There is a common misconception that libraries order LGBTQ+ books exclusively for teenaged and young adult readers. And, in fairness, younger people are much more likely to be vulnerable or under-informed, in ways we try to compensate for by making our library a safe and welcoming place.
But as Pride Month begins, we’d like to say to our adult patrons: there is no age limit for self-discovery. Our LGBTQ+ community is wide, with plenty of people who started to figure themselves out in their forties, fifties and sixties – our responsibility is to them, their comfort and their culture, just as much as it is to younger LGBTQ+ folks.
That’s why we mark our LGBTQ+ biographies and our history of Pride clearly, and tell the stories of people who came out much later in life, or whose sexualities only became clear years after their lives ended.
That’s why we cater our Pride fiction displays not just for YA readers, but for everyone, and why we call attention to LGBTQ+ authors both well-known and unknown.
That’s why we cater our Pride month programs to anyone who might take an interest, and ensure seniors and adults have a chance to participate just as much as younger patrons do. We cater to all, regardless of wealth, and we have no interest in pushing anyone to come out before they attend –we want you as you are.
Old or young: life as an LGBTQ+ person, at your chosen level of comfort, is possible. Joy, as someone LGBTQ+, is reachable.
We don’t presume to tell anyone who they are, or who they should be. Our responsibility is only to provide people with new ways to be themselves. We hope you all have a happy, affirming Pride month, together with the Yonkers Public Library.