jdglibrary

[jdglibrary]

The Josephine Diamond Gilliford Library

Welcome to the blog for South Minneapolis’s own trans affirming Little Free Library, established in 2025. The library is curated to contain only literature by and for the transgender, two-spirit, gender nonconforming, and gender expansive communities. A Little Free Library is a free book-sharing box where anyone may take a book or share a book. They function on the honor system. Here’s a link to the library’s official LFL charter (link will be inserted when we can afford the $50 to make it “official” with the LFL organization).

Donations

The library will be up as soon as it is refinished, and when a post is either donated or purchased. This will be estimated to cost at least $130 for the post and $70 for the paint. You can donate funds to the library; dm for more info. Raised so far: $0/$200

Here’s a link to mail literature to the library, for if you are not able to deliver donations personally, or for a large donation that wouldn’t fit in the library all at once. The library’s internal dimensions are x for the top shelf and x for the bottom shelf; please keep this in mind.

Beyond the cost of establishing the library, we dream of eventually adding a second box that would specialize in kid-friendly books, and maybe, once day, establishing a second all-trans LFL in Josephine’s hometown.

About

Josephine Diamond Gilliford

July 24th 1996 - June 25th 2023

The JDG Library was founded in memory of our best friend and sister, Josephine. Josephine was a larger-than-life leo and a pulp literature enthusiast. We decided to honor her with an LFL because of how queer books brought her comfort and escape as she endured isolation due to chronic illnesses. Romance and fantasy were her favorite genres. She would have loved that others have found resources, representation, and joy through books, all thanks to her.

Josephine had a goofy, glittery 26 year reign on Earth. She was selfless to a fault. She loved Dolly Parton, steam engines, meteor showers, driving her car and just talking for hours, DND, nail polish, dogs, butterflies, Twilight. She had a Team Edward-themed bumper sticker long past the era in which it was fashionable. She had a huge heart. She was chaotically funny. Glamorous. Gentle. Motherly. Colorful. Loyal. Wise beyond her years.

Josephine was a flamboyantly queer trans woman; gaying up small towns in Western Missouri and Kansas City all her life. She was the first among us to come out. We grew up in a time and region that was not accepting to us, and all of us still turned out queer and trans. We hope that we honor Josephine’s bravery to be herself with this project, and that you carry a piece of her spirit with you.

May all our trans ancestors guide the way to an inclusive future 🕯️