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copper-dragon-in-disguise · 3 years

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I have something to say.

And some people might not like it but whatever. I was scrolling through Pinterest and found this.

Here's the article link if you want to read it.

It's true. They're right. We need a break.

For context: I'm a middle schooler in her early teens, American. Public school my entire life. LGBTQIA+; Anxiety; ADHD; Social Anxiety; and a very bad understanding of social cues sometimes. I'm 2e (Or 'Twice-Exceptional), meaning I'm academically gifted but also have what qualifies as a learning disorder (ADHD). I'm a nerd and don't fit society's definition of normal.

When I was in kindergarten I loved it. Patterns? Easy. Red, Blue, Red, Blue. Writing letters? Sure my handwriting sucked but I understood it. Making clay snowmen in Art class? Fun as hell. Library? The best thing ever. Teacher? She was incredible. Other kids? Yeah, I was social. Foreign concept to me now but I was friends with almost everyone.

But you know what I miss the most?

Naptime.

An hour or so after lunch where you could sit on the floor, with a blanket, and relax. I never actually slept but gods, I got scolded so many times for whispering with the person next to me. I didn't get stressed then. I loved school back then.

First grade? I had mixed feelings. Lot of issues from then.

Second? Enh. Okay- Ish.

Third? If I hadn't had the teacher I had I would not be as okay as I am now.

In 3rd me and my parents looked at a private school. All girls, the entry test thing was amazing. I went there for a visit and there were people skipping- SKIPPING!- because they were happy with their education. But it was an hour away from us and we needed financial assistance. If it had been one or the other I would have gone there in a heartbeat. I loved it.

Fourth? PSSAs are hell, my best friend is on the other side of the school district in a different elementary school because her parents divorced, and I'm stuck with her cousin that doesn't really like me (The feeling was mutual), so I spend the entire year alone because I only ever had two friends. I also had two 15 minitue recesses and that was barely enough to keep me sane but at the same time too much time that made my loneliness even more visible.

Fifth? Ten minutes of break the entire day. Lunch was 30 minutes. The wait in the lunch line was between 5-15 (ish) minutes. My family thinks I eat too fast. I don't. Not for that. I don't have many memories of that year. I repressed them because I was bullied horribly the entire year. It's the first and only time I've ever cried in school. That summer was the last time I cried. I haven't cried in two years. I've repressed the memories to the point that I don't know if it was actually me doing the bullying or if it was her. That's how messed up my brain is. My few memories say it was her bullying me but I don't know. I really don't.

Jean? And her cousin? I didn't really fit with them anymore, but I stayed with them because I had no one else. I should have left. Made friends with Scott or someone else who understood me slightly. yes, I had my parents, but I just never told them because they were already so stressed about other shit. I didn't tell any teachers; they didn't know until it ended in a shouting match in the very beginning of my (tail end of her's) math class. I think my ELA teacher knew though. Or suspected, at least. He never gave me points for reading in class. For a year (two) my only support system was books and I had no actual friends. I didn't have any actual friends until I moved and now I have one.

Sixth? The same (Minus part of the bullying, she wasn't in my classes, mostly), except a pandemic halfway through. I sat with people I barely knew who really didn't get me at all at lunch because I was terrified of being alone, of any potential for being seen as a target ever again. I still am.

Seventh? I moved. No Gifted Program. Middle of a Pandemic. Get back to me in a month, when it's over.

My point is that I grew up too fast. I lost my childhood. I have more of the symptoms of a emotional abuse survivor than I should. I'm not comparing myself to those people; I'm not saying what happened to me is anything like whatever happened to them.

I'm just saying that I went through what, to me, was hell and some of it could have been avoided if I had had the social-emotional learning skills to make a friend.

If school had taught me what it should have maybe I wouldn't be so broken now.

If school had given breaks and less homework maybe I wouldn't be so stressed now.

If I had a chance to breathe in those years maybe I would be different now.

I can't remember the last time I was properly relaxed. The closest I get is when I'm writing; when I'm crafting a story that's all my own.

I don't really know where I'm going with this post. I'm not even sure why I wrote it. But...

I just needed to tell someone and if they- if you ignore me I'll never know.

I don't know if I was the villian. I don't know if I was the victim. All I know is I am broken; touch starved; blaming myself for everything bad that ever happened to me; and I really, really want to cry but I can't.

Sorry its so long and doesn't really connect to the picture at all.

Thank you, if you're still here.

#nurodivergent #school is killing me #school is so overwhelming #ADHD #adhd #anxiety #Anxiety #social anxiety #Social Anxiety #messed up brain #idk anymore #idk if this makes sense #i don't know #i think #maybe #i should know what happened #but i don't #idk what this post is #idk how to tag this

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ride-or-die-otps · 3 years

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I get to plan an LGBTQIA+ teen program at my library. My boss and the teen librarians all said that they think its a great idea and are excited about it and being overall very supportive. It is so incredibly nice to work in a job that is as accepting as my library.

#lgbtq+#lgbt #personal #public libraries #i love libraries

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aroacepagans · 5 years

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The Aro Guide to Creating In-Person Community

Alright y’all, so only a month and a half after this post and I finally have some information to give you about one of the aro activism topics I suggested.

In-person groups are something that every community needs before it can do more on the ground activism, and creating in-person spaces is something I actually have some experience with so that’s where I’d like to start. This information is intended to be general, so you can apply it to creating a larger communal aro space, or to creating a smaller space for an aro subcommunity. Please also note that this is certainly not the *only* way to create an in-person space, every organization does things differently. This is just supposed to give basic and overarching information about how an in-person can be run, using the knowledge I’ve gained from working with several long-lasting LGBTQIA+ and religious groups.

Creating in-person community doesn’t have to take a lot of resources, but it can be hard to maintain. With this in mind, I would like to split this post into 4 parts: Creating a community, maintaining community, general advice, and the benefits of putting in the work. Let’s get started!

Creating a community:

In order to create in-person community you need five things:

1. Space - You will always need a place to meet but take a deep breath, this isn’t the challenge you think it is. Many people get stuck on this, thinking that they’ll need to spend a lot of money to rent a space, but public parks, coffee shops, and free library meeting rooms (which, just fyi usually need to be reserved ahead of time) are all perfectly fine places to start a group.

2. Leadership- If you start a new group then you and anyone else you may have started it with, will probably become that groups leadership by default. If you’re the one setting up all the meetings then that makes you the person in charge whether you like it or not and this steers a lot of people away from starting new organizations. And I get that, most of us grow up with very intimidating ideas of what a ‘leader’ looks like and as a result, feel that’s leadership is too much responsibility to take on. But if we want in-person aro groups someones gotta do it, so as someone who has been running my church youth group for 3 years now, I’m here to tell you that my job is 90% herding cats and 10% arts and crafts. That’s it. As long as you know how to make lists, use craft scissors, and keep a schedule you’re perfectly qualified to be the person in charge, don’t let the idea of leadership intimidate you out of trying to start an in-person aro group.

3. Time - Especially when you’re first starting out creating a new group can take a lot of time and energy. So make a schedule, take as long as you need to, and if possible, split the work with other people. Putting everything together as quickly and with as little effort as possible is not the way to build an effective community, so go slow if need be, there’s no shame in that.

4. An online presence - Every modern organization needs an online presence. This can mean anything from making a Facebook group to creating a whole new website, but whatever you do, you will need a centralized online space where people can consistently find information about your events. If you’re not someone with a lot of web design skills then I recommend using Facebook, or, if you have the money for it, Meetup (Note: Meetup does tend to bring more people to an event than Facebook does, but I know many people have tight budgets, so like don’t worry too much if you can’t afford it. I know a lot of groups that do all their event organizing on Facebook and still have great attendance).

5. An Activity- Especially when a community is new, activities are often needed to get people talking to each other. Facilitated group discussions are, IMO, the easiest way to do this, but anything that gets people to talk with each other can work.

Once you have all this the final step is to promote your group. And I mean actually promote it, don’t just make one post about it on your favorite social media site. Leave flyers in coffee shops, post about it on relevant Facebook groups, contact local queer groups and see if they’ll promote it, post about it on neighborhood blogs and bulletin boards. Don’t half-ass this part, aro’s are few and far between and you will need to be loud about your group's existence if you want people to find you.

Maintaining Community:

Creating a community is one thing, but maintaining it is another and this is, arguably, the more challenging part of the process. Lots of new organizations never make it past their first few months of existence, but that’s not what we want for the aro community. So here’s are the things that, in my opinion, are most necessary to keep a group going.

1. Persistence - There is a very good chance that the first few meet up’s you arrange will have low or no attendance. New groups are like that, and I know it’s discouraging, but don’t give up. Keep promoting and keep showing up, and then be prepared for no one else to be there. This may sound like an exercise in futility, but I promise it’s not. This summer my church youth group tried to set up a program for teen and young adult Pagans. It took four months for anyone outside of our youth groups to actually show up, but we kept meeting despite that, and now, eight months in, we have relatively high attendance. So bring a book, bring some other work that needs to get done, and if no one shows up do that instead. If you’re doing a good job of promoting your events someone will show up eventually.

2. Have Help- Burn out is real, and trying to run everything yourself is the fastest way to fail, so figure out who can help you run things. Ideally, of course, the people helping you will be other aro’s, but many of us don’t have any irl aro friends so figure out your other options. You’re out to your sister and she’s really good at social media promotion? See if she'll help you get the word out about events. Your friend just really fricking loves graphic design? See if they’ll help you with posters, web design, informational pages, or other similar design needs. As your community grows other aros may be able to take over these tasks, but you will need help from the getgo, so make sure you have at least one or two people to share the work with.

3. Have Community Guidelines- Humans! Are! Messy! And everyone has different ideas about what behaviors are and aren’t acceptable. A good way to prevent these differences from creating issues is to have a set of community guidelines. Put them up on your facebook/website/other social media so people can see them, or better yet, go over them at the beginning of each meeting, this will make sure that everyone knows your group's code of conduct. I suggest involving other community members in the creation of these guidelines so that everyone is happy with them.

4. Consistency- This isn’t necessary, but it is helpful. If you can make sure your group meets at the same time or in the same place every meeting it can help people fit your group into their schedule. That said, this isn’t always something that can be managed, so don’t be hard on yourself if it isn't possible. Consistency is an ideal, not a requirement.

5. Stay out of Drama- Drama can break up even the most stable communities, so while it’s sometimes unavoidable you should try to stay away from it (especially if you’re leadership). Play well with other queer organizations, and if possible, try to have community members that can act as mediators within the group. I’ve seen more communities then I can count break up because a few people couldn’t get along, don’t let the same thing happen to yours.

General Advice:

Make something you would want to go to

When first starting a group, make it something that you would be excited to participate in. What you want is likely to be what others want too, and if you’re doing something that you already love it will be a lot more bearable if other people don’t show up the first few times.

Look at other groups

If you’re still anxious about starting a group, take some time and go to some other small meet up groups first. See what they do, and if you’re comfortable, talk to the organizers about how they run things. It’s easier to get started when you can see that other people have done the same thing.

Money, money, money

Use free spaces, websites, and other materials as much as possible. Once an organization starts needing money just to exist funding will become the top priority no matter what other issues are going on. If you just love finances maybe this will work for you, but I think most of us get stressed out when money becomes an issue. Sometimes these things are unavoidable, but if you can organize your community without spending too much it will let you focus on other things.

The Benefits of Putting in the Work:

Running an organization, especially as a volunteer, can often feel like a thankless job, but try and remember how much good it does. Community building can help you understand others better, it allows people to create necessary social networks, and most importantly, people with in-person communities can organize larger political action. Not everyone has the time or energy to start an aromatic group in their area, and that’s perfectly understandable, as we’ve seen it can be a lot of work. But if you can start a group, and you want to start a group, then your organization can do a lot of good

Here are some more resources on organizing communities, clubs, and meetups, that, while not aro specific, might still give you some ideas. Hopefully some of them will be helpful for y’all!

(x) (x) (x)

#aromantic #aspec #arospec #aro #safeforaro #actually aromantic #this ace blabbers

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littlemxmisfit · 5 years

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Decade Wrap Up

So as I’m sitting here watching the Anderson Cooper New Year Countdown and got to thinking about all that has happened in this decade. So 10 years ago I was 12 going on 13 and had just discovered that I not only like boys but girls as well and unfortunately that confused my 12/13-year-old mind and started my years of isolation as during that time being in the LGBTQIA community was still somewhat frowned upon so I felt like I wasn’t normal. 2010 was also the year where my parents decided to homeschool me as the schools in my area weren’t all that great education-wise but because of that, I lost touch with all my friends, even my best friend that I had met in kindergarten so all of this combined kick-started a depression period. While I was supposed to be homeschooled my parents never really finished the process so I spent most of my teen years not in any kind of school(I’m really shocked I wasn’t taken away) but in 2013 there was an incident with CPS where my parents had to clean our house out, get rid of quite a few cats, and register me and my sisters for school. This is when I started my schooling online due to my social anxiety and started towards my high school graduation certificate. Not too long after I started up in school I decided that I wanted human interaction so I started volunteering at my local library and fell in love with both volunteering and my community, I also started coming out of my shell. Through all of this, I was still depressed and confused about my sexuality and gender(as I’ve never felt like a girl nor a boy). It wasn’t until I was 18(2016) where I finally accepted myself as a pansexual nonbinary person, this was also the year where I started paying attention to politics and world news and I finally got to go back to my home state and meet my family that I hadn’t seen in 17 years. In 2018 I graduated high school, got accepted to the college of my dreams and got my first job. Unfortunately, the college of my dreams shut down before I could even finish my first year but on the brighter side the college I’m currently in helped me find the art program I want to do so I’m currently getting a degree in Visual Development, something I’m extremely passionate about and excited to get. Then in 2019 I finally got the job I had been wanting for a while. working at the library I had been volunteering at for 2 years. While the first half of 2019 had been amazing the last half has been bad as I lost both of my grandmothers within 3 months of each other and depression and anxiety got worse. As I go into this new year and the new decade I want to focus on my mental health. I also want to start living my life and socializing more. So much has happened these past ten years and I can’t wait to see what the next 10 has in store.

Remember to not drink and drive and just be safe during all the celebrations!

#2020 #beginning of the decade

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kitsutoshi · 6 years

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Protecting Child Safety (and adult safety too)

I was recently given the opportunity to read an advance copy of “Doing Right by Our Kids: Protecting Child Safety at All Levels” (DRBOK) by Dr. Amy Tiemann and Irene vn der Zande. Cutting straight to the chase, this is a great book. I recommend it to everyone with an interest in self-defense, regardless of any connection you may have with children. This is gap-filling education for anyone. I found resources I’d never heard of, and several new ideas. Most of the book is equally applicable to personal safety and self-defense skills for everyone, not just for children. I’m often asked “I get that martial arts schools don’t teach what you describe as ‘self-defense,’ so what classes DO you recommend?” But serious women’s or children’s or LGBTQIA+ or even just general self-defense classes are hard to find. There are a few good programs out there (including Kidpower/Teenpower/Fullpower, which the authors of this book are associated with) but real personal safety classes are much rarer than martial arts schools. So self-study is the only way to go for a lot of people. This book is an outstanding supplement to martial arts training. Most martial arts frame what they teach as “try to have situational awareness and avoid violence...now that we’ve said that, let’s fight!” This book is the situational awareness. This book is the avoiding violence. This book is the 95% of personal protection and self-defense that can be used every single day in real life. (To my dear detailed readers, that is a made-up percentage, I think it’s probably a lot higher). The martial arts and self-defense literature is teeming with books, some excellent unmissables like “The Gift of Fear” (I’d rank this book right up there with it) and plenty of off-the-cuff ��this is what I think” books (books that are like this blog...opinion). But what sets DRBOK apart is the rigorous well-researched (and documented, check the bibliography!) approach by authors who are true experts. DRBOK identifies concrete problems, but not as a scare tactic. It calmly offers tools to solve (prevent) those problems. It’s a guide to setting personal “rules” that can be taught to children, used with caregivers, or just used to form personal internal boundaries and triggers. So often we get into situations without that pre-planning, our gut says “something is wrong” but without the skills to identify exactly what that “something” is, we dismiss it, we fail to deal with it because the potential embarrassment exceeds the pressure from our instincts. People seeking to take advantage understand all about using our embarrassment or sense of gratitude, about creating illusions of safety and trust. This book puts all of that into the light of clear text. The book describes many behaviors and situations that may trigger our gut instincts and explains why each type of trigger is a real safety concern. But it goes farther than that. It’s not the usual unhelpful “say no!” or “punch someone!” or “set boundaries!” solution, instead the authors give advice about how to have productive conversations to achieve the goal of safety. Realistic conversations. Non-accusatory conversations. But persistent conversations that keep risk-aversion in the spotlight. The authors articulate how to prioritize safety, they provide resources, give examples, and outline truly useful approaches to the problem. At the end of the book are checklists and outlines for approaching specific settings (family, school, camp) and audiences (teachers/leaders/babysitters/administrators/parents). This book can be used to have guided conversations with people responsible for the safety of your kids, and internal conversations with yourself. If you don’t know your risk-tolerance then you don’t know how to tell others what your lines are, or even know when a line has been crossed. Protecting yourself or someone else requires thinking about that risk tolerance, understanding how to evaluate risk, and deciding up front what crosses a line. This book is a toolbox to do all of that. I was taken with the many real-life examples. These authors have taught workshops for kids, teens, and adults for years. They lay out approaches that do actually work in real life, relating real uses of those words and techniques. The authors’ approach is relational. How do we interact with people to put safety into a priority position and work together to achieve that goal? How can an organization create workable rules to protect children while achieving the purposes of their activities? How can schools meet competing demands with low resources to create a safe environment for everyone? How can churches navigate the challenges of creating trust consistent with faith in a context of safety for all congregants?

Chapter 8, for example, outlines effective organizational approaches to setting rules for coaches/leaders/advisors/camp-counselors. Because actual abuse doesn’t happen where people can see it, but grooming behaviors happen all the time where they can be spotted, rules need to address those very-common grooming behaviors. (Gift-giving, “extra training,” personal messages, social media, etc.).

Without setting up those rules ahead of time, organizations often find themselves in positions where people sense that something isn’t right, but don’t want to seem “accusatory” about “little things” like an adult cultivating personal relationships with a child child/teen or giving them a gift here and there. If the rules are clear, then enforcing the boundary becomes a matter of “this rule applies to everyone and it’s important for the safety of the kids we’re responsible for” rather than “we think you’re being creepy” or worse “that can’t be a problem because we know him and he’s not a pedophile.” Setting those rules out clearly before the issue arises helps everyone understand the boundaries. From templates for organizational handbooks, to how to evaluate a self-defense program, to the proper content when training leaders, this book packs in a wealth of useful material. And they aren’t shy about recommending organizations doing good work. This isn’t marketing for Kidpower, even though both authors are very senior in that outstanding organization. They reference a number of groups whose work promotes child, teen, and adult safety and self-protection. You might find those resources in your area. If you know someone heading off to college, have kids, have friends with kids, work in any context with child, teen, or young-adult contact, or you just want to be more intentional about your own boundaries and self-protection, do check out this book. I’ll be sending copies to the libraries and Principals of my teen’s schools, gifting it to friends with kids, and asking my son to read it. I wish I’d had this book thirty years ago.

#martial arts #womens self defense #self protection #boundaries #child safety #child abuse

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itsmajel · 7 years

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Majel Reads - October 2017

[What is this?]

Supernatural - Destiel

Purgatory's Angel by Ltleflrt

In an act of heroism Castiel sacrifices one of his wings to save lives. But he isn’t sure he wants to live tethered to the ground, never to dance in the sky again. Two stubborn Winchester brothers have faith that his future isn’t quite so grim, and that flight may be possible someday. Castiel thinks they’re full of shit, but in the face of Dean’s cheerful optimism it’s hard not to believe.

[Explicit] [ 26,779 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Good One's Gonna Be by remmyme

Castiel Novak receives a rather alarming text message from an unknown number, and what started as a simple misdial quickly turns into the greatest friendship Castiel has ever known. But Dean has many secrets, dangerous truths about the life he lives, and would like to tell Castiel exactly none of them.

[Explicit] [ 37,130 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

somewhere I have never travelled by museaway

Driving home from work at his family's shop, Dean is hit by a man driving a Prius. Though Castiel is initially rude, he offers dinner as part of his apology, and Dean is drawn to him the more they talk. Since Castiel is raw from a divorce with a teenage daughter, Dean doesn’t expect the relationship to go anywhere and is surprised when Castiel quickly becomes a fixture in his life. But while Castiel seems eager to build a life with him, Dean is hung up on his past and family obligations.

[Mature] [ 53,375 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Andrew Lloyd Webber Gets a Pass by delicirony (deliciousirony), opal_bullets

In which Castiel's manner is vague and aloof, Dean Winchester doesn't care for a cuddle, and there's no doing anything about it.

Or, Dean and Castiel attempt to survive rehearsals for a new production of Cats, and each other.

[Explicit] [ 37,597 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

nothing else matters by xylodemon

"You say goodbye."

deancas codas: season thirteen

[Not Rated] [ 1,210 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

take that history by vaudelin

“How did you meet my father?” the kid asks him, over breakfast, while he’s pouring milk over Cheerios in tiny spoonfuls.

“In Hell,” Dean grits, like a warning. Let it be enough.

[General Audiences] [ 1,200 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

we are nowhere (and it's now) by xylodemon

Dean dreams about smoke billowing up toward a dark, starless sky. deancas codas: season thirteen

[Teen And Up Audiences] [ 3,248 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Captain America / Marvel CMU - Stucky

Not To Win But To Take Part by MarcellaBianca

Vignettes in the life of Olympic silver medalist, World Champion, and figure skating coach James Buchanan Barnes, from 1992 to 2018.

[Mature] [ 5,790 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Citius, Altius, Fortius (Faster, Higher, Stronger) by MarcellaBianca *re-read

Steve Rogers. James Barnes.

One, an NHL star with dreams of finally capturing an Olympic gold medal. The other, a former World champion and Olympic silver medalist, now a current coach and choreographer for the top flight figure skaters in the Russian Federation.

But before all of that..they were Steve and Bucky.

[Mature] [ 50,623 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

That Would Be Enough by MarcellaBianca

Bucky Barnes, a Columbia University graduate with a Masters Degree in Education, is in his fourth year of teaching AP US History at Shield Academy, a private school in the very heart of the Connecticut valley in the bucolic town of Barkstead. He also helps run the Russian Club with his colleague and best friend, Natasha Romanov. He’s got amazing friends, three nephews he adores, and a beautiful little apartment. The only thing Bucky would change about his life? His luck in love. It’s been two years since Bucky ended an emotionally abusive relationship and he’s just now starting to feel that his heart has healed enough to try dating again. Then, a new Art History and English teacher arrives with tattoos he doesn’t like talking about, a body like a Greek god, and some secrets of his own, and Bucky knows he’s done for. Cue pining, sass, and a ton of Hamilton references.

CW: Eating disorders, references to emotional and psychological abuse, and attempted dub-con sex.

[Explicit] [ 59,797 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Happy Accidents by BetteNoire (WeAreWolves)

Bucky's still in cryo. Steve is in New York, angry and unsettled. And then Trump takes a photo in front of a Captain America mural like Steve has ever supported anything he says or does. So Steve enlists Pepper to throw a costume gala for LGBTQIA causes, and to celebrate his coming out.

It's a terrible idea, especially when a bunch of people come dressed as Bucky.

But then Steve meets a tall dark stranger...

nb: the Trump content of this fic is essentially zero other than as an inciting incident in the first couple paras.

[Explicit] [ 29,777 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Alphabet Verse by thesardine

Summary verse: At a pivotal point in his recovery, Bucky is abducted and forced to act as the Winter Soldier for a SHIELD that is spiraling into the dark side. This won't stop him from pursuing his goal: in the year 2016, times finally being what they are, Bucky has a very important question he wants to ask Steve...

Summary first part: There wasn’t anything left to salvage. That’s what Fury believed. It would have been a kindness to put him down.

When SHIELD finally releases Bucky from custody, he is not the man anyone expects him to be. Steve struggles to reconcile the stranger with the man who was once his best friend, but with Hydra regrouping after the events at Triskelion, Steve is dragged back into battle when Bucky needs him the most. Meanwhile, Hydra is itching to have its prize weapon back under their control, and a devastating betrayal pits Bucky against a terrible piece of ex-SHIELD tech that threatens to destroy everything he's struggled to rebuild. In order to survive, he must decide who he is going to be: the vulnerable Bucky Barnes or the indomitable Winter Soldier? It turns out there might not be as big a difference as everyone seems to think.

[Teen And Up Audiences] [ 99,778 Words] [4 Works] [Read on AO3 here]

Reflex Memories by sariane

Bucky Barnes never remembers who he is.

That doesn’t stop him from falling in love with Steve Rogers.

[Mature] [ 34,174 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Talking Pictures by sariane

Steve and Bucky go to the movies (together)

[General Audiences] [ 823 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Blank Slate by sariane

When Steve looks up at him, his eyes are slow to focus on Bucky. Steve sends him a blank look.

“Who’s Steve?” he asks.

Bucky’s heart sinks.

[General Audiences] [ 4,991 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

your homecoming will be my homecoming by lupinely

This is what Bucky thinks he remembers. Writing a letter to Steve in the trenches, muddy footprints, impressions of army boots on the ground. So cold his fingers ache. He’s writing the letter but it doesn’t make sense. He’s writing the letter but he wants to go home. It’ll make sense then, he thinks—it’ll make sense when they both come home.

[Steve/Bucky, post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier]

[Mature] [ 18,972 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Lamb and Martyr by Dira Sudis (dsudis) *Re-Read

"You could, though," Steve said. "If you were willing to hurt me.

[Explicit] [ 39,589 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Ring the Bell Backward by Dira Sudis (dsudis), pium_poetam

"I know how it is," Wanda said. "Being half of something. I would go anywhere if I knew he was there waiting for me."

[Teen And Up Audiences ] [13,234 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Come To Morning by emilyenrose

He figured it was natural, kind of—well, not natural, but he and Steve spent a lot of time together, and Steve didn’t get so much attention from girls, which was a crying shame because he was a good guy and a girl could do a lot worse. But it meant maybe Steve got a bit confused, because sometimes he would look at Bucky with this look. This bright, astonished look, like he was seeing something so good he couldn’t quite believe it was real. It made Bucky squirm inside, a little.

[Teen And Up Audiences ] [ 4,707 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Winter Comfort by greenbergsays

Thing is, peace of mind has been hard to come by since his programming had been destroyed.

Hell, if he's being truthful, peace of mind has been hard to come by since the Stark Expo of '43. Maybe even before then.

But the crafts? They help. More than he ever could’ve imagined, they help.

Also known as the fic where Bucky Barnes uses arts & crafts as a recovery tool and ends up teaching himself how to knit. Much to Steve's surprise.

[Teen And Up Audiences ] [ 2,578 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

to feel for the first time by lord_is_it_mine

I love him, Bucky thinks. I'll burn for it one way or another, but I love him.

The thought blooms inside him, attaches itself to the base of his heart and tethers him to Steve's side. He tries to remember a time when he didn't feel like this. He can't. That's it. This feeling isn't new. But the admission to himself in the simplest of terms- that's new. And it hasn't hit him yet, just how difficult it's going to be, to love someone you can never have, because he has Steve for now, at least in every way he's allowed to have him.

He has to believe that it'll be enough.

((five firsts Bucky got and one he thought he'd never have))

[Teen And Up Audiences ] [ 5,980 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Schrödinger's Romance by The_StonedSoldier

"It could be a relationship, it could not be. You can assume either until you see for sure the results."

We all know those moments. Those moments when your family all gathers around you and asks "So, do you have a boyfriend yet?". Bucky knows these moments all too well and, quite frankly, he's sick to death of them. Unfortunately, being a 21 year old college student makes it harder for him to come up with excuses, and with Christmas coming up he needs to think of a way out fast. A chance encounter with a stranger through an old library textbook could just be the kind of miracle he needs to make it through the holidays with his last shreds of sanity intact.

[Mature] [ 196,220 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Aim Towards The Sky by littleblackfox

Steve gets to his feet, taking the two steps to the container. He lifts the latches and pops the seal. Luis unholsters his second favourite gun and points it at the crate with a nervous whine. “Steve, what the hell are you doing?” Natasha hisses. Steve glances at her. “Lets see what we’ve got.”

[Mature] [ 57,709 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Take Apart Your Bones and Put 'em Back Together by die_traumerei

It seems so simple: Bucky is captured by SHIELD and brought to a facility in upstate New York.

Of course, it isn't. No one knows who is going to wake up in that bed, and what that will eventually mean for Steve Rogers, SHIELD, the Avengers, or Bucky himself.

A story about a man putting himself back together despite what everyone expects of him. A story about Steve finding a measure of peace, a story about a broken-up institution. A story about three women who made a magical place where not just Bucky can heal.

A story featuring a load of OC's, BAMF Bucky Barnes, an older but not particularly wiser Steve Rogers, fallible Sam Wilson who is no less perfect for that, and, eventually, two nonagenarians gettin' it on in a world they pretty well transformed, between the two of them.

[Explicit] [ 63,467 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

Shadowhunters - Malec

Bits of canon Malec by lemonoclefox

A bunch of unrelated canon drabbles

[Mature ] [ 17,958 Words] [16 works] [Read on AO3 here]

So Bright by lemonoclefox

"You want me," Magnus says, "to pretend to be your boyfriend." He sounds wholly unimpressed, and Alec has a moment of panic when he hears it out loud. "Yes," he says. "Temporarily." "You want me to fake date you," Magnus says flatly. It's not even a question, but more a way of really driving the point home about how dumb the idea is. "Pretty much.". Magnus narrows his eyes. "You do realize that this never works out well in movies, right?" he says. "Ever." Alec feels a distinct sense of embarrassment creep up now. "Look, I―" "Ever."

Alec has come out, but that doesn't stop his parents from their continuous attempts to set him up with a nice shadowhunter girl. So, what better way to finally get them off his back, than to say he has a boyfriend? Problem solved. Except they now apparently want to meet this guy, who doesn't exist. Thankfully, Magnus Bane -- who encouraged Alec to come out in the first place, and whose silent crush on Alec is just as bad as Alec's crush on him -- is more than happy to help. Even if the night doesn't end up going entirely as planned.

[General Audiences] [ 17,504 Words] [Read on AO3 here]

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(All summaries are the official summaries of the author. Stats and infos as according to hosting site or information given by the author)

Looking for more reading inspiration? Check out my fic rec tag here on tumblr, my reading list masterpost or just check out my AO3 bookmarks.

#fic rec #majel reads #reading list #october #2017 #supernatural #destiel #Marvel CMU #captain america #stucky #shadowhunters #malec

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postvibesofficial-blog · 4 years

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This Isn’t Going to Be Your Forever

Tips for Queer Youth Stuck at Home With Trans- and Homophobic Parents The global COVID-19 pandemic has put a huge amount of pressure on a huge number of people. In many households, the strains of closed schools, lost jobs, health issues, and close quarters mean that tensions are high, tempers are short, and privacy has become a luxury. If you’re a young queer person who is now isolated with trans- or homophobic family members, you probably know that better than anyone. Maybe things are normally okay at home, but now it feels like everything you do is under a microscope. Maybe an environment that usually just felt tense, now feels unsafe. Maybe you’ve been holding everything in for so long that you feel like you are about to burst and have nowhere to go let off steam. Whatever your situation looks like, the fact is, you could probably use a little support. So here are a few ideas to help you stay as physically and emotionally safe as possible during these difficult days. Stuck at Home During high school and college, there were plenty of times my parents and I butted heads, or got under each other’s skin, or found ourselves in epic screaming matches. One of the things that helped the most was getting some space. These days, many of the self-care strategies that you probably use to manage everything from dealing with microaggressions to flat-out dangerous situations just aren’t going to be possible. Those might have been things like escaping to a friend’s place, being at school, participating in your GSA, going to a movie or a coffee shop, staying at your grandma’s, or even just taking a walk. So what can you do? For Darid, a high school senior who's a member of GLSEN’s National Student Council, what has helped most has been staying connected to the outside world. They say, “I am fortunate to have my own space and my own room in the house to get away from everything, and just focus on myself. I’ve been keeping in contact with friends. We FaceTime almost every day. We even developed a routine; every Saturday, we get together virtually and have movie nights through Netflix Party. Finding a group of friends and starting a mini routine or picking out an activity to do together virtually has been helping me hold on to some type of normality.” That will resonate for a lot of young people. But for others, connecting virtually is going to be a bigger challenge since it is estimated that almost half of all Americans don’t have reliable Internet. That can be tough under normal circumstances. But as everything from school to socializing has moved online, it can make you feel even more isolated. Depending on where you live, you might be able to borrow a device or get online via your school. WiFi may also be available through a public place, like outside a library or a McDonalds. Some young people have also been given the okay to safely connect in real life by doing things like taking a physically distanced walk or bike ride, or having a distanced picnic with friends. Being Yourself If you are like a lot of people, your home self isn’t identical to the self you share with friends, teachers, or at your job. For some of you, being at home might actually be a relief and a nice break from the stresses of your regular life. I teach middle and high school health and I was surprised to hear from one of my students who said they were actually happier at home than at school because they weren’t dealing with daily drama. But for a lot of young people, especially LGBTQIA+ youth who have trans- or homophobic parents, home is anything but relaxing, especially if you need to constantly think about how you are acting, talking, or presenting yourself in front of your family. That is often called code switching and it is a crucial survival tactic for a lot of queer youth. But it can also be an exhausting and stressful one, especially if you have to do it 24/7. As Darid says, “I am a senior in high school, so I currently live with my parents. At first, it was difficult to adjust. For me, I code-switch a lot. The way I act and express myself with my family is completely different from the way I express myself with my friends. So it was hard, not having supportive and queer spaces that I often occupy.” If you are modifying how you present yourself to avoid triggering hostility from your family, it is also a good idea to try to find ways to express yourself authentically. That can be with friends over a video chat, dressing up alone in your room, writing in a journal, or even watching a movie or listening to music that speaks to you. Coming Out and Being Outed Coming out should always be your own choice, done on your own terms and timeline. But being isolated with your family, especially if you don’t have any privacy, can increase the chance of being outed before you are ready. Your sibling could pick up your phone and see a revealing text. You could get overheard on the phone. Your parents could be watching your every move looking for “signs.” For one college student, being home from school right now meant being pushed to come out by religious parents. As she wrote on Reddit, “A couple of months ago my mom asked me if I was gay and I said I wasn't because I did not want to be forced out of the closet.” However, being at home has changed the dynamic and after being asked and confronted repeatedly about her sexual orientation, she came out. The result? “My parents are not really taking it well,” she wrote. While some of you are probably terrified that your families will find out about your identity, others of you might be desperate to come out to them. That can be the case if you feel overwhelmed by the difficulty of keeping everything inside. Coming out can definitely be an amazing experience. But it can also be a risky one. So if you are leaning in that direction, you really need to think about whether or not now is the best time. Here are a few things to ask yourself: How do I think my family will react? How will coming out impact my situation at home? Is it safe, physically and emotionally, for me to come out to my parents? Do I have resources available (both emotional and financial) if coming out changes my situation at home? Do I have people whom I can talk to before I come out to my parents? What will waiting to come out until after the pandemic ends do to me? What are the upsides of waiting? What are the downsides? If you go through this list and decide that coming out at home it isn’t the best choice right now, you should know you still have options. For example, there might be a friend or family member whom you could call and talk to. If your school or college has a GSA, or something similar, you could also reach out to the person who runs that. Many communities have LGBTQIA+ community centers that have programs for youth. You can find your closest one at Centerlink. If you have privacy online privately, there are also a lot of places you can find support. For example, you can ask for advice on the Scarleteen message boards, live chat or via text. There are also groups like the Trevor Project or the LGBT National Youth Talkline which are geared towards queer and questioning youth in crisis, and sites like Q Chat Space, that can help you connect with LGBTQIA+ peers. If you hadn’t been involved with the queer community before the lockdown, getting involved now could actually be a good way to ease in since there are more virtual spaces around than ever. When Life at Home is Unbearable Sometimes a person’s family of origin is just so toxic or abusive that being at home is unbearable or unsafe. Some young people suffer verbal or physical abuse. Others are forced into conversion therapy. This practice, which falsely claims to be able to change sexual orientation and gender identity, had been banned in almost half the states. However, minors are still being put into these dangerous programs by parents. Getting help from a supportive community, an affirming school guidance counsellor, an understanding family therapist, or an LGBTQIA+ - friendly religious congregation can help families work through many of their issues. But there are plenty of situations where needed help isn’t available, or it just isn’t safe for a young person to live at home. As a result, some choose to leave. Others are removed by the state. Far too many get kicked out by their parents. That generally isn’t legal if a person is under 18. But, sadly, that doesn't stop it from happening. Whatever the reason, if you can’t live at home, the first thing to do is to see if you can stay with a friend or family member. That option is really going to be impacted by the state of the pandemic and by the rules about physical distancing where you live. If finding someone to live with doesn’t pan out and you are facing homelessness, or if you are already unhoused, try to locate LGBTQIA+-friendly services. When dealing with a crisis like losing your home due to trans- and homophobia, the last thing you need is to hit up against the same prejudices in the outside world. These days, you can find LGBTQIA+ focused services for youth in cities around the US and Canada as well as in many countries around the globe. Lambda Legal has a good list of resources for LGBTQ youth by state. In some areas, there are even LGBTQIA+ shelters and residences. One of those is the Ali Forney Center in New York City, which is committed to staying open throughout the pandemic. They also have a list of resources specifically for youth facing homelessness around the country. In extreme cases, teens can seek legal emancipation from parents. This gives minors the legal rights and responsibilities of adults. But with courts closed, jobs hard to come by, and schools shut down, this probably isn’t the best bet for most people. What it All Comes Down to Being a young person queer with trans- and homophobic family can present challenges during the best of times. But right now, living with parents who are hostile to your identity is probably just about one of the hardest things around. So it is crucial that you find ways to stay safe, honor yourself, and get support. Sometimes talking to a friend you know in real life, finding your people online, or reaching out to an organization that supports queer youth is a good option. Other times, just being able to step outside your front door by yourself can give you the headspace you need to get through the day. This isn’t going to end overnight. But try to remember that what you are experiencing right now, and whatever you are doing to survive it, also isn’t going to be your forever. Source link Read the full article

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mplchameleon · 3 years

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LGBTQIA+ Youth Summer Series: Weekly Prompt, August 2

Submit via our Padlet! Additionally, if you are attending either of the Affirmations Book Clubs, please feel free to submit book reviews, fan art, or anything related to the books discussed each month as additional creative content, even if it doesn’t relate to the prompt!

Reminder: You have through Friday to submit content! Details on what type of content to submit are here.

#LGBTQIA Teens #Library Programs #Teen Programs #Queer Teens #Library Programs For Queer Teens #Library Programs For LGBTQIA Teens #Summer Workshop Series #Medford Public Library #Medfield Public Library #Translate Gender #Virtual Programs For Teens #Queer Youth #LGBTQIA Youth #Medford MA #Teen Librarian #Creative Content Prompt #Weekly Prompt #MPL Chameleon

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ucflibrary · 5 years

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Ready to fly your flag?

Pride Month has arrived! While every day is a time to be proud of your identity and orientation, June is that extra special time for boldly celebrating with and for the LGBTQIA community (yes, there are more than lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender in the queer community). June was chosen to honor the Stonewall Riots which happened in 1969. Like other celebratory months, LGBT Pride Month started as a weeklong series of events and expanded into a full month of festivities.

In honor of Pride Month, UCF Library faculty and staff suggested books, movies and music from the UCF collection that represent a wide array of queer authors and characters. Additional events at UCF in June include “UCF Remembers” which is a week-long series of events to commemorate the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in 2016.

Click on the Keep Reading link below to see the full list, descriptions, and catalog links for the 30 titles by or about people in the LGBTQIA community suggested by UCF Library employees. These, and additional titles, are also on the Featured Bookshelf display on the second (main) floor next to the bank of two elevators.

(A)sexual directed by Angela Tucker Facing a sex obsessed culture, a mountain of stereotypes and misconceptions, and a lack of social or scientific research, asexuals - people who experience no sexual attraction - struggle to claim their identity. Suggested by Megan Haught, Teaching & Engagement/Research & Information Services

A Florida Enchantment directed by Sidney Drew A young woman discovers a seed that can make women act like men and men act like women. She decides to take one, then slips one to her maid and another to her fiancé. The fun begins. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Research & Information Services

A Place at the Table: The gay individual in American society by Bruce Bawers At the Lincoln Memorial, on the eve of his inauguration as president, Bill Clinton expressed his hope for a nation in which every American would have "a place at the table." For Bruce Bawer, that vision will become reality only when every gay man and woman becomes a full member of the American family. His book is a passionate plea that we recognize, and celebrate, our common backgrounds and common values - our common humanity. Suggested by Missy Murphey, Research & Information Services

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green The Carls just appeared. Coming home from work at three a.m., twenty-three-year-old April May stumbles across a giant sculpture. Delighted by its appearance and craftsmanship -- like a ten-foot-tall Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armor -- April and her friend Andy make a video with it, which Andy uploads to YouTube. The next day April wakes up to a viral video and a new life. News quickly spreads that there are Carls in dozens of cities around the world -- everywhere from Beijing to Buenos Aires -- and April, as their first documentarian, finds herself at the center of an intense international media spotlight. Now April has to deal with the pressure on her relationships, her identity, and her safety that this new position brings, all while being on the front lines of the quest to find out not just what the Carls are, but what they want from us. Suggested by Andrew Hackler, Circulation

Babel-17 by Samuel R Delany Babel-17, winner of the Nebula Award for best novel of the year, is a fascinating tale of a famous poet bent on deciphering a secret language that is the key to the enemy’s deadly force, a task that requires she travel with a splendidly improbable crew to the site of the next attack. For the first time, Babel-17 is published as the author intended with the short novel Empire Star, the tale of Comet Jo, a simple-minded teen thrust into a complex galaxy when he’s entrusted to carry a vital message to a distant world. Spellbinding and smart, both novels are testimony to Delany’s vast and singular talent. Suggested by Mary Lee Gladding, Circulation

Black Wings Beating by Alex London The people of Uztar have long looked to the sky with hope and wonder. Nothing in their world is more revered than the birds of prey and no one more honored than the falconers who call them to their fists. Brysen strives to be a great falconer--while his twin sister, Kylee, rejects her ancient gifts for the sport and wishes to be free of falconry. She's nearly made it out, too, but a war is rolling toward their home in the Six Villages, and no bird or falconer will be safe. Together the twins must journey into the treacherous mountains to trap the Ghost Eagle, the greatest of the Uztari birds and a solitary killer. Brysen goes for the boy he loves and the glory he's long craved, and Kylee to atone for her past and to protect her brother's future. But both are hunted by those who seek one thing: power. Suggested by Mary Lee Gladding, Circulation

Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin Giovanni's Room traces one man's struggle with his sexual identity. In a 1950s Paris swarming with expatriates and characterized by dangerous liaisons and hidden violence, an American finds himself confronting secret desires that jeopardize the conventional life he envisions for himself. After meeting and proposing to a young woman, he falls into a lengthy affair with an Italian bartender and is confounded and tortured as he oscillates between the two. Now a classic of gay literature, Baldwin's haunting and controversial second novel is his most sustained treatment of sexuality. Examining the agonizing mystery of love and passion in an intensely imagined yet beautifully restrained narrative, Baldwin creates a moving and complex story of death and desire that is revelatory in its insight. Suggested by Rachel Edford, Teaching & Engagement

Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake Mara and Owen are as close as twins can get, so when Mara’s friend Hannah accuses Owen of rape, Mara doesn't know what to think. Can her brother really be guilty of such a violent act? Torn between her family and her sense of right and wrong, Mara feels lost, and it doesn’t help that things are strained with her ex-girlfriend, Charlie. As Mara, Hannah, and Charlie come together in the aftermath of this terrible crime, Mara must face a trauma from her own past and decide where Charlie fits into her future. With sensitivity and openness, this timely novel confronts the difficult questions surrounding consent, victim blaming, and sexual assault. Suggested by Megan Haught, Teaching & Engagement/Research & Information Services

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan In this richly developed fantasy, Lei is a member of the Paper caste, the lowest and most persecuted class of people in Ikhara. She lives in a remote village with her father, where the decade-old trauma of watching her mother snatched by royal guards for an unknown fate still haunts her. Now, the guards are back and this time it's Lei they're after -- the girl with the golden eyes whose rumored beauty has piqued the king's interest. Over weeks of training in the opulent but oppressive palace, Lei and eight other girls learns the skills and charm that befit a king's consort. There, she does the unthinkable -- she falls in love. Her forbidden romance becomes enmeshed with an explosive plot that threatens her world's entire way of life. Lei, still the wide-eyed country girl at heart, must decide how far she's willing to go for justice and revenge. Suggested by Megan Haught, Teaching & Engagement/Research & Information Services

Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley Sixteen-year-old Solomon has agoraphobia. He hasn't left his house in 3 years. Ambitious Lisa is desperate to get into a top-tier psychology program. And so when Lisa learns about Solomon, she decides to befriend him, cure him, and then write about it for her college application. To earn Solomon's trust, she introduces him to her boyfriend Clark, and starts to reveal her own secrets. But what started as an experiment leads to a real friendship, with all three growing close. But when the truth comes out, what erupts could destroy them all. Funny and heartwarming, Highly Illogical Behavior is a fascinating exploration of what makes us tick, and how the connections between us may be the most important things of all. Suggested by Rich Gause, Research & Information Services

How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee How to Write an Autobiographical Novel is the author’s manifesto on the entangling of life, literature, and politics, and how the lessons learned from a life spent reading and writing fiction have changed him. In these essays, he grows from student to teacher, reader to writer, and reckons with his identities as a son, a gay man, a Korean American, an artist, an activist, a lover, and a friend. He examines some of the most formative experiences of his life and the nation’s history, including his father’s death, the AIDS crisis, 9/11, the jobs that supported his writing—Tarot-reading, bookselling, cater-waiting for William F. Buckley—the writing of his first novel, Edinburgh, and the election of Donald Trump. Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions & Collections

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan In Other Lands is the exhilarating new book from beloved and bestselling author Sarah Rees Brennan. It’s a novel about surviving four years in the most unusual of schools, about friendship, falling in love, diplomacy, and finding your own place in the world ― even if it means giving up your phone. Suggested by Katie Burroughs, Administration

Looking for Lorraine: the radiant and radical life of Lorraine Hansberry by Imani Perry Lorraine Hansberry, who died in 1965 at age thirty-four, was, by all accounts, a force of nature. She was also one of the most radical, courageous, and prescient artist-intellectuals of the twentieth century--and one of the least understood. Defined largely by her groundbreaking play A Raisin in the Sun, Hansberry has been hidden in plain sight for decades. Little of her manifold contributions, her associations, her other writing, or her transgressive nature is known. A prolific and probing artist, she also committed herself passionately to political activism. Hansberry's unflinching dedication to social justice brought her under FBI surveillance in the midst of McCarthyism, when she was barely in her twenties. Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions & Collections

Make Trouble by John Waters When John Waters delivered his gleefully subversive advice to the graduates of the Rhode Island School of Design in 2015, the speech went viral, in part because it was so brilliantly on point about making a living as a creative person. From an icon of popular culture, here is inspiring advice for artists, graduates, and anyone seeking happiness and success on their own terms. Now we all can enjoy his sly wisdom in a manifesto that reminds us, no matter what field we choose, to embrace chaos, be nosy, and defy outdated critics. Suggested by Seth Dwyer, Circulation

Man Into Woman: an authentic record of a change of sex edited by Niels Hoyer This riveting account of the transformation of the Danish painter Einar Wegener into Lili Elbe is a remarkable journey from man to woman. Einar Wegener was a leading artist in late 1920's Paris. One day his wife Grete asked him to dress as a woman to model for a portrait. It was a shattering event which began a struggle between his public male persona and emergent female self, Lili. Einar was forced into living a double life; enjoying a secret hedonist life as Lili, with Grete and a few trusted friends, whilst suffering in public as Einar, driven to despair and almost to suicide. Doctors, unable to understand his condition, dismissed him as hysterical. Lili eventually forced Einar to face the truth of his being - he was, in fact, a woman. This bizarre situation took an extraordinary turn when it was discovered that his body contained primitive female sex organs. There followed a series of dangerous experimental operations and a confrontation with the conventions of the age until Lili was eventually liberated from Einar - a freedom that carried the ultimate price. Compiled fron Lili's own letters and manuscripts, and those of the people who adored her, Man into Woman is the Genesis of the Gender Revolution. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Research & Information Services

Next Year, For Sure: a novel by Zoey Leigh Peterson In this moving and enormously entertaining debut novel, longtime romantic partners Kathryn and Chris experiment with an open relationship and reconsider everything they thought they knew about love. After nine years together, Kathryn and Chris have the sort of relationship most would envy. They speak in the shorthand they have invented, complete one another's sentences, and help each other through every daily and existential dilemma. When Chris tells Kathryn about his feelings for Emily, a vivacious young woman he sees often at the Laundromat, Kathryn encourages her boyfriend to pursue this other woman--certain that her bond with Chris is strong enough to weather a little side dalliance. As Kathryn and Chris stumble into polyamory, Next Year, For Sure tracks the tumultuous, revelatory, and often very funny year that follows. When Chris's romance with Emily grows beyond what anyone anticipated, both Chris and Kathryn are invited into Emily's communal home, where Kathryn will discover new romantic possibilities of her own. In the confusions, passions, and upheavals of their new lives, both Kathryn and Chris will be forced to reconsider their past and what they thought they knew about love. Suggested by Rebecca Hawk, Circulation

Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers by Lillian Faderman As Lillian Faderman writes, there are "no constants with regard to lesbianism," except that lesbians prefer women. In this groundbreaking book, she reclaims the history of lesbian life in twentieth-century America, tracing the evolution of lesbian identity and subcultures from early networks to more recent diverse lifestyles. She draws from journals, unpublished manuscripts, songs, media accounts, novels, medical literature, pop culture artifacts, and oral histories by lesbians of all ages and backgrounds, uncovering a narrative of uncommon depth and originality. Suggested by Missy Murphey, Research & Information Services

Orlando by Virginia Woolf Orlando, a novel loosely based on the life of Vita Sackville-West, Virginia Woolf's lover and friend, is one of Woolf's most playful and tantalizing works. This edition provides readers with a fully collated and annotated text. A substantial introduction charts the birth of the novel in the romance between Woolf and Sackville-West, and the role it played in the evolution and eventual fading of that romance. Extensive explanatory notes reveal the extent to which the novel is embedded in Woolf's knowledge of Sackville-West, her family history and her writings. Suggested by Rachel Edford, Teaching & Engagement

The Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist by Ben Barres As an undergraduate at MIT, Barres experienced discrimination, but it was after transitioning that he realized how differently male and female scientists are treated. He became an advocate for gender equality in science, and later in life responded pointedly to Larry Summers's speculation that women were innately unsuited to be scientists. Privileged white men, Barres writes, “miss the basic point that in the face of negative stereotyping, talented women will not be recognized.” At Stanford, Barres made important discoveries about glia, the most numerous cells in the brain, and he describes some of his work. “The most rewarding part of his job,” however, was mentoring young scientists. That, and his advocacy for women and transgender scientists, ensures his legacy. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Research & Information Services

The House of Impossible Beauties by Joseph Cassara A gritty and gorgeous debut that follows a cast of gay and transgender club kids navigating the Harlem ball scene of the 1980s and ’90s, inspired by the real House of Xtravaganza made famous by the seminal documentary “Paris Is Burning”. Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions & Collections

The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst In the summer of 1983, twenty-year-old Nick Guest moves into an attic room in the Notting Hill home of the Feddens: conservative Member of Parliament Gerald, his wealthy wife Rachel, and their two children, Toby―whom Nick had idolized at Oxford―and Catherine, who is highly critical of her family's assumptions and ambitions. As the boom years of the eighties unfold, Nick, an innocent in the world of politics and money, finds his life altered by the rising fortunes of this glamorous family. His two vividly contrasting love affairs, one with a young black clerk and one with a Lebanese millionaire, dramatize the dangers and rewards of his own private pursuit of beauty, a pursuit as compelling to Nick as the desire for power and riches among his friends. Richly textured, emotionally charged, disarmingly comic, this is a major work by one of our finest writers. Suggested by Sandy Avila, Research & Information Services

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a stunning and provocative literary debut that was named to numerous best of the year lists. When Cameron Post’s parents die suddenly in a car crash, her shocking first thought is relief. Relief they’ll never know that, hours earlier, she had been kissing a girl. But that relief doesn’t last, and Cam is forced to move in with her conservative aunt Ruth and her well-intentioned but hopelessly old-fashioned grandmother. She knows that from this point on, her life will forever be different. Survival in Miles City, Montana, means blending in and leaving well enough alone, and Cam becomes an expert at both. Suggested by Rebecca Hawk, Circulation

The Path to Gay Rights: how activism and coming out changed public opinion by Jeremiah J. Garretson The Path to Gay Rights is the first social science analysis of how and why the LGBTQ movement achieved its most unexpected victory---transforming gay people from a despised group of social deviants into a minority worthy of rights and protections in the eyes of most Americans. The book weaves together a narrative of LGBTQ history with new findings from the field of political psychology to provide an understanding of how social movements affect mass attitudes in the United States and globally. Suggested by Missy Murphey, Research & Information Services

The Polyamorists Next Door: inside multiple-partner relationships and families by Elisabeth Sheff The Polyamorists Next Door introduces polyamorous families, in which people are free to pursue emotional, romantic, and sexual relationships with multiple people at the same time, openly and with support from their partners, sometimes forming multi-partner relationships, or other arrangements that allow for emotional and sexual freedom within the family system. In colorful and moving details, this book explores how polyamorous relationships come to be, grow and change, manage the ins and outs of daily family life, and cope with the challenges they face both within their families and from society at large. Using polyamoristsown words, Dr. Elisabeth Sheff examines polyamorous households and reveals their advantages, disadvantages, and the daily lives of those living in them. Suggested by Rebecca Hawk, Circulation

The Price of Salt by Claire Morgan The Price of Salt is the famous lesbian love story by Patricia Highsmith, written under the pseudonym Claire Morgan. The author became notorious due to the story's latent lesbian content and happy ending, the latter having been unprecedented in homosexual fiction. Highsmith recalled that the novel was inspired by a mysterious woman she happened across in a shop and briefly stalked. Because of the happy ending (or at least an ending with the possibility of happiness) which defied the lesbian pulp formula and because of the unconventional characters that defied stereotypes about homosexuality. The book fell out of print but was re-issued and lives on today as a pioneering work of lesbian romance. Suggested by Sandy Avila, Research & Information Services

The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman On the eve of her wedding, a young queen sets out to rescue a princess from an enchantment. She casts aside her fine wedding clothes, takes her chain mail and her sword, and follows her brave dwarf retainers into the tunnels under the mountain towards the sleeping kingdom. This queen will decide her own future -- and the princess who needs rescuing is not quite what she seems. Suggested by Rebecca Hawk, Circulation

The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall 'As a man loved a woman, that was how I loved...It was good, good, good...' Stephen is an ideal child of aristocratic parents - a fencer, a horse rider and a keen scholar. Stephen grows to be a war hero, a bestselling writer and a loyal, protective lover. But Stephen is a woman, and her lovers are women. As her ambitions drive her, and society confines her, Stephen is forced into desperate actions. The Well of Loneliness was banned for obscenity when published in 1928. It became an international bestseller, and for decades was the single most famous lesbian novel. It has influenced how love between women is understood, for the twentieth century and beyond. Suggested by Rachel Edford, Teaching & Engagement

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson From the author of The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley comes an “equal parts sarcastic and profound” novel about a teenage boy who must decide whether or not the world is worth saving. Suggested by Rich Gause, Research & Information Services

We Who Are About To... by Joanna Russ Elegant and electric, We Who Are About To... brings us face to face with our basic assumptions about our will to live. While most of the stranded tourists decide to defy the odds and insist on colonizing the planet and creating life, the narrator decides to practice the art of dying. When she is threatened with compulsory reproduction, she defends herself with lethal force. Originally published in 1977, this is one of the most subtle, complex, and exciting science fiction novels ever written about the attempt to survive a hostile alien environment. It is characteristic of Russ’s genius that such a readable novel is also one of her most intellectually intricate. Suggested by Mary Lee Gladding, Circulation

What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera Critically acclaimed and bestselling authors Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera combine their talents in this smart, funny, heartfelt collaboration about two very different boys who can’t decide if the universe is pushing them together—or pulling them apart. ARTHUR is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it. BEN thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things. Suggested by Rich Gause, Research & Information Services

#lgbtqia+#lgbtq+ pride #featured bookshelf #ucf library #ucflibrary #booklr #reading suggestions

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cover2covermom · 4 years

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Today I’m back with another edition of Teen Librarian Archives! I’ll be sharing what it’s been like being back at the library after an 8 week closure due to COVID-19…

On May 12th, I went back to work after being off work for 8 weeks due to COVID-19. From May 12th through June 20th, only staff was allowed inside the building. During this time, we were open for curbside service only. Our patrons were so grateful that we were able to reopen, if only in a limited capacity.

The employees in our system took selfies at home to share on our library system’s social media. We definitely missed our patrons!

Since our building was only open to employees, we were able to tackle some of the projects that we hadn’t been able to get around to for various reasons. My first big project after returning to work was to clean out & organize our storage room. This was a HUGE undertaking that took me and another coworker 3 weeks to complete.

Just some of what I pulled out of the storage room

And here are the “after” photos…

Would you look at that organization?! I even arranged the construction paper in rainbow color order. I wish I would have taken a before picture. You have no idea how horrendous this storage room was before my coworker and I got our hands on it. I had been wanting to tackle the storage room since I started back in November. I am definitely a neat freak and the storage room gave me major anxiety every time I stepped foot inside.

In the midst of the “great storage room clean out of 2020,” we started offering curbside service. I must say, I was surprised with the volume we were doing. We are a tiny branch, but we are mighty! We also launched a new service: Home Collections. Patrons fill out & submit a questionnaire through our website and we take that info and curate a personalized collection based on their tastes and interests! Curating these home collections has been lots of fun & very rewarding. I love matching readers to books they might not have chosen themselves.

On June 22nd, our library system decided that we were able to safely open our doors to patrons. While we were happy to see our patrons again, I’d be lying if I didn’t say we were a bit nervous too.

Welcome sign drawn by yours truly

Youth book bundles on our front display area put together by the Children’s Librarian

Information on COVID-19

Based off the guidance of our local health department, we enacted several changes to our library. The library definitely looks a lot different these days…

Our reference desk bubble…

Our youth services castle… I mean desk 🙂

Some of our new rules…

Limiting the number of people in the building & limiting the amount of time patrons can stay inside the building.

All staff are required to wear masks. Patrons are strongly encouraged to wear masks, but not required.

All materials must be returned to our book drop, where a staff member ((in gloves)) takes the materials and places them on carts, and covers with a plastic cloth. These carts are quarantined for 4 days before the materials can be checked in and put back on the shelves, or sent on to fulfill holds.

Quarantined materials

Typically we have 6 computers for patron use, but we have limited the computers to 2. Computer use is limited to one-hour blocks, with a 30 minute cleaning period between each available time slot. Patrons can make an appointment to reserve a computer up to 48 hours in advance.

All toys have been removed from the children’s section.

All tables & seating has been removed or closed off to encourage patrons not to loiter.

How have these new rules & regulations been received?

For the most part, patrons have been very understanding and patient with all the change. We appreciate these patrons so much because it makes our lives way less stressful. Unfortunately, we have had a few patrons that are very frustrated by all the changes. I wish these individuals would understand that we are operating under the direction of our health department in order to have our doors open. These regulations are not meant to be inconvenient, but keep our staff and patrons safe.

For my display area, I wanted to showcase books by black authors to honor the #BlackLivesMatter movement. I also pulled books about race issues & social justice.

Since June is #PrideMonth, I also pulled books featuring LGBTQIA+ characters.

As far as programming goes, my system has suspended all in-person programming. For the time being, all of our programming is virtual & system wide as opposed to branch specific.

Since June, I’ve been hosting a virtual read along of The Girl Who Drank the Moon. Each week I record myself reading a section of the book and release the link to participants. At the end of July, we will be having a book discussion via Zoom.

I was also enlisted in helping out with a virtual teen cooking challenge… If you knew me in real life, you’d probably know that I do NOT cook, or bake for that matter. To say I was intimidated is an understatement. I decided that my best course of action was to attempt to bake something relatively easy. I settled on a recipe for blueberry tarts.

My super sophisticated recording setup 🙂

Not only am I an amateur baker, but I also had to figure out how to record myself doing the actual baking. Lots of lessons were learned during the making of this video.

Full disclosure: I totally had to message a friend to make sure this was what the tarts were supposed to look like. To my surprise, I managed to successfully make these tarts and they were not only edible, but delicious!

I also learned that I will probably never be a YouTuber. I am super awkward on video… Trust me, it was painful to watch…. this is NOT me being modest.

Is your local library open? If so, have you visited lately?

Does your local library have new rules & regulations since COVID-19?

Do you have any questions about working at a library during COVID-19?

Comment below & let me know 🙂

Teen Librarian Archives: May & June 2020 *Being a Librarian During COVID-19* #Librarian #Library #BookBlog #BookBlogger #Bookworm #Books #Reading Today I'm back with another edition of Teen Librarian Archives! I'll be sharing what it's been like being back at the library after an 8 week closure due to COVID-19...

#Bibliophile #book blog #book blogger #Book Nerd #Book Worm #Bookish #Books #Bookworm #Librarian #Library #Reading

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