Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month (LGBTQ Pride) is celebrated every June. Want to know more about the history of Pride? This Library of Congress website provides information and historical resources, including a video with documentary footage of the first Pride march in June 1970. Whether you have questions about LGBTQ topics, are researching the history of the LGBTQ civil rights movement, are looking for information and support, or are interested in reading fiction and memoir by LGBTQ authors, the PCC library has resources for you. Check out some of the highlighted resources below. And did you know that the PCC Queer Resource Centers virtual doors are open? You can connect with them for support, information, or just a safer space to hang out online.
Featured books and ebooks Becoming a man: the story of a transition A remarkable, deeply moving memoir of one man’s gender transition amid a pivotal political moment in America. Bodies and barriers: Queer activists on health LGBT people pervasively experience health disparities. Bodies and barriers informs readers about these challenges, providing insights and a road map for action that could improve queer health. Eating fire: My life as a lesbian avenger Streetwise and wistful, Eating Fire is a witty and urgent coming-of-age memoir. Gender Queer: a memoir Started as a way to explain to eir family what it means to be nonbinary and asexual, Gender Queer is more than a personal story: it is a useful and touching guide on gender identity–what it means and how to think about it–for advocates, friends, and humans everywhere LGBTQ In the 21st Century A collection of essays and studies on all aspects of LGBTQ life in the United States today. Ordinary girls: A memoir Jaquira Díaz writes an unflinching account of growing up as a queer biracial girl searching for home as her family splits apart. Out in time: The public lives of gay men from stonewall to the queer generation Examines the life experiences and sexual identity development of three generations of gay men. Seeing gender: an illustrated guide to identity and expression Illustrating a different concept on each spread, queer author and artist Iris Gottlieb touches on history, science, sociology, and her own experience. This book is an essential tool for understanding and contributing to a necessary cultural conversation, bringing clarity and reassurance to the sometimes confusing process of navigating ones’ identity. Trans/Portraits A fascinating collective memoir of the lives and experiences of transgender people, in their own voices. Featured evideos Fractal: stories across the gender spectrum Stories Across the Gender Spectrum is a collection of 4 Transgender and Gender Queer Documentary Shorts that explores the wide spectrum of experiences often left out of the traditional narrative. No straight lines: the rise of queer comics No Straight Lines’ tells the story of … pioneering cartoonists who depicted everything from the AIDS crisis, coming out, and same-sex marriage, to themes of race, gender, and disability… Their work is funny, smart, and profound, and provides a unique, uncensored window into LGBTQ lives from the 1970s onward, beginning at a time in which there was no other genuine queer storytelling in popular culture. Stonewall uprising Explores the dramatic 1969 events that launched a worldwide gay civil rights movement. The strange history of don’t ask don’t tell Suspenseful, deeply engaging and heart-wrenching, illustrates the tumultuous evolution of a controversial policy which fostered hate and intolerance within the military. Versatile: stories from inside the closet of a half black gay man A journey through intersectionality, told through onstage scenes and poetry. What are you? An intimate portrait of growing up gay, lesbian, bisexual, gender non-conforming, and transgender in the Pacific Northwest. Featured databases Gender Studies This collection of more than 30 journals aims to provide balanced coverage of this significant aspect of our culture, covering such topics as gender studies, family and marital issues, health aspects, and many more. GenderWatch Focuses on how gender impacts diverse subject areas, resources include scholarly journals, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, as well as NGO and government publications. Archival material from as early as 1970 provides a historical perspective on the women’s movement, men’s studies, the transgendered community, and changes in gender roles. Local resources Basic Rights Oregon Basic Rights Oregon works to support and build equality for all lesbian, gay, bisexual,transgender and queer Oregonians through education and policy change. Northwest Gender Alliance Public education, advocacy, and community building activites for the LGBTQ+ community in the Pacific Northwest. Pride Northwest Encouraging, celebrating, and showcasing the history and accomplishments of local lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans communites in the Pacific Northwest. Q Center Building community and a safe space to gather for Portland’s LGBTQ community and allies. Virtual groups and activities ongoing. Sexual and gender minority youth resource center (SMYRC) Provides a safe, harassment-free space for queer and trans youth ages 13-23. Create art, play music, join in on open mic nights, and access services like counseling, school support, and much more.