Transgender Pride Display

So what is gender anyways?

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Book List

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What's the T?

By Juno Dawson

In What’s the T?, Stonewall ambassador and bestselling author Juno Dawson is back again, this time with everything you’ve wanted to know about labels and identities and offering uncensored advice on coming out, sex, and relationships with her trademark humor and lightness of touch. It is informative, helpful, optimistic, and funny but with a good dose of reality and some of the things that can downright suck too.The companion title to the groundbreaking This Book Is Gay, What's the T? tackles the complex realities of growing up trans with honesty and humor and is joyfully illustrated by gender non-conforming artist Soofiya.

• This nonfiction book is perfect for trans/questioning teens and their families, as well as educators
• Covers topics such as gender, identity, coming out, sex, relationships, and more!

Boys Run the Riot

By Keito Gaku (trans. Leo McDonagh)

High schooler Ryo knows he’s transgender, but he doesn’t have anyone to confide in about the confusion he feels. He can’t tell his best friend, who he’s secretly got a crush on, and he can’t tell his mom, who’s constantly asking why Ryo “dresses like a boy.” He certainly can’t tell Jin, the new transfer student who looks like just another bully… The only time Ryo feels at ease is when he’s wearing his favorite clothes. Then, and only then, the world melts away, and he can be his true self. One day, while out shopping, Ryo sees someone he didn’t expect: Jin. The kid who looked so tough in class has the same taste in fashion as him! At last, Ryo has someone he can open up to—and the journey ahead might finally give him a way to express himself to the world.

• This manga is perfect for anyone who loves graphic novels
• Fun fact: the English localization team is made up of entirely transgender translators and editors!

Hell Followed With Us

By Andrew Joseph White

Sixteen-year-old trans boy Benji is on the run from the cult that raised him—the fundamentalist sect that unleashed Armageddon and decimated the world’s population. Desperately, he searches for a place where the cult can’t get their hands on him, or more importantly, on the bioweapon they infected him with.But when cornered by monsters born from the destruction, Benji is rescued by a group of teens from the local Acheson LGBTQ+ Center, affectionately known as the ALC. The ALC’s leader, Nick, is gorgeous, autistic, and a deadly shot, and he knows Benji’s darkest secret: the cult’s bioweapon is mutating him into a monster deadly enough to wipe humanity from the earth once and for all..

• Hell Followed With Us is perfect for teens looking for a story with a transgender protagonist who love sci-fi and dystopian fiction

Book List

1. Welcome to St. Hell by Lewis Hancox
2. Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White
3. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
4. The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas
5. Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon
6. Trans+: Love, Sex, Romance, and Being You by Kathryn Gonzalez
7. Continuum by Chella Man
8. Ander and Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa
9. Bianca Torre is Afraid of Everything by Justine Pucella Winans
10. Boys Run the Riot by Keito Gaku
11. Growing Up Trans: In Our Own Words eds. Linsday Herriot and Kate Fry
12. What’s the T? by Juno Dawson

Ander & Santi Were Here

By Jonny Garza Villa

The Santos Vista neighborhood of San Antonio, Texas, is all Ander Martínez has ever known. The smell of pan dulce. The mixture of Spanish and English filling the streets. And, especially their job at their family's taquería. It's the place that has inspired Ander as a muralist, and, as they get ready to leave for art school, it's all of these things that give them hesitancy. That give them the thought, are they ready to leave it all behind? To keep Ander from becoming complacent during their gap year, their family "fires" them so they can transition from restaurant life to focusing on their murals and prepare for college. That is, until they meet Santiago López Alvarado, the hot new waiter. Falling for each other becomes as natural as breathing. Through Santi's eyes, Ander starts to understand who they are and want to be as an artist, and Ander becomes Santi's first steps toward making Santos Vista and the United States feel like home. Until ICE agents come for Santi, and Ander realizes how fragile that sense of home is. How love can only hold on so long when the whole world is against them. And when, eventually, the world starts to win.

• Ander & Santi Were Here is perfect for fans of young adult contemporary fiction
• It features a nonbinary protagonist

The Sunbearer Trials

By Aiden Thomas

As each new decade begins, the Sun’s power must be replenished so that Sol can keep traveling along the sky and keep the evil Obsidian gods at bay. Ten semidioses between the ages of thirteen and eighteen are selected by Sol himself to compete in The Sunbearer Trials. The winner carries light and life to all the temples of Reino del Sol, but the loser has the greatest honor of all―they will be sacrificed to Sol, their body used to fuel the Sun Stones that will protect the people of Reino del Sol for the next ten years.Teo, a 17-year-old Jade semidiós and the trans son of Quetzal, goddess of birds, has never worried about the Trials…or rather, he’s only worried for others. His best friend Niya―daughter of Tierra, the god of earth―is one of the strongest heroes of their generation and is much too likely to be chosen this year. He also can’t help but worry (reluctantly, and under protest) for Aurelio, a powerful Gold semidiós and Teo’s friend-turned-rival who is a shoo-in for the Trials. Teo wouldn’t mind taking Aurelio down a notch or two, but a one-in-ten chance of death is a bit too close for Teo’s taste. But then, for the first time in over a century, Sol chooses a semidiós who isn’t a Gold. In fact, he chooses two: Xio, the 13-year-old child of Mala Suerte, god of bad luck, and…Teo.

• Fans of The Hunger Games and Percy Jackson will feel right at home with The Sunbearer Trials
• Thomas expertly weaves Mexican mythology into this story to create a unique fantasy world

Beyond the Gender Binary

By Alok Vaid-Menon

In Beyond the Gender Binary, spoken word poet Alok Vaid-Menon challenges the world to see gender not in black and white, but in full color. Taking from their own experiences as a gender-nonconforming artist, they show us that gender is a malleable and creative form of expression. The only limit is your imagination. “When reading this book, all I feel is kindness.”– Sam Smith, Grammy and Oscar award-winning singer and songwriter “Thank God we have Alok. And I’m learning a thing or two myself.”–Billy Porter, Emmy award-winning actor, singer, and Broadway theater performer

• Beyond the Gender Binary is a nonfiction book aimed at challenging readers to dismantle and reconstruct their ideas of what gender is
• This book is perfect for trans/questioning individuals as well as their families

Cemetery Boys

By Aiden Thomas

Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can’t get rid of him. When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie up some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.

• This book is perfect for teens who enjoy urban fantasy and stories that touch on the paranormal
• Cemetery Boys features a trans, gay, Latinx protagonist

Continuum

By Chella Man

In Continuum, fine artist, activist, and Titans actor Chella Man uses his own experiences as a deaf, transgender, genderqueer, Jewish person of color to talk about cultivating self-acceptance and acting as one's own representation.What constructs in your life must you unlearn to support inclusivity and respect for all? This is a question that artist, actor, and activist Chella Man wrestles with in this powerful and honest essay. A story of coping and resilience, Chella journeys through his experiences as a deaf, transgender, genderqueer, Jewish person of color, and shows us that identity lies on a continuum -- a beautiful, messy, and ever-evolving road of exploration.

• Continuum explores the intersection of gender, disability, and more in this nonfiction essay
• Perfect for those looking to cultivate self-acceptance and understand how different identities intersect

Bianca Torre is Afraid of Everything

By Justine Pucella Winans

Sixteen-year-old Bianca Torre is an avid birder undergoing a gender identity crisis and grappling with an ever-growing list of fears. Some, like Fear #6: Initiating Conversation, keep them constrained, forcing them to watch birds from the telescope in their bedroom. And, occasionally, their neighbors. When their gaze wanders from the birds to one particular window across the street, Bianca witnesses a creepy plague-masked murderer take their neighbor’s life. Worse, the death is ruled a suicide, forcing Bianca to make a choice—succumb to their long list of fears (including #3: Murder and #55: Breaking into a Dead Guy’s Apartment) or investigate what happened.Bianca enlists the help of their friend Anderson Coleman, but the two have more knowledge of anime than true crime. As Bianca and Anderson dig deeper into the murder with a little help from Bianca’s crush and fellow birding aficionado, Elaine Yee (#13: Beautiful People, #11: Parents Discovering They’re A Raging Lesbian), the trio uncovers a conspiracy much larger—and weirder—than imagined. But when the killer catches wind of the investigation, Bianca’s #1 fear of public speaking doesn’t sound so bad compared to the threat of being silenced for good.

• In this sardonic and campy thriller, an anxious, introverted nonbinary teen birder somehow finds themself solving a murder mystery with their neighbor and fellow anime lover, all while falling for a cute girl from their birding group and trying not to get murdered.

Sex and Gender: What’s The Difference?

Gender: A Closer Look

Gender describes the internal experience of being a man, a woman, a nonbinary person, or otherwise. Every person experiences gender differently — and you cannot know someone’s gender by simply looking at them. Cisgender: people whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth. Transgender: people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. Nonbinary: an umbrella term to describe people who experience their gender identity and/or expression outside of the male/female/ man/woman binary, including folks who are genderfluid, genderqueer, polygender, bigender, demigender, agender, and many others.Two-Spirit: an umbrella term created by First Nations/Native American/Indigenous peoples to describe a sexual orientation and/or gender/sex that exists outside of colonial constructions of the gender binary (neither man nor woman, but a distinct, alternative gender status exclusive to their ethnicity).

Many people confuse sex and gender, or use the two interchangeably. Many also wrongly assume that sex defines gender. In reality, gender identity is living, growing, experience that can change over time, and is not necessarily tied to sex.It can be tough for transgender and nonbinary people to constantly educate or be subjected to the other’s curiosity. One of the best ways to be an ally is to educate yourself on the basics of gender identity and expression so you can better support others.

History of the Trans Flag

The best-known transgender flag, proposed in 1999, is a pride flag of five horizontal stripes of three colors—light blue, light pink and white. It was designed by American trans woman Monica Helms to represent the transgender community, organizations, and individuals. While this flag is widely used by many trans individuals, other flags, such as the genderqueer/nonbinary flag, exist as well.

Trans+: Love, Sex, Romance, & Being You

By Kathryn Gonzales

This guidebook tackles a variety of topics relevant to trans and nonbinary teens, such as coming out; pursuing the social, medical, and legal avenues of transition; and navigating potentially unfriendly or harmful families, schools, workplaces, and faith communities. The authors also take a gender-inclusive look at every aspect of intimate relationships, with chapters on dating, healthy relationships, intimate partner violence and other forms of abuse, sex, and on reproduction, contraception, and sexually transmitted infections. The inclusion of diary entries from trans and nonbinary teens and personal insights from the authors, one a trans woman, keeps the narrative from having a dry or impersonal tone. Aimed at readers of all gender identities, this empowering, essential guide arms teens with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions not only about transition but about their bodies and lives in general, and to prioritize their safety on the journey to self-discovery.

• This nonfiction book is perfect for trans teens looking for information about relationships, dating, and sex
• The book also touches on the very important topic of abuse and intimate partner violence

Participatory Element

A fun activity for all patrons!

Next to the display is a station with a tree and cut out hearts in the colors of the trans flag that have been hole punched and have a string attached. On these hearts patrons can write messages of encouragement for trans kids and teens. The messages would be screened by a librarian before being put onto the tree. There will also be a bookmark basket next to the tree with bookmark specifically for trans teens as well as allies.

Growing Up Trans: In Our Own Words

eds. Lindsay Herriot and Kate Fry

What does it mean to be young and transgender today? Growing Up Trans shares stories, essays, art and poetry created by trans youth aged 11 to 18. In their own words, the works illustrate the trans experience through childhood, family and daily life, school, their bodies and mental health. Together the collection is a story of the challenges, big and small, of being a young trans person. At the same time, it’s a toolkit for all young people, transgender or not, about what understanding, acceptance and support for the trans community looks like. In addition to the contributed works, there are questions and tips from experts in the field of transgender studies to challenge the reader on how to be a trans ally.

• This nonfiction book is perfect for transgender kids and teens ages 11-18, their families, and allies

Welcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure

By Lewis Hancox

Lewis has a few things to say to his younger teen self. He knows she hates her body. He knows she's confused about who to snog. He knows she's really a he and will ultimately realize this... but she's going to go through a whole lot of mess (some of it funny, some of it not funny at all) to get to that point. Lewis is trying to tell her this... but she's refusing to listen.Author-illustrator Lewis Hancox takes readers on the hilarious, heartbreaking, and healing path he took to make it past trauma, confusion, hurt, and dubious fashion choices in order to become the man he was meant to be. It's a remarkable, groundbreaking graphic memoir from an unmistakably bold new voice in comics.

• This book is perfect for trans teens, especially trans boys
• Its graphic novel format makes it an easy and engaging read

Transgender Resources

A non-exhaustive list

• The Trevor Project: A Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Young People

• GLAAD Transgender Resources

• Human Rights Campaign: Transgender Children & Youth: Understanding the Basics

Guide to Symbols

• Books marked with a lightbulb symbol are nonfiction books
• Books marked with a heart feature romance, though it may not be the main focus of the story!
• Books marked with a speech bubble are graphic novels
• I did my best to make this as accurate as possible without having read the books, but I may have missed something - if so, I'm sorry!

Sources

• Information about sex and gender is from The Trevor Project guide linked under "trans resources".
• Book summaries are taken from Goodreads or the publisher.