GLAAD & Little Bee Books’ children’s title, Prince & Knight, named 5th most challenged book of the year according to American Library Association’s annual list

GLAAD today announced that its children’s book, Prince & Knight, written by Daniel Haack and illustrated by Stevie Lewis, and published in partnership with Little Bee Books, was the 5th most challenged book of 2019, according to the American Library Assocation’s Top 10 Most Challenged Books list published today. Prince & Knight is available at Bookshop.org, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and in many libraries nationwide.

Check out the full book and cover art here.

Each year, the American Library Association’s (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom compiles the Top 10 Most Challenged Books list by documenting public challenges (challenges reported in the media), as well as censorship reports submitted through the Office’s challenge reporting form. The list informs the public about censorship attempts in libraries and schools and highlights the stories of library workers and community members who are defending the freedom to read. The ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom will be highlighting stories from the #BannedBooksList with infographics, activities, and live-streams this week in honor of National Library Week. The ‘Top 10 list’ provides only a snapshot of censorship attempts as the Office of Intellectual Freedom estimates that 82-97% of challenges remain unreported.

Reasons listed for Prince & Knight’s contention included: “featuring a gay marriage and LGBTQIA+ content” and for being “‘a deliberate attempt to indoctrinate young children’ with the potential to cause confusion, curiosity, and gender dysphoria; and for conflicting with a religious viewpoint.”

“LGBTQ families, like mine, are too often left out of programming for children and families, creating hardships for LGBTQ parents and children alike,” said GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “We join with Little Bee Books, the American Library Association, and other leaders in combating the move to ban or censor books like Prince & Knight and the other LGBTQ titles on this year’s list. These beautiful titles should not be challenged, they should be celebrated, but this list is an important reminder of the work ahead for LGBTQ families. GLAAD will continue our advocacy work until these titles are available in every library and bookstore.”

“At Little Bee Books, it’s our mission to develop books that help educate, entertain, and inspire children. We want every child to be able to see themselves, their families, or their friends in our books and to use reading as a way to cultivate their self-confidence and broaden their view of the world,” said Little Bee Books’ CEO, Shimul Tolia. We’re proud of Prince & Knight and what the story has meant to LGBTQ families and allies, and are proud to partner with GLAAD in their mission of advocating for the LGBTQ community. We look forward to the day that diverse and inclusive stories like the one told in Prince & Knight are not censored. Being on the list of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2019 only underscores the critical importance of publishing stories that are representative of all families, and the work we have ahead of us.”

At 6:30pm ET tonight, the author and illustrator of Prince & Knight, Daniel Haack and Stevie Lewis respectively, will be reading Prince and Knight livestreamed on the Banned Books Week Facebook page. Throughout the week, the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom will be highlighting additional stories from the #BannedBooksList with infographics, activities, and live-streams this week in honor of National Library Week.

Of this year’s ten most challenged books, eight of the titles were challenged due to LGBTQ content. The LGBTQ titles on this year’s list are:

• Prince and Knight, by Daniel Haack, illustrated by Stevie Lewis;
• George, by Alex Gino;
• Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out, by Susan Kuklin;
• A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo, by Jill Twiss, illustrated by EG Keller;
• Sex is a Funny Word, by Cory Silverberg, illustrated by Fiona Smyth;
• I Am Jazz, by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas;
• Drama, written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier;
• And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, illustrated by Henry Cole

Recognizable past titles to make the ALA’s ‘Top 10 Most Challenged Books List’ over the years include:

• To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee;
• Beloved, by Tony Morrison
• The Catcher in the Rye, by JD Salinger 
• Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
• I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Prince & Knight features a noble prince and brave knight that come together to defeat a terrible monster and, in the process, find true love in the most unexpected place. The book has garnered glowing reviews from multiple media outlets. Kirkus gave the title a starred review and called it “Victorious . . . the premier queer-friendly fairy tale.” Booklist stated that it was “A colorful and entertaining tale exploring sexuality, acceptance, and young love.” The School Library Journal said that Prince & Knight is “An illuminating fairy tale for young readers to be able to see that not every prince would like to marry a princess.”

The book is part of a partnership between children’s book publisher, Little Bee Books, and the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, GLAAD. The partnership represents a commitment to increasing positive representation of diverse gender and sexual identities in children’s books. Prince & Knight was the first book to be published through the partnership with several other titles following, including a new board book version of Prince & Knight to be released on April 28th. Below are some of the growing number of titles that have been released.

Jack (Not Jackie)
Picture Book
ISBN: 9781499807318
Price: $17.99 USD / $23.99 CAN
In this heartwarming picture book, a big sister realizes that her little sister, Jackie, doesn’t like dresses or fairies – she likes ties and bugs! Will she and her family be able to accept that Jackie identifies more as “Jack”?

Maiden & Princess
Picture Book
ISBN: 9781499807769
Price: $17.99 USD/ $23.99 CAN
In this modern fairy tale, a strong, brave maiden is invited to attend the prince’s royal ball, but at the dance, she ends up finding true love in a most surprising place.

Ellen Degeneres (People of Pride Series)
Board Book
ISBN: 978149981015
Price: $6.99 USD / $8.99 CAN
Celebrate the amazing accomplishments of LGBTQ activist and trailblazer Ellen DeGeneres in this board book.

Additional titles from the GLAAD and Little Bee Books partnership upcoming include:

The Fighting Infantryman
Picture Book
ISBN: 9781499809367
Price: $18.99 USD / $25.99 CAN
*On Sale June 2, 2020
This beautifully written and timely story shows a transgender soldier’s personal bravery as he faced daring challenges on the battlefield and privately battled the restrictions and confines of gender.

Uncle Bobby’s Wedding
Picture Book
ISBN: 9781499810080
Price: $.17.99 USD / $23.99 CAN
*On Sale May 12, 2020
Chloe’s favorite uncle is getting married, and she’s not happy about it. But after a magical day with Uncle Bobby and his boyfriend, Jamie, Chloe realizes she’s not losing an uncle, but gaining one.

Always Human
Graphic Novel
ISBN: 9781499811100
Price: $24.99 USD / $33.99 CAN
* On Sale June 2, 2020
Always Human is a beautifully drawn graphic novel about a developing relationship between two young women in a near-future, soft sci-fi setting. Always Human is drawn in a manga-influenced style and with an incredible color palette that leaps off the page!

About Little Bee Books: Little Bee Books is a children’s book publisher dedicated to making high-quality, creative, and fun books for busy little bees ages 0 through 12, offering an inspired selection of early learning concept books, board books, novelty books, activity books, picture books, chapter books, nonfiction, gift sets, and more. For more information, please visit littlebeebooks.com.

www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-little-bee-books-childrens-title-prince-knight-named-5th-most-challenged-book-year

Stunning Images Show Two Heroic Nurses Standing in Street to Block Cars Driven by Anti-Quarantine Protesters

In images and video sure to become iconic, two nurses in Denver, Colorado stood in the street in masks and scrubs and blocked anti-quarantine protesters, who came out by the hundreds to demonstrate against stay-at-home orders intended to halt the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

News18 reports: “A woman can be seen brandishing a ‘Land of the Free’ poster at the worker while screaming at him and raising her fists from inside her car. The woman yells at the nurse, asking him why she wasn’t allowed to go to work while he could. In the end, she asks the nurse to ‘go to China.’ Colorado is in a state of lockdown till April 26 following over 9,700 cases and over 420 deaths. The lockdown, however, has caused a severe economic crisis in the country, with over 22 million Americans filing for unemployment benefits in the past four weeks.”

READ THIS NEXT: 3 Far-Right, Pro-Gun Brothers Behind Anti-Quarantine Protests in Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York

The post Stunning Images Show Two Heroic Nurses Standing in Street to Block Cars Driven by Anti-Quarantine Protesters appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Stunning Images Show Two Heroic Nurses Standing in Street to Block Cars Driven by Anti-Quarantine Protesters

How Transgender and Non-Binary Communities Around the World Are Being Impacted by COVID-19

On Tuesday, April 14, HRC and Arianna’s Center hosted an online chat with global Latinx leaders about the impact COVID-19 is having on transgender and non-binary communities around the world, particularly those living with HIV. These leaders discussed what is happening in their communities from Chile, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and Venezuela.

In case you missed the discussion, you can watch it here (in Spanish) and read about the top five issues that these leaders raised.

1. Access to health care: COVID-19 is restricting access to health care for many transgender and non-binary people. Due to COVID-19, many people are fearful of seeking care. Access to HIV and trans-related care is also being restricted, as medical providers prioritize COVID-related care.

“For three years there have been no antiretrovirals in Venezuela,” said Tamara Adrian from there. “This creates a higher risk for those living with HIV due to the lack of access to antiretrovirals and increases the dangers of contracting the COVID-19 virus.”

Delayed care can also have negative impacts on mental health.

2. Livelihoods: The livelihoods of transgender and non-binary people are being decimated during the pandemic.

Alessia Injoque from Chile noted, “The statistics show that 90% of transgender people do not have access to a formal job. The relief measures taken support unemployed people. But many LGBTQ people are not part of the formal economy, left out of government aid without the possibility to earn any income.”

3. Care for the most vulnerable: Like in the U.S., global advocates expressed the need to support the most vulnerable within the transgender and non-binary communities. These include youth, people living with HIV, the unhoused and sex workers. In particular, there is a strong need to educate families about how to care for youth coming out when they cannot access support in other ways, like school, friends and other activities outside the home.
4. Public visibility and voice: Transgender and non-binary advocates have been working hard to raise visibility with the public and political leaders, yet COVID-19 is revealing how far they must still go.

Javiera from Peru said, “Visibility is extremely important to advance laws to protect our community. Throughout this crisis and the recent actions of the government, the critical need to enact a gender identity law has become more noticeable than ever.”

Advocates challenged community members to become empowered to educate political, business and community leaders.

5. Impact of gender segregated quarantines: In places like Panama, governments are implementing gender-based quarantines, meaning that men are only allowed out in public on certain days and women on other days. Transgender and non-binary people who have been unable to update their gender markers have been subject to harassment, fines and abuse. Despite advocates’ demands, the Panamanian government has not issued guidance to protect the rights of transgender and non-binary people.

Governments can do better, as the United Nations Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Victor Madrigal has challenged many to do. In Peru, after initially implementing a similar gender-based quarantine like Panama, the government cancelled the measure. Instead, they have a system in which only one person per family unit can leave their home on alternate days.

HRC applauds the extraordinary work of these Latinx transgender leaders and the many other resilient global advocates working on behalf of the communities. We will continue to amplify their voices and work and sound the alarm on these issues and others that affect various LGBTQ communities around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learn more information about HRC’s work:

• Around the world, subscribe to our newsletter and visit HRC.org/Global.
• With transgender communities, Justice Summits in six U.S. cities and HRC’s new TransTalks series – National HIV Testing Day hrc.im/TransTalks. Learn more about the Justice Summits by contacting Tori Cooper.
• On HIV and health equity, subscribe to our newsletter and visit hrc.org/HIV

www.hrc.org/blog/how-transgender-and-non-binary-communities-are-impacted-by-COVID19-globally?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Texas husbands die within two days of one another from COVID-19

A couple who lived in Live Oak, Texas, both passed last week from COVID-19 related causes. Both Phillip and Tony Tsai-Brooks, were active in their local community. Phillip, 42, ran his own hairdressing salon in San Antonio, while husband Tony, 47, an army veteran, was a council member.

Phillip posted to Facebook last month about being ill with COVID-19. His final Facebook posting, dated 26 March and posted from the Emergency Room of Northeast Methodist hospital, said: “Back in the er .. oxygen super low Heart rate low. Shortness breath vomiting blood pressure high fever 102.9. Update: I tested positive for corona. Be here for a couple of days.. then quarantine 14 day.”

His husband, Tony, had also fallen ill, but according to Phillip’s brothers, had been reluctant to take himself to hospital.

The couple lived with Phillip’s mom, and she later found Tony unresponsive, leading to him being rushed to the ICU and placed in a room next to Phillip.

The older woman has also tested positive for COVID-19 and is quarantining at home.

Related: Coronavirus and sex: What gay guys need to know before hooking up

Phillip passed on Easter Sunday in ICU from a heart attack believed to be related to COVID-19. Two days later, husband Tony also passed from the virus.

On Facebook, the local mayor, Mary M. Dennis, paid tribute to the couple.

“It is with a heavy heart and deep sadness that Live Oak City Council, administrative staff and the entire Live Oak community mourn the passing of Live Oak City Councilmember Anthony Brooks.

“Councilman Brooks joined council in 2015 and was a valued and active member. Although his job assignments would have him away, he always stayed connected to his service and commitment to our residents. He also served as a member director of the Live Oak Economic Development Corporation (EDC). He served honorably in the United States Army … Councilman Brooks will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

“In addition, the city lost another valuable member of the community. We also mourn the loss of EDC Citizen Director Phillip Tsai-Brooks. Phillip was a valued member of the city’s Economic Development Corporation and brought a unique perspective to the board. Phillip was the owner of a salon in San Antonio and worked hard to make it a successful small business.

“The void in the leadership of the council and corporation will be notable. We are forever grateful for both Anthony’s and Phillip’s service to our Live Oak Community and to our country. May God Bless their family and all who were blessed to call both men ‘friend.’”

Related: Miami pianist who attended Winter Party dies of COVID-19

In an interview with Fox San Antonio, Phillip’s brothers paid tribute to both men and shared concern for their mom.

Alfred Tsai, who is based in California, said the family had to arrange for two of Phillip’s other brothers, who live in San Antonio, to stand outside of their mom’s house to inform her of Phillip and Tony’s passing.

“They couldn’t go in to comfort her,” Alfred said.

Brother Robert Tsai added, “They traveled the world, they took my mom everywhere. To see them, to see one or the other leave, it would’ve been devastating for them.”

Robert said he and his brother wanted to talk about the death of their family members as a warning to others.

“At the end of the day, there are two family members we will miss and will never get back. It’s not worth going out socializing and having that chance risking the chance of getting it.”

Texas currently has a stay-at-home order in place. At the time of writing, the state has had 18,923 confirmed cases and 477 deaths. The US has had 770,564 and over 41,000 deaths.

www.queerty.com/texas-husbands-die-within-two-days-one-another-covid-19-20200420?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

3 Far-Right, Pro-Gun Brothers Behind Anti-Quarantine Protests in Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York

Three far-right, pro-gun activists, also brothers, are behind the anti-quarantine protests springing up in various parts of the country. The protests are sparked by Facebook groups targeting Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio organized by the siblings: Ben, Chris, and Aaron Dorr. The brothers are to the right of the National Rifle Association and believe the NRA has caved to too many demands.

The Washington Post reports: “The Dorr brothers manage a slew of pro-gun groups across a wide range of states, from Iowa to Minnesota to New York, and seek primarily to discredit organizations like the National Rifle Association as being too compromising on gun safety. Minnesota Gun Rights, for instance, describes itself as the state’s ‘no-compromise gun rights organization.’ The online activity instigated by the brothers helps cement the impression that opposition to the restrictions is more widespread than polling suggests. Nearly 70 percent of Republicans said they supported a national stay-at-home order, according to a recent Quinnipiac poll. Ninety-five percent of Democrats backed such a measure in the survey.”

Ohio:

Brookfield, Wisconsin protest:

Minnesota:

The post 3 Far-Right, Pro-Gun Brothers Behind Anti-Quarantine Protests in Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

3 Far-Right, Pro-Gun Brothers Behind Anti-Quarantine Protests in Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York