Trans Youth Services

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Trans Youth Services

• Tara Robertson
• LIBR 542bYA Services
• March 28, 2005
• tara_robertson_at_yahoo.com

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Identities defined

• Transgender
• Transsexual (or transexual)
• MTF/M2F
• FTM/F2M
• Intersex
• Cross dressers/Transvestites
• Drag performers
• Gender queer

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How do you identify yourself in terms of your
gender?
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Why LGBT is not enough

• LGBTlesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered.
• Broad labeling leads to making bisexual and
  transgendered people more invisible, as they are
  under-represented within an already marginalized
  community (Steinberg 2).
• Falsely suggests common interests between
  lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered groups.
• Many transgendered people undergo medical
  treatments and surgeries related to their gender
  identities. Lesbian, gay and bisexual people do
  not.

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So what? Who cares?

• Trans youth are considered the most marginalized
  and oppressed population.
• Trans people are patrons and co-workers.
• Tremendous lack of informationand we are in the
  business of information.
• As librarians, we need criteria for evaluating
  and selecting trans materials for youth .
• Libraries need to be safe, accessible places in
  order for patrons to feel safe, comfortable, and
  ultimately welcome.

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VPLs Teen Zone
Collections
Cataloguing
Problematic subplot in Meg Cabots Princess in
Training
Non-gendered washrooms
Policy Prescriptions
M or F
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VPLs Teen Zone
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Transgender, What is it?
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Trans and lesbian and gay characters in
mainstream fiction

• Similarity between historical inclusion of trans
  characters, and gay and lesbian characters.
• Rare that the trans (or in the past gay and
  lesbian) character is a protagonist. They are
  usually two-dimensional and characterized only by
  their gender identity (i.e. Luna).
• Themes, characters, and the social context of YA
  fiction is ten years behind adult fiction.

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What does this mean for collections?

• Not many resources, especially fiction.
• Not many resources by trans people.
• Items are hard to find as subject headings use
  words that many trans people do not use to
  describe themselves.
• Seek balance between a variety of trans
  viewpoints.

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Interview with Leslie Feinberg (Outlaw a video)
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Explanations given

• This phrase is probably on the back of the
  video. Education reference librarian
• Copy catalogued recordcant do anything about
  it. Koerner reference librarian
• The notes field is related to the LCSH.
  Koerner reference librarian
• All of these are not true.

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Appropriate cataloguing

• The LCSH term is transsexual, which can be
  problematic.
• In this case transsexual in the subject field
  and transvestite in both the subject and notes
  field are misleading.
• Most patrons will not complain about cataloguing
  records. It is the librarians responsibility to
  have accurate cataloguing records.

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Outlaw bibliographic record (revised)
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Meg Cabots Princess in Training

• Really problematic subplotis Perin from French
  class a boy or a girl?

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Is this funny?

• Lilly practically made us all wet ourselves from
  laughing so hard after Shameeka told her about
  Perin, from French, and how we cant tell if
  Perin is a boy or a girl, and Lilly said we
  should go into class on Monday and make a circle
  around Perin and chant, Pulldownyourpants!
  so we could look and see. (p. 176)

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• So, then we all jumped up and down on the bed
  and chanted, Pulldownyourpants!
  Pulldownyourpants! at the top of our lungs
  until I thought I actually might WET my pants
  from laughing so hard. (p. 177)

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OMGPerinne is a girl!

• Mademoiselle Klein went, You mean Perin and
  Perin went, no, Perinne, and Mademoiselle Klein
  went, No, you mean Perin because Perin is the
  masculine for Perin and youre a boy. Perinne is
  feminine, and Perin went, I know Perinne is
  feminine. IM A GIRL. (p. 233)
• PERIN IS A GIRL???? OH MY GOD!!!! Poor Perin!
  How embarrassing! I mean, that Mademoiselle
  Klein thought he was a he. I mean that she was a
  he. Well, do you know what I mean? (p. 233)

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Eeek! Theres a Boy in the Girls Bathroom!

• Everybody needs a safe place to pee.
• Advocate for single stall non-gendered washrooms.
• Trust that patrons know which is the correct
  bathroom to use.

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Patron information

• Why not have another option besides male and
  female on forms?
• How does a patron change their gender on their
  library record?
• Libraries need to develop policy, and publicize
  how patrons can do this.

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What can we do?

• Learn more about trans people and trans issues.
• Study the information seeking behavior of trans
  people.
• Include more materials by and about trans people
  in collections.
• Have trans booklists and e-pathfinders.
• Create non-gendered washrooms.
• Update library forms to include other options
  besides just M and F.
• Develop policy and publicize how patrons can
  change their name and gender on library records.

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Bibliography

• Beemyn. Brett Genny. Introduction Journal of
  Gay and Lesbian Issues in Education. 31 2005.
  3-5.
• DeFaveri, Annette. ??. Unpublished
• Monro, Surya. Gender Politics Citizenship,
  Activism and Sexual Diversity. London Pluto
  Press, 2005.
• Steinberg, Reese. Addressing the T in LGBT
  Issues in Transgender Collection Management.
  February 25, 2005 http//www.slais.ubc.ca/PEOPLE/
  students/student-projects/R_Steinberg/520issuespap
  er.pdf
• San Francisco Public Library. TRANScending
  Identities A Bibliography of Resources on
  Transgender and Intersex Topics. 2005.
• Sausa, Lydia A. Translating Research into
  Practice Trans Youth Recommendations for
  Improving School Systems Journal of Gay and
  Lesbian Issues in Education. 31 2005. 15-28.
• Weiss, Jillian Todd. GL vs. BT The Archaeology
  of Biphobia and Transphobia within the US Gay and
  Lesbian Community. Journal of Bisexuality 3
  (3/4) 200325-86.

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Thanks to