBTQ+ characters by presenting daily book recommendations. Follow #RainbowReading on social media for daily reading recommendations, and click here for a round-up of our staff picks!
One book recommendation for each day of Pride Month
Pride Events
6/1: Kanopy Screening: Stonewall Uprising In this 90-minute film, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE draws upon eyewitness accounts and rare archival material to bring this pivotal event to life. Based on David Carter's critically acclaimed book, Stonewall: The Riots that Sparked the Gay Revolution --- The 1960's was a watershed era in American history and the spirit of the decade never truly left us. We hope to address this momentous time through rich programming for all ages that commemorates, celebrates, and explores the 1960s. 12:00 PM, Bloomingdale Library, Auditorium.
6/1: First Friday Matinees: Pariah In celebration of LGBTQ Pride Month, join us for a screening of award-winning director Dee Rees’s (Mudbound, Bessie) debut feature film, which follows the coming-out experience of seventeen-year-old Alike, played by Adepero Oduye, who lives in Fort Greene with her parents and younger sister. The film is “stunningly shot,” writes Grace Barber-Plentie for BFI, showcasing the innovative cinematography of Bradford Young. 1:00 PM, Ottendorfer Library.
6/1: Schomburg First Fridays: LGBT Pride Edition We’re excited to kick off LGBT Pride Month at the Schomburg Center with our third annual First Fridays: Gay Pride Edition and with recognition of our In the Life Archive, a collection of materials of and by black LGBT people throughout history preserved in our Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division. With our extended hours, guests are also invited to check out our 3 exhibitions Black Power, Unshackled Ink and InHarlem Firelei Báez: Joy out of Fire (opening May 1st). Join us. 6:00 PM, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
6/2: Drag Queen Story Hour Join us for a program for children aged 3-8 that raises awareness of gender diversity, promotes self-acceptance, and builds empathy through an engaging literary experience. In this 45-minute program, a fabulous drag queen trained by children’s librarians reads picture books, sings songs, and leads children in a simple craft activity. Children love the bright colors, glamorous outfits, and larger-than-life personalities of the drag queen performers, but more importantly, DQSH teaches children to accept and celebrate gender diversity in themselves and others, and helps to curb bullying of LGBTQ children. Presented by Harmonica Sunbeam. 2:00 PM, Hamilton Grange Library, Children's Room.
6/5: Sick: Porochista Khakpour with Eileen Myles In her new memoir, Sick, Porochista Khakpour recounts a lifetime of misdiagnoses that left her riddled with anxiety about an unknown cause. When she ultimately learns of her late-stage Lyme disease, she embarks on an arduous and emotional quest for a cure that takes her from New York to Los Angeles, New Mexico, and Germany, all the while meditating on the physical and psychological impacts of uncertainty, and the eventual challenge of accepting the diagnosis she had searched for over the course of her adult life. “This is a book that throws me into the time of my own being,” writes poet and novelist Eileen Myles. “Sick is something gut-wrenching and new, a globally intimate book.” They join Khakpour for a conversation about what it takes to write one’s way through illness. 6:30 PM, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building.
6/8: Tim Gunn and Min Jin Lee: Notes from the Reading Life A fashion icon shares recommendations and memories of the books that inspired him throughout his career. Tim Gunn is the Emmy Award-winning host and producer of the hit series Project Runway and Project Runway Junior. He is a New York Times best-selling author for his books Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style, Gunn’s Golden Rules: Life’s Little Lessons for Making It Work, and Tim Gunn’s Fashion Bible: The Fascinating History of Everything in Your Closet. Gunn will speak with National Book Award finalist, Min Jin Lee, whose novel Pachinko was named by the New York Times as one of the “10 Best Books of 2017.” Pachinko was a selection in the best books of the year lists of NPR, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Amazon, Goodreads, Esquire, BookPage, Book Riot, Refinery29, Chicago Public Library, and many others. Notes from the Reading Life is a program co-presented by the National Book Foundation and The New York Public Library, supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. 6:30 PM, Jefferson Market Library.
6/9: Anti-Prom 2018: Under the Sea Anti-Prom provides an alternative, safe space regardless of your sexuality, gender identity, the way you dress, or any other reason. Come dance the night away at the Library and check out the Under the Sea-inspired fashions created by NYPL's teen designers. Student ID is required for entry to Anti-Prom. Only teens ages 12 to 18 will be admitted. All bags must be checked upon arrival. Doors close at 8 PM. 6:30 PM, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building.
6/9: LGBT Philosophy Forum For over 15 years the Forum has provided the LGBT community and its friends an open opportunity to gather and informally discuss important works of philosophy. We meet monthly on the second Saturday, from 2:45 to 4:45 p.m. The texts to be discussed (up to 50 pages) or links to the texts can be found on our website. All are welcome. We hope you will join us. 2:45 PM, Muhlenberg Library, Conference Room.
6/11: Movie Monday: Homo Promo (1993) Monday, June 11, 3:00 PM Not Rated , 57 Min How did Hollywood pitch movies about gays and lesbians between 1953 and 1977? Here are theatrical trailers for 27 mainstream and art-house films, presented chronologically from "Tea and Sympathy" to "Outrageous!" **Subtitles will be put on to accommodate all movie-goers. 3:00 PM, 67th Street Library.
6/11: Live from the NYPL: Roxane Gay with Aja Monet: Not That Bad In her latest book, Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture, Roxane Gay brings together an incredible array of women to share first-person essays that directly tackle rape, assault, and harassment. The book asks what it means to live in a world where women have to measure the harassment, violence, and aggression they face, and where they are “routinely second-guessed, blown off, discredited, denigrated, besmirched, belittled, patronized, mocked, shamed, gaslit, insulted, bullied” for speaking out. 7:00 PM, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Celeste Bartos Forum.
6/12: Kanopy Screening:Reel In The Closet A film tech discovers the real lives of queer people in the past by restoring hundreds of never before seen home movies dating back to the 1930s. But time is running out to save what's left before the films are destroyed by unknowing or unaccepting families of those who made them. 12:00 PM, Bloomingdale Library, Auditorium.
6/12: Documentary "PRIDE" Tuesday Let’s have a discussion! Join us for a Harlem based documentary, and a short and a short Discussion. Tuesday June 12, 2018 "The New Black: LGBT Rights in African American Communities" THE NEW BLACK boldy examines the controversial and challenging issues the African-American community is grappling with the gay rights issue in light of the recent gay marriage movement and the fight over civil rights. The film documents activists, families and clergy on both sides of the campaign to legali… 4:00 PM, Countee Cullen Library, Auditorium.
6/12: Shall We Wed: Financial Planning for Same Sex Households The Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015 made same sex marriage the legal in all 50 states. What does this mean for those who are not married or are considering marriage? Marriage is a very personal decision with important legal and financial implications, especially for households considering a family with children, whether by foster parenting, adoption, surrogacy, or in vitro fertilization. Thom Chu, J.D. discusses how legal marriage might affect you - for better or worse! Tho… 6:00 PM, Science, Industry and Business Library (SIBL), Conference Room 018.
6/13: Researching LGBT History with NYPL's E-Resources This class will teach researchers about the electronic resources available from the New York Public Library that focus on LGBT history. Specifically, researchers will explore the databases: Archives of Sexuality and Gender, which contains 18 digitized archival collections exploring LGBTQ history and culture since 1940; LGBT Life with Full Text, which provides complete indexing and abstracting of content related to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender studies in over 230 journals, magazines, and newspapers; Independent Voices, a collection of alternative press publications from the 1950s to the present; and finally the Alternative Press Index, which indexes more than 300 alternative, radical, and left publications. 11:00 AM, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, South Court Classroom B.
6/14: Researching LGBT History with NYPL's E-Resources This class will teach researchers about the electronic resources available from the New York Public Library that focus on LGBT history. Specifically, researchers will explore the databases: Archives of Sexuality and Gender, which contains 18 digitized archival collections exploring LGBTQ history and culture since 1940; LGBT Life with Full Text, which provides complete indexing and abstracting of content related to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender studies in over 230 journals, magazines, and newspapers; Independent Voices, a collection of alternative press publications from the 1950s to the present; and finally the Alternative Press Index, which indexes more than 300 alternative, radical, and left publications. 2:00 PM, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, South Court Classroom B.
6/14: Mermaid Parade and Drag Queen Story Hour Kick off Summer Reading with an under the sea themed celebration and get everything you need to make reading rock! Featuring Drag Queen Story Hour, followed by a mermaid parade through the library! Wear your sea themed costumes or make one at the library. Don’t miss out on yummy snacks, fun goodies, and rockin’ books! Best for Children 0-7. 3:00 PM, St. Agnes.
6/14: Summer Reading Kick Off: Drag Queen Story Hour A program for children aged 3-8 that raises awareness of gender diversity, promotes self-acceptance, and builds empathy through an enjoyable literary experience. In this 45-minute program, a drag queen trained by children’s librarians reads picture books, sings songs, and leads children in a simple craft activity. Children love the bright colors, glamorous outfits, and larger-than-life personalities of the drag queen performers, but more importantly, DQSH teaches children to accept and celebrate… 3:30 PM, St. Agnes Library.
6/15: Summer Reading Kick Off: Drag Queen Story Hour A program for children aged 3-8 that raises awareness of gender diversity, promotes self-acceptance, and builds empathy through an enjoyable literary experience. In this 45-minute program, a drag queen trained by children’s librarians reads picture books, sings songs, and leads children in a simple craft activity. Children love the bright colors, glamorous outfits, and larger-than-life personalities of the drag queen performers, but more importantly, DQSH teaches children to accept and celebrate… 11:00 AM, Epiphany Library.
6/15: Art Express: Zine Making Calling all creatives and art lovers alike! Actualize your ideas and inspirations into one-of-a-kind art pieces. Zine Making Workshop June marks the celebration of Immigrant Heritage and Pride Month. June marks the celebration of Immigrant Heritage and Pride Month. Join us in creating zines that explore and celebrate your unique identity and history. In this workshop, participants will be able to learn how to use the Picture Collection to do visual research. Registration required. 2:00 PM, Mid-Manhattan Library at 42nd Street.
6/15: NYC Trans Oral History Project Presents Trans Lives in Sex Work How Trans People of Color Survive and Struggle in Sex Work TY Williams, Kiara St. James (NYTAG), and Ceyenne Doroshow (GLITS) Join us for Trans Lives and Sex Work: How Trans People of Color Survive and Struggle in Sex Work, stories from the NYC Trans Oral History Project. The NYC Trans Oral History Project has gathered and posted over 90 oral history recordings with trans New Yorkers. Many of these stories include accounts of trans people using sex work to economically survive, and the difficulties they faced of violence, criminalization, police harassment, and stigma. Join us for an evening hearing the stories of trans sex work activists. They’ll discuss how and why trans people do sex work, the experiences they have, and the changing landscape faced by trans sex workers. 6:00 PM, Jefferson Market Library.
6/16: Movie of the Month: Check It This film festival favorite follows a group of African-American gay and transgender youth in one of Wasthington D.C's most violent neighborhoods. After being subjected to constant torment and assault, the group formed their own gang for camaraderie and protection. Official selection at the Tribeca Film Festival, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, and the San Francisco International Film Festival. 1:00 PM, Huguenot Park Library.
6/18: Movie Monday: Coming Out: A 50 Year History (2017) Monday, June 18, 3:00 PM Not Rated , 57 Min Transgender teen, Jazz Jennings, narrates this one hour documentary exploring the history of public gay identity in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) community from the 1950s through today. **Subtitles will be put on to accommodate all movie-goers. No Registration. 3:00 PM, 67th Street Library.
6/20: Has the Gay Movement Failed? Martin Duberman with Jason Baumann Despite fifty years of LGBTQ progress, activists' more radical goals may have fallen by the wayside. In the years since Stonewall, there has been a gradual shift in both cultural attitudes and U.S. government policy. According to Martin Duberman, this shift has been more broad and conservative than deep and transformative. A renowned historian and activist of the American left and LGBTQ movements, Duberman recounts the progressive vision for society as a whole and critiques the left's failure to embrace the queer potential for social transformation. Not without hope, Duberman's history lesson can shine a light towards a truly inclusive and expansive society. 6:30 PM, Mid-Manhattan Library at 42nd Street, Program Room.
6/25: Movie Monday: The Birdcage (1996) A gay cabaret owner and his drag queen companion agree to put up a false straight front so that their son can introduce them to his fiancée's right-wing moralistic parents. 3:00 PM, 67th Street Library.
6/25: Sofari So Goody with Jacqueline Jonée If you missed or want to see again the original sold-out presentation of Sofari So Goody join Jacqueline Jonée for an up-close-and-personal screening of her 2011 HD video presented on the stage of the Bruno Walter Auditorium. Joined by the JouJou Jacquettes Philharmonic Orchestra, Jacqueline Jonée has her hilarious ups and downs with her glamorous celebrity status and mid-life crisis as she navigates Gay Pride Celebrations in New York City. The screening will be followed by a live appearance by Ms. Jonée and a question-and-answer period. 6:00 PM, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, Bruno Walter Auditorium.
6/26: Documentary PRIDE Tuesday Let’s have a discussion! Join us for a Harlem based documentary, and a short Discussion. We're celebrating PRIDE week at Countee Cullen. Join us for a screening of Shape Up: Gay in the Black Barbershop After, a discussion with Film maker Derrick L. Middleton. Derrick L. Middleton, 2018, 28 min. Shape Up: Gay in the Black Barbershop is a documentary short set in Harlem, NYC. 6:00 PM, Countee Cullen Library, Auditorium.
6/27: Film Screening: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert Two drag performers and a transgender woman travel across the Australian desert to perform their unique style of cabaret. Starring Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce, Terence Stamp. 5:00 PM, Tompkins Square Library, Basement.
6/28: LGBTQ Pride Month - 16mm Film Screening: Some Of Your Best Friends Christopher Street Liberation Day, June 20, 1971 Please join us for a special 16mm film screening from the special collections of the NYPL for the Performing Arts. Screening starts promptly at 6pm. Some Of Your Best Friends (1971; 40mins.) Dir: Ken Robinson. Chronicles some of the first pride parades and gatherings of queer groups at the forefront of the movement post-Stonewall. Some of Your Best Friends starts with the Hollywood Gay Pride Parade of 1970 and ends with the Venice, CA Gay Liberation front in its protest and takeover of a meeting of psychologists at the Biltmore Hotel; there to see how to use aversion therapy to treat homosexuality. 6:00 PM, Tompkins Square Library, Basement.
7/5: The 1960s: LPA PRESENTS: Martin Worman and The Cockettes Grand Central Library is kicking off its partnership with the Library for the Performing Arts with a presentation on the life and career of Martin Worman. An actor, playwright, lyricist, director, female impersonator, activist, and academic—Martin Worman did it all. This presentation focuses on Woman’s work as a writer and performer with The Cockettes, an improvisational troupe instrumental in the gay liberation movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Incorporating rarely seen footage and exclusive materials from LPA’s collection, this presentation is a must for anyone interested in the performance art of the 1960s underground. This program is for adults. 6:30 PM, Grand Central.
Exhibition
Marsha P. Johnson hands out flyers for support of gay students at NYU, 1970. Photo by Diana Davies. Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library.
You Say You Want a Revolution: Remembering the 60sDiscover the counterculture of the 1960s and 70s in this comprehensive exhibition at the Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at 42nd Street. Part of a citywide celebration of the 1960s, this exhibition explores the breadth and significance of this pivotal era—from communal living and forays into expanded consciousness to tensions around race, politics, sexuality, and the environment. Items on display, drawn exclusively from the Library’s collections, include Timothy Leary’s notes on acid trips, footage of the Woodstock music festival, and posters used in protest against the Vietnam War.
More Resources
Barbara Gittings reading Society and the Healthy Homosexual by George Weinberg
June is Pride Month and the American Library Association's GLBT Book Month. To celebrate, NYPL staff members are bringing awareness to recently published books featuring LGBTQ+ characters by presenting daily book recommendations. Follow #RainbowReading on social media for daily reading recommendations, take a look at our Facebook album, and check this blog post each week for a round up of our staff picks! Also, be sure to check out our list of Pride Month events at NYPL.
June 1 - 7
White Rabbit by Caleb Roehrig
This book tells the story of Rufus who gets a frantic phone call from his half sister April the very night his ex-boyfriend shows up wanting to talk. When they arrive at the party they find April with a knife in her hand and her boyfriend stabbed to death. Fast-paced and action-packed, Roehig creates a story with LGBTQIA diverse characters that will keep you guessing until the end. If you enjoyed White Rabbit, you’ll also like Shine and One of Us is Lying. —Elizabeth Paldino, Young Adult Librarian at Van Cortlandt Library
Neither by Airlie Anderson In the orderly and conventional Land of This and That, populated by bunnies and ducks, someone new is born—Both! When the bunnies and ducks find that Both isn't built for bunny activities OR duck activities, they shun Both, saying, "You can't be both—you're Neither!" So Both strikes out on their own and stumbles into the colorful Land of All, where all are welcome. Hardly subtle, yet purposely unspecific, this sweet and joyful picture book makes room for people to be who they are, and lends hope to the idea of a diverse and inclusive society. For more like this, try Bunnybear andRed: A Crayon's Story. —Leah Labrecque, Children's Librarian at 58th Street Library
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado Built around queer women protagonists, these short stories explore much of the internal: emotional, sexual, and psychological life of its characters. Infused with myth and the supernatural, these tales could easily take place in a dystopian future, not so distant past, or inside your favorite television procedural. If you’re a fan ofSorry Please Thank Youor the personal essay, this book is for you. —Alexis Walker, Librarian at Epiphany Library
Satellite Falling by Steve Horton After Lilly’s girlfriend dies, she wants to start her life over again in a new place to help her forget. She leaves the Earth and moves to Satellite, even though she will be the only human there. While working for the police, she gets a dangerous assignment tracking down narcotics, and soon discovers that this crime is part of a much larger operation. She’ll have to rely on her alien allies to help her, but the closer she gets to them the more her memories of Eva start to resurface. Recommended for fans of Brian K. Vaughan’s Saga series, as well as readers who enjoy science fiction, awesome artwork, surprising plot twists, and empathetic characters who are all too human. —Andrea Lipinski, Young Adult Librarian at Kingsbridge Library
The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neill The characters of the Tea Dragon Society are kind, understanding, shy and accepting. The story is heartwarming. We follow Greta who is trying to keep the traditions of her family alive and has the good fortune to come upon a tea dragon. Greta finds her chosen family while helping keep tradition alive. This book is gentle and full of empathy. An excellent read for fans of Princess Princess Ever After. —Alison Williams, Library Manager at Parkchester Library
Spinning by Tillie Walden Tillie Walden’s graphic novel memoir follows her difficult childhood experiences as a competitive figure skater. Tillie’s spare and haunting illustrations capture the experiences of isolation and loneliness as she deals with homophobia and trauma. This book is both moving and thoughtful. Perfect for those who loved This One Summer. —Nina Maness, Adult Librarian at Parkchester Library
My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris A fictional graphic memoir narrated by 10 year old Karen Reyes. Karen's favorite things are monsters, and she uses a werewolf "mask" to hide insecurities about herself, including her romantic interest in other girls. She also uses her facade to help solve the mystery of her murdered upstairs neighbor, Anka, who was a Holocaust survivor. Karen discovers just how devastating of an impact history can have on the lives of everyone around her. Ferris's incredible pencil artwork makes this graphic novel exceptional. Recommended for fans of Boundless and Through the Woods. —Katrina Ortega, Young Adult Librarian at Hamilton Grange Library
June 8 - 14
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee Monty is a young man who refuses to lose—not his inheritance, not his freedom to court both men and women, and not the best friend Percy who stole his heart. When Monty and Percy embark on a Grand Tour of 1700s Europe, an impromptu moment of theft sends them running from a man who will not give up until he catches them. Not only must they survive, but Monty must save himself from a life stuck under his father's heel, and Percy from a secret that he has been keeping for his entire life. At times hilarious, at times heartbreaking, but constantly engaging, The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue dips into bisexuality, racial tensions, and disease all within the strict confines of Victorian Europe. A perfect read for fans of Gemma Doyle Trilogy, The Conqueror's Saga, and A Darker Shade of Magic. —Atticus Sutcliffe, Library Information Assistant at City Island Library
Jerôme By Heart by Thomas Scotto This story follows a little boy named Raphael, whose daily rhythm is steeped in his immense affection for his friend Jerome. The two boys share jokes and snacks and plan future adventures to the Himalayas. Even when Raphael’s constant talk of Jerome is driving his parents crazy, he remains steadfast: “Raphael loves Jerome. I can say it. It’s easy.” And the truth is, when he’s with Jerome, Raphael feels happy, liked, and understood―even special. A truly special story about the power of the love - and a reminder that our parents don't always know what's best for us! —Rachael Wettenstein, Children's Librarian at Grand Concourse Library
The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein Fifteen year old Lady Julia comes home to help her family close out her grandfather’s ancestral home. She learns the rich history of the tinkers or traveling folks, one of the first lending libraries in Scotland and freshwater pearls. Some which belonged to Mary Queen of Scots. This book is character driven and deals with prejudice and love triangles. An excellent read for lovers of Code Name Verity. —Alison Williams, Library Manager at Parkchester Library
When They Call You a Terrorist by Patrisse Khan-Cullors As co-founders of the Black Lives Matter movement, Patrisse Khan-Cullors’ memoir is both personal and a powerful statement on the current state of systemic racism in America. Detailing the arrests and violence faced by her own family and friends, Patrisse shows the central role queer and trans people of color play in the fight against the criminalization of black people in America. This book is candid and compelling. Recommended for readers of The New Jim Crow and Between the World and Me. —Nina Maness, Adult Librarian at Parkchester Library
Julian Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love After seeing several women dressed up in elegant fish-tail dresses on the subway, Julian realizes that he too is destined to become a fabulous mermaid. Initially, he worries what his Abuela will think of his DIY costume (and the mess he’s made in the apartment!), but instead of scolding she leads him right to the center of NYC’s Mermaid Parade, where they proudly walk together. Perfect for read aloud, Julian is a Mermaid keeps the text to a minimum and instead allows visuals to guide the reader through the story. Stunning watercolor illustrations use a myriad of vivid colors and ornate patterns to depict all manner of undersea creatures, as well as express the nuances of Julian’s emotions. This book is a beautiful depiction of a summer’s day adventure in New York City, but at its core conveys the message support and acceptance, regardless of gender norms. —Allie Affinito, Library Information Assistant at Chatham Square Library
A Place Called No Homeland Kai Cheng Thom In her phenomenal poetry debut, Kai Cheng Thom writes with ferocity and tenderness about gender identity, race, violence, love, and survival. An incredible must-read poetry collection for fans of Chen Chen, Natalie Diaz, and Tommy Pico. —Crystal Chen, Young Adult Librarian at Woodstock Library
An Excess Male by Maggie Shen King Set in China in the near-future, this dystopian novel grapples with the effects of the One Child Policy where the favoring of male children has led to 40 million men unable to find wives. Women now marry up to 3 husbands, but relationships are closely monitored by an authoritarian regime. The characters must find a way to fight back against a regime that controls their ability to love and raise a family as their true selves. This book is compelling with courageous characters. Recommended for fans of The Handmaid’s Tale. —Nina Maness, Adult Librarian at Parkchester Library
Happy LGBTQ+ Pride Month to all who are fighting against the evils of bigotry, homophobia, and discrimination!
Comic books and graphic novels have always been a medium open to LGBTQ+ representation, but the establishment of the Comics Code Authority in 1954 forced creators and publishers to adhere to a strict set of rules and guidelines that promoted a heteronormative agenda and forbade anything that would challenge that. This meant that early LGBTQ+ comics were produced by underground publishers and creators, up until the gradual decline of the Comics Code Authority in the late 1980s.
Mainstream comic book publishers, such as DC Comics and Marvel, started including explicitly LGBTQ+ characters and themes starting in the early 1990s. In 1992, Alpha Flight’s Northstar was the first openly gay mainstream character created by Marvel Comics. He later married his longtime boyfriend in 2012. In 1998, WildStorm, an imprint of DC Comics, produced the gay vigilante superhero, Midnighter, who later married fellow superhero, Apollo, in 2002.
In 2006, DC Comics announced that their latest incarnation of Batwoman, aka Kate Kane, was a lesbian who would receive her own title run. In 2015, one of the original X-Men, Iceman, aka Bobby Drake, officially came out as gay, and became the first openly gay male character to receive his own title run in 2017. In 2017, America Chavez became Marvel Comics’ first queer, Latina superhero to receive her own series.
Overall, LGBTQ+ representation in comic books and graphic novels has seen a definite rise in recent years, and has shown a progression towards more inclusive and diverse storylines. It is not difficult to make the connection between superheroes and people on the LGBTQ+ spectrum; we all have our villains to conquer and demons to slay, so if you need any inspiration to help power you up for your next big battle, here are a few LGBTQ+ superhero recommendations, brought to you by our own superteam of librarians! (Note: Book summaries are reprinted from the publishers.)
Recommended by Caitlyn Colman-McGaw and Katrina Ortega
At last! Everyone's favorite no-nonsense powerhouse, America Chavez, gets her own series! Critically acclaimed young-adult novelist Gabby Rivera and all-star artist Joe Quinones unite to shine a solo spotlight on America's high-octane and hard-hitting adventures!
She was a Young Avenger. She leads the Ultimates. And now she officially claims her place as the preeminent butt-kicker of the entire Marvel Universe! But what's a super-powered teenager to do when she's looking for a little personal fulfillment? She goes to college!
America just has to stop an interdimensional monster or two first and shut down a pesky alien cult that's begun worshipping her exploits before work can begin. Then she can get on with her first assignment: a field trip to the front lines of World War II—with Captain America as her wingman!
Batwoman battles a madwoman known only as Alice, inspired by Alice in Wonderland, who sees her life as a fairy tale and everyone around her as expendable extras!
Batwoman must stop Alice from unleashing a toxic death cloud over all of Gotham City—but Alice has more up her sleeve than just poison, and Batwoman’s life will never ever be the same again.
As a part of the acclaimed DC Comics—The New 52 event of September 2011, Batwoman's new series finally begins! The creative team of J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman launch the ongoing Batwoman series, as Batwoman (aka Kate Kane) faces deadly new challenges in her war against Gotham City's underworld–and new trials in her personal life. Who or what is stealing children from the barrio, and for what vile purpose?
Will Kate train her cousin, Bette Kane (aka Flamebird), as her new sidekick? How will she handle unsettling revelations about her father, Colonel Jacob Kane? And why is a certain government agency suddenly taking an interest in her? These are some of the questions that will be answered in this long-awaited series!
Once they were heroes, but the age of heroes has long since passed. Banished from existence by a multiversal crisis, the old champions of Spiral City—Abraham Slam, Golden Gail, Colonel Weird, Madame Dragonfly, and Barbalien—now lead simple lives in an idyllic, timeless farming village from which there is no escape! But as they employ all of their super abilities to free themselves from this strange purgatory, a mysterious stranger works to bring them back into action for one last adventure!
The world building of Wakanda continues in a love story where tenderness is matched only by brutality!
You know them now as the Midnight Angels, but in this story they are just Ayo and Aneka, young women recruited to become Dora Milaje, an elite task force trained to protect the crown of Wakanda at all costs. Their first assignment will be to protect Queen Shuri... but what happens when your nation needs your hearts and minds, but you already gave them to each other?
Meanwhile, former king T'Challa lies with bedfellows so dark, disgrace is inevitable. Plus, explore the true origins of the People's mysterious leader, Zenzi. Black Panther thinks he knows who Zenzi is and how she got her powers—but he only knows part of the story!
Winner of the 2018 GLAAD Media Awards for Outstanding Comic Book!
Gotham City: a town teeming with corrupt cops, ruthless crime lords, petty thieves… and just a small handful that would oppose them. Grizzled veteran Harvey Bullock, Captain Maggie Sawyer, detective Renee Montoya and the GCPD are the law force that stands between order and complete anarchy.
Gotham's Finest work around the clock to not only keep the world's most psychotic criminals off the street... but also cleaning up the mess left behind by Batman's one-man war on crime.
Bobby Drake has been in the super hero game longer than most—but what has he left behind besides a few good one-liners and a string of failed relationships? And now a younger version of himself has emerged from the timestream—and he's more put together than Bobby ever was. He grapples with his gay identity and his family and how to build a life and legacy he can be proud of... and become the best Iceman he can be!
But, whether it's seeking his ex-girlfriend Kitty Pryde's advice on meeting guys, or delivering his latest news to his folks, it won't be easy—and that's before a gang of revenge-seeking Purifiers comes calling! And, still learning to be comfortable in his own skin, Bobby will meet someone who's perhaps too comfortable in his—the son of Wolverine himself, Daken!
A theft at the God Garden has unleashed a wave of dangerous biotech weapons on the world, and Midnighter intends to put that genie back in the bottle by any means necessary. But something else was stolen from the Garden as well... the secret history of Lucas Trent, the man Midnighter once was!
Patsy Walker has managed to escape her past, her enemies and Hell itself (literally)—but nothing compares to job hunting in New York City! Between trying to make rent and dodging bullets, Patsy barely has time to deal with her mother's exploitative romance comics about Patsy's past resurfacing, much less how they start to interfere with her work and dating life.
As she goes from living a double life to a triple, what the hell is Patsy Walker supposed to do?
There'll be friendship and burgers, monsters and rent checks and a ghost from the past with questionable motives! Comics' most flexible heroine has been a provisional Avenger, a Defender, Satan's daughter-in-law and a dead woman—but she's never been anything like this!
They were six normal teenagers linked only by their wealthy parents' annual business meeting... until a chance discovery revealed the shocking truth: their parents are the secret criminal society known as the Pride.
For years, the Pride controlled all criminal activity in Los Angeles, ruling the city with an iron fist... and now, with their true natures exposed, the Pride will take any measures necessary to protect their organization—even if it means taking out their own children. Now on the run from their villainous parents, Nico, Chase, Karolina, Gertrude, Molly and Alex have only each other to rely on.
They're an elite group of teenage girls with magical powers who have sworn to protect our planet against dark creatures, as long as they can get out of class!
Known as the Zodiac Starforce, these high-school girls aren't just combating math tests. They're also battling monsters—not your typical afterschool activity! But when an evil force from another dimension infects team leader Emma, she must work with her team of magically powered friends to save herself—and the world—from the evil Diana and her mean-girl minions!
Danny Tozer has a problem: she just inherited the powers of Dreadnought, the world’s greatest superhero. Until Dreadnought fell out of the sky and died right in front of her, Danny was trying to keep people from finding out she’s transgender. But before he expired, Dreadnought passed his mantle to her, and those secondhand superpowers transformed Danny’s body into what she’s always thought it should be. Now there’s no hiding that she’s a girl.
It should be the happiest time of her life, but Danny’s first weeks finally living in a body that fits her are more difficult and complicated than she could have imagined. Between her father’s dangerous obsession with "curing" her girlhood, her best friend suddenly acting like he’s entitled to date her, and her fellow superheroes arguing over her place in their ranks, Danny feels like she’s in over her head.
She doesn’t have time to adjust. Dreadnought’s murderer―a cyborg named Utopia―still haunts the streets of New Port City, threatening destruction. If Danny can’t sort through the confusion of coming out, master her powers, and stop Utopia in time, humanity faces extinction.
Celebrating Pride? Mama needs her show tunes! Enjoy this playlist of songs from LGBTQ-themed musicals, curated by the programming staff at The Library for the Performing Arts.
Falsettos
Music by William Finn. Book by James Lapine and William Finn.
Two 1 Act Musicals (March of the Falsettos/Falsettoland) staged as a two act musical about a gay, jewish man named Marvin, his ex wife Trina, their son Jason, Marvin’s on and off lover Whizzer, the family psychiatrist turned stepdad Mendel, and the lesbian couple Charlotte and Cordelia, who live next door in the second act. The first act, “March”, takes place in the late 1970s and deals with Marvin trying to maintain a family dynamic with his ex-wife and son, while having a separate homelife with his romantic partner. Tension also builds as the family psychiatrist becomes romantically involved with Trina. The second act, Falsettoland, takes place in the 1980s as the blended family prepares for the bar mitzvah of their son Jason, who can’t decide if he even wants to have it or not. When Whizzer is diagnosed with AIDS and sent to the hospital, everyone comes together to show what family really means.
The show is a sequel to the one act In Trousers, in which Marvin questions and ultimately comes to terms with his sexuality. Falsettos premiered on Broadway in 1992 and was revived in 2016. Both productions received critical acclaim, including Tony Award and Drama Desk nominations.
Check out this oral history with Falsettos writer William Finn.
The Color Purple
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Bray, Brenda Russell, and Allee Willis. Book by Marsha Norman.
Based on the 1982 book by Alice Walker, this 2005 musical was produced by Oprah Winfrey, who starred in Steven Spielberg's 1985 film version. The musical tells the story of a young black woman named Celie who faces many hardships, including spousal and parental abuse, losing her sister, and poverty. As an adult, Celie meets and falls in love with a singer named Shug and the two build a relationship of love and trust, while Celie raises herself from poverty and attempts to reunite with her long lost sister.
After the show ran for 3 years on Broadway and several national tours, it was revived in 2015 and received critical praise, especially for star Cynthia Erivo, and received several awards including the Tony for Best Musical Revival and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman, Book by Harvey Fierstein
Georges, owner of the drag night club La Cage aux Folles in St. Tropez, lives with his star drag performer and life partner of 20 years, Albin, above the nightclub. Georges son Jean-Michel has fallen for the daughter of a conservative politician, who wants to shut down all drag clubs. In order to impress his son’s fiance and her family, Georges and Albin pretend to be heterosexuals, until fate forces Albin to dress as Jean-Michel’s mother. Chaos ensues and in the end, love wins.
This musical, based on the french play by Jean Poiret, proudly showcases the ability of two loving people to raise a child and shows how to be proud of who you really are. The show opened in 1983 and closed in 1987. During the run, many members of the chorus were tragically lost in the AIDS epidemic. Both the original production and its two Broadway revivals have won their respective Best Musical and Best Revival at the Tony Awards.
Gene Barry and George Hearn in the stage production La Cage Aux Folles
Cabaret
Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb, Book by Joe Masteroff
Based on a novel by Christopher Isherwood and a play by John Van Druten, the famous msucial Cabaret is set during the Great Depression in Berlin, Germany. The musical numbers at the Kit Kat Club mirror points in the story as American author Cliff Bradshaw and British singer Sally Bowles form a friendship and romance as they make their living before the Nazi Party comes to power. Meanwhile friends go down dark paths, and an elderly couple face opposition to their union.
While Cliff’s bisexuality is made more apparent in the film version and the 1998 revival, the Emcee character is coded gay, made more obvious in the 1998 revival as his final scene shows him in a concentration camp uniform with a pink triangle (used to denote homosexuals).
The original production opened in 1966 and closed in 1969, having won 8 Tony Awards. And the 1972 film version, directed by Bob Fosse, won 8 Oscars and was nominated for Best Picture.
Fred Ebb, John Kander, and Jill Haworth rehearsing Cabaret
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Trask, Book by John Cameron Mitchell.
Originally premiered off Broadway in 1998, made its Broadway debut in 2014. Hedwig is a german, glam rock, post op trans rockstar who tells the story of how her surgery was botched, and how she came to know Tommy Gnosis, the rockstar who’s tour she has been following. The show is presented as a rock concert, where Hedwig presents her story in song and monologue. She deals with the problems caused by her failed sex change surgery, including her “Angry Inch” and how her philosophy on love has changed her life.
The show won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Revival, even though this was the first broadway based production, having only played off broadway a decade and a half earlier.
Music by Jeanine Tesori, Lyrics and Book by Lisa Kron.
Based on the graphic memoir by Alison Bechdel, this one act musical follows the life of Bechdel and her father, who runs a funeral home. The author character struggles with her own sexual identity, while examining and coming to terms with her father’s closeted life and eventual suicide. The audience sees Alison as a child, a college student, and a struggling adult comic book artist. The show opened at the Public Theater in 2013 before moving to Broadway in 2015. It won Best Musical at the 2015 Tony Awards, and was the first time that a female writing duo won for Best Music and Lyrics. “Ring of Keys” became an anthem for those seeking to understand their gender identity and “Changing My Major” is a coming out song for the ages. The show was also nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante.
Opening in 1975, this show was based on real conversations with dancers during a broadway audition. As the director decides their fate, the auditioners discuss their home life, their dreams, their sexual identities, and how they manage to maintain careers. But at the end of the day, only a select few manage to make it to the cast list for the show.
The show went on to make history for its portrayals of race, gender, and sex in the world of Broadway theater. It won nine Tony Awards (including Best Musical), the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and was formerly the Longest Running Production on Broadway at 6,137 performances when it closed in 1990 (now holding sixth place).
Choreographer Michael Bennett directs Donna McKechnie and others in rehearsal for the gala performance number 3,389 of the stage production A Chorus Line
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb, Book by Terrence McNally
Two prisoners in an Argentinian prison, one a window dresser and the other a revolutionary, are forced to share a cell. Despite their differences, they grow a bond that becomes intimate while trying to survive the tortures of the prison. Luis, the window dresser, uses fantasies of the movies he saw as a kid to help him cope, while also acting as a spy for the government to ensure an early freedom.
Based on the novel by Manuel Puig, the show initially opened in London in 1992 before moving to Broadway in 1993. It won 7 Tony Awards, including for stars Chita Rivera, Brent Carver, and Anthony Crivello.
Chita Rivera in the stage production Kiss of the Spider Woman
"Stonewall Inn" by Diana Davies, NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: 1582272
For almost half a century the word "Stonewall" has taken on a special meaning in American history. To most, Stonewall symbolizes the event that kick-started the LGBTQ rights movement, encouraged by and joining the other progressive movements of the late 1960s, including the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Power Movement, and the Women's Rights Movement. But prior to June 28, 1969, The Stonewall Inn—the setting for the now iconic police altercation—was a gay bar on Christopher Street with two dance floors and a large bar with, "overpriced, watered-down drinks."
Like many New York City gay establishments in the 1950s and 1960s, The Stonewall Inn was operated by the mafia, therefore, it was subjected to numerous police raids. Despite the frequent raids, The Stonewall Inn served as a relatively safe place for the the gay community to gather, considering the state laws at the time, which outlawed any form of outwardly homosexual affection as well as "demanded that a minimum of three pieces of gender appropriate clothing be worn at all time." The fact that the mafia paid off the police prior to raids and the privacy of the club, including blacked-out windows, made this a popular nightspot.
However, on that night of June 28, 1969, it was not the local police but the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, which raided The Stonewall for allowing bootlegged liquor. The events that led to the altercation from there differ depending on the witness, but as the raid continued the crowd outside of Stonewall grew and a physical confrontation occurred between the crowd and the federal agency. The momentum from the confrontation continued to build during the following days and it was this event that led to the creation of the Gay Liberation Front and the push for mobilization and LGBTQ activism that has never ceased.
Many scholars in this area make the important point, that although Stonewall was a pivotal point in LGBTQ history, there were significant LGBTQ movements leading up to this event, as well as afterwards. If you are interested in researching LGBTQ history, the New York Public Library provides excellent electronic resources to expand your knowledge.
ARCHIVES OF SEXUALITY AND GENDER
From the Archives of Sexuality and Gender, The Sexual Politics in Britain Collection
The Archives of Sexuality and Genderdatabase contains exceptional historical records of LGBTQ political and social organizations, including publications from over 35 countries. What makes this database a real standout is the 51 digitized archival collections, for example, the International Vertical Files from the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives, the ACT UP: The AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power collection, the LGBTQ Newspapers and Periodicals Collection from the Lesbian Herstory Archives, and The Mattachine Society of New York Records, 1951-1976. The collections in this digital archive are gathered from the most important LGBTQ archives from major research institutions such as, The New York Public Library , the GLBT Historical Society, Lesbian Herstory Educational Foundation, Inc, Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives, and the National Library of Medicine.
LGBT LIFE WITH FULL TEXT
Classics in Lesbian Studies available in LGBT Life with Full Text
Take some time to explore the stellar collection of over 140 full text journals, magazines and regional newspapers, including The Advocate and Lesbian Tide. This database also holds over 160 full text books, as well as reference materials and monographs. In addition to full text materials, there are over 600 indexed items, as well as an LGBT thesaurus.
INDEPENDENT VOICES
Come Out available in Independent Voices
The Independent Voices database is a collection of alternative press newspapers, magazines and journals from 1951-2016. Each issue is beautifully digitized and full text searchable. Just some of the titles include, the Philadelphia Gay News, Lavender Woman, Tangents and The Furies.
ACLU American Civil Liberties Union Papers 1912-1995
According to the ACLU, they took on their first LGBTQ case in 1936. For an in-depth look at the legal history of LGBTQ rights, the American Civil Liberties Union database provides excellent insight on a number of cases.
PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS
New York Times, June 30, 1969, ProQuest Historical Newspapers
Viewing the history of the LGBTQ rights movement through the lens of the mainstream media is a significant research tool, and the New York Public Library provides access to hundreds of digitized, full text newspapers from all over the world, including ProQuest Historical Newspapers, which includes newspapers from all of the major U.S. cities.
ALTERNATIVE PRESS INDEX AND ARCHIVE
The Alternative Press Index and The Alternative Press Archiveare indexes that contain over 400,000 records of radical, alternative and left periodicals, including magazine articles, journals, and newspapers from 1969 to the present day.
OTHER RESOURCES TO EXPLORE
NYC Trans Oral History Project
The New York Public Library has collaborated with the NYC Trans Oral History Project,"to collect, preserve, and share oral histories from our city's transgender and gender non-conforming communities." Listen to these powerful stories that discuss everything from race to dis/ability to housing migration. Listen to the story of Jay Toole, as she describes her experience of queer homelessness and choosing her own queer family.
Making Gay History Podcast
This podcast highlights important voices from all points of LGBTQ history. Through in-depth interviews you can hear the stories from LGBTQ champions, such as Dick Leitsch, Paulette Goodman, and Morris Foote. The New York Public Library is proud to hold many of the archival papers from a number of the guests, for example Eric Marcus, who documented the LGBTQ Movement through his writings, public talks, and TV productions.
Dick Leitsch Archives
Dick Leitsch, former president of the Mattachine Society, journalist, activist and artist, donated his personal papers to the New York Public Library archives. Read the New Yorker article on Leitsch and NYPL, and explore the Mattachine Society of New York archives, available at the New York Public Library.
To further your research on this or any other topic, you can explore our LGBTQ collections here. Also, check out the over 500 online research options available to New York Public Library patrons, many accessible from home with a library card!
SOURCES
Bronski, Michael. Guide , Jun 2009, Vol. 29 Issue 6, p16-19, 4p, 2 Black and White Photographs, LGBT Life with Full Text. Accessed 22 Jun 2018.
Light, Caroline E., and Light. "Stonewall Riots." Encyclopedia of Contemporary LGBTQ Literature of the United States, edited by Emmanuel S. Nelson, Greenwood, 1st edition, 2009. Credo Reference. Accessed 21 Jun. 2018.
"POLICE AGAIN ROUT 'VILLAGE' YOUTHS." New York Times (1923-Current file), Jun 30 1969, p. 22. ProQuest. 25 June 2018 .
The Public Programs team at the Library for the Performing Arts celebrates LBGTQ composers, both contemporary and historic. Enjoy this playlist of masterworks:
Thomas Ades
Acclaimed composer, conductor, and concert pianist, Thomas Ades has written three operas, Powder Her Face, The Tempest, and The Exterminating Angel. He collaborated on two works, Polaris and In Seven Days, with Israeli video artist and former partner Tal Rosner. Ades taught composition at the Royal Academy of Music and is a current member of the Board of Directors for the European Academy of Musical Theatre. He is artist in residence this summer with the Boston Symphony at Tanglewood.
Suggested music from our playlist: “Polaris” Voyage for Orchestra and “Hell is Empty” from The Tempest
Samuel Barber and Gian Carlo Menotti were both acclaimed classical composers and life partners. Gian Carlo Menotti is well known for the 29 operas he wrote, including the popular Amahl and the Night Visitors. Samuel Barber was known for his orchestral works, including Adagio for Strings. Barber wrote three operas, which Menotti provided two original and one revised libretto for. The two bought a house in 1943 and lived together for over 40 years.
Suggested music from our playlist: Summer Music by Samuel Barber and "Adagio from Violin Concerto" by Gian Carlo Menotti
English composer of opera, chamber music, song, and symphonic music, Benjamin Britten enjoyed a life-long romantic partnership with tenor Peter Pears. His works were often commissioned by the BBC and from the British government, such as his opera Gloriana, written for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. He collaborated closely with the gay poet W. H. Auden. In his later years, he founded the Aldeburgh Festival of Music and the Arts, which still runs today. Britten became the first composer to receive a life peerage, becoming Baron Britten of Aldeburgh. The home he shared with Pears has now become a museum of their lives.
Suggested music from our playlist: "Sonnetto XXX" from Seven Sonnets Of Michelangelo and "Four Sea Interludes: Moonlight" from Peter Grimes
Composer, conductor, pianist, and former Music Director of the New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein is beloved as the composer of West Side Story, On the Town, and Candide. He was the first conductor to present a weekly concert series for television. He championed the Israeli Philharmonic, and he was the first American-born Music Director of the Vienna Philharmonic. He was married to Felicia Cohn Montealegre, with whom he had three children, but his wife and friends were all aware of his homosexuality. He left his wife briefly in 1976 to live with Tom Cothran, a director of a classical music radio station in San Francisco. He beautifully set Walt Whitman's poignant, unfinished poem, which pleads for understanding "To What You Said . . .", and his opera A Quiet Place focus, in part, focuses on a family dealing with a troubled, gay son.
Leonard Bernstein in rehearsal for unidentified productionImage via NYPL Digital Collections; ID 57362845
Suggested music from our playlist: “Somewhere” from West Side Story and “To What You Said” from Songfest (text by Walt Whitman)
Check out photos of the original cast of West Side Story from the NYPL archives.
20th Century American Avant Garde composer, perhaps best known for 4’33”, John Cage collaborated with choreographer and romantic life partner Merce Cunningham throughout his life and career. Most of his works involved departure from tonality and use of prepared instruments and unusual items such as plants and furniture. Cage also created visual art, wrote as a philosopher and music theorist, and developing aleatoric (chance driven) methods for compositions. He spent free time as a mycologist, expert on funguses and mushrooms.
Suggested music: from our playlist: "Credo in Us" and "In a Landscape"
Walter Carlos began transitioning in 1968. Wendy Carlos is now best known as a composer and arranger of music for synthesizer, who found commercial success with the Switched on Bach albums. She also composed/arranged music for Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange and The Shining, and composed the score for Disney’s TRON.
Suggested music from our playlist: Prelude and Fugue in A Major (Bach) and "Theme to TRON"
American composer, best known for works Rodeo, El Salon Mexico, Fanfare for the Common Man, Aaron Copland is considered the dean of American mid-twentieth century composers. He worked in every contemporary medium, writing music for film, theater, dance, radio, and television. Copland was the dean of "American Music," mentoring an entire generation of American composers, including many who would become the first generation of "out" composers in America.
Aaron CoplandImage via NYPL Digital Collections; ID ps_mus_374
Suggested music from our playlist: "Quiet City"and "El Salon Mexico"
John Corigliano wrote his First Symphony to honor the friends he lost to the AIDS epidemic. Well known for his film scores for Altered States and The Red Violin, he is also one a very few contemporary composers to have their works performed at the Metropolitan Opera. The Ghosts of Versailles premiered there in 1991. Corigliano has composed works with the texts of Bob Dylan and Dylan Thomas. His One Sweet Morning was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic for the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. His students include NicoMuhly, Eric Whitacre, and Mason Bates.
Suggested music from our playlist: "Snapshot - Circa 1909" and “Tarantella” from Symphony No. 1
David del Tredici won the Pulitzer Prize in 1980 for "In Memory of a Summer Day." Best known for adaptations of the texts of Alice in Wonderland series by Lewis Carroll, del Tredici Has written several “Gay Works” incorporating the work of famous authors Allen Ginsberg, Walt Whitman, and Rumi. His piece "Bullycide" was composed as a reaction to the bullying provoked suicides of Tyler Clementi, Billy Lucas, Asher Brown, Zack Harrington, and Seth Walsh.
Suggested music from our playlist: “Matthew Shepard” from 3 Baritone Songs and "Mandango: II. LGBT"
American avant garde composer, performer, filmmaker, and director, Meredith Monk is well known for her vocal works and dance works, which often combine singing and unusual vocalizations with physical movement. She is also a prolific filmmaker, and some of her music has appeared the films of Jean Luc Godard. She was the subject of a documentary by director Peter Greenaway. Her life partner was Dutch choreographer Mieke van Hoek, who died in 2002. Meredith Monk’s most recent work is Cellular Songs, which made its world premiere at BAM in March 2018.
Meredith Monk in a scene from Off-Bradway play Specimen DaysImage via NYPL Digital Collections; ID swope_626518
Suggested music from our playlist: "Ellis Island" and "Panda Chant li"
Born 1981, Nico Muhly studied music composition with John Corigliano and Christopher Rouse at Juilliard. He works as arranger and orchestrator for both classical and pop musicians, including Bjork, Philip Glass, Grizzly Bears, and Usher. A member of Icelandic record label Bedroom Community, his opera Two Boys was commissioned by the English National Opera and the Metropolitan Opera.
Suggested music from our playlist: "The Egg" and "Seeing is Believing"
American electronic music composer, accordionist, and teacher, Pauline Oliveros pioneered composition and performance techniques using magnetic audio tape mixed with oscillators. She founded the San Francisco Tape Center with composer Morton Subotnick. Her Deep Listening Institute preserves her work and promotes her philosophy. The organization was founded after an album she recorded in a subterranean cavern led her to seek healing properties in the music.
Suggested music from our playlist: "Bye, Bye Butterfly" and "Suiren"
Tchaikovsky is a late Romantic Russian Composer, best known for his 6 symphonies, assorted ballets, and operas. Historians and biographers more often than not agree that Tchaikovsky was gay, desiring the company of men over women, and having had several failed heterosexual relationships and a marriage. His many letters reveal his struggles and romantic desires.
Pytor Illyich TchaikovskyImage via NYPL Digital Collections; ID 5111244
Suggested music from our playlist: "Fantasy Overture" from Romeo and Juliet and "Elegie" from Serenade for String Orchestra
We are pleased to announce that Emily Bass has been selected as The New York Public Library’s Martin Duberman Visiting Scholar for 2018–2019. Emily Bass has spent more than twenty years writing about and working on HIV/AIDS in America and East and Southern Africa. Her writing has appeared in Esquire, The Lancet, Ms., n+1, Out, POZ, Slice and many other publications, and has received notable mention in Best American Essays. For the past thirteen years, she has worked at AVAC, a New York-based advocacy group, where, as Director of Strategy and Content, she seeks to build powerful, transnational activist coalitions that use data to guide campaigns for accountability and change. A writer and social justice activist with a strong dedication to queer and women’s health agendas, she has served as an expert advisor to the World Health Organization and is a member of the What Would an HIV Doula Do Collective. The Plague War, her book on America's war on AIDS in Africa is forthcoming from Public Affairs Press in 2020. During her Fellowship, she will explore the history of America-based AIDS activists engagement with AIDS epidemics in Africa and the Caribbean, and with foreign aid as possible remedy.
The Martin Duberman Visiting Scholar program at The New York Public Library fosters excellence in LGBT studies by providing funds for scholars to do research in the Library’s preeminent LGBT historical collections. The Fellowship is open to both academic faculty and independent scholars who have made a significant contribution to the field. For more information, visit the fellowship page.
The Martin Duberman Visiting Scholars are funded by the generous support of Martin Duberman and Eli Zal.
