When Sara Katherine returned from New York to her hometown of Valparaiso, Indiana, she noticed a lack of support for LGBTQ youth. So she started working as a volunteer mentor at a local nonprofit, talking to queer teens they’d never seen before. LGBTQ people reflected a lot in the media or in your community. Then she came across a goldmine of resources: the Queer Liberation Library, a digital catalog of more than 1,200 LGBTQ books for anyone across the country to access.
“I was able to tell them, ‘Hey, guess what? I have something free for you, and it’s thousands of books that you can read where there are characters like you who are falling in love, who are having adventures,’” Katherine said.
The Queer Liberation Library (QLL) was founded by a team of nine volunteers in November to fill the queer literature gap amid a wave of state laws and school policies that challenge books with LGBTQ themes. To “verify” a digital book, all readers need to do is provide their name and U.S. mailing address – information that QLL keeps private and secure – and they will have access to the QLL catalog via Libby.
“It was one of those ideas that I was surprised no one else had thought of,” said Kieran Hickey, co-founder of QLL. “I knew it could be very impactful.”
Although some public libraries, such as Brooklyn Public Library in New York, offer free digital access to their entire collection across the country, QLL is one of the few services specifically curating books with a queer theme or written by queer authors. In the first few months, QLL attracted almost 4,000 readers. Today, it has a readership of over 50,000.
“The queer experience in the U.S. is very different, not just from state to state or city to city, but even county to county,” said Erik Lundstrom, who handles financial and legal matters at QLL. “Being able to provide books safely, regardless of location or circumstances, is one of the most important jobs I will do.”
Queer Liberation Library’s ‘Avengers’
QLL was the brainchild of Hickey, whose love and lack of access to LGBTQ literature led him to earn his master’s degree in library science from the University of British Columbia.
“My queer experience in particular, as a trans person, was not knowing what I was missing, not understanding why I felt so different, not understanding myself, and feeling very disconnected from the world around me,” Hickey said. “I would escape to books.”
After volunteering at an in-person LGBTQ library in Vancouver after college, he decided to replicate the concept when moving to the US. Through connections with mutual friends, Hickey formed the QLL team – all volunteers who collaborate remotely across the country and still meet in person.
Hickey calls the team “Queer Literature Heroes,” each with a role that helps them increase the library’s titles, reach, and access.
Lundstrom, known as “The Business Gay,” handles legal issues and web page management. Laura, the “Book Lister in Residence”, helps curate the titles. Fern Odawnul, or QLL’s “Social Media Gremlin,” shares updates about new book releases, merchandise launches, and fundraising efforts on Instagram, TikTok, and X.
As a father, Odawnul also consults on the library’s children’s book collection. Among the children’s books highlighted is “My Shadow Is Purple”, by Scott Stuart, which introduces young readers to non-binary identity. Through engaging illustrations, the story follows a child’s exploration of his shadow, which is neither blue nor pink, but purple. This realization helps the main character understand that he is not confined to specific gender roles.
“It’s really cute and a great way to describe that neither-both thing that a lot of non-binary identities often experience,” Odawnul said. The hope is that young readers like her son “grow up in a welcoming world,” Odawnul said.
Between July 2021 and December 2023, book bans were implemented in 42 states in both red and blue districts, according to a PEN America Report. While the bans target titles with themes of race, gender identity and sexual orientation, seven of the 10 most challenged titles in 2023 addressed LGBTQ issues, according to a report from the American Library Association. “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe, a graphic memoir detailing the author’s non-binary coming out journey, remained at the top of the list for the third year in a row.
Books with LGBTQ characters and themes help queer kids feel seen and belong, while book bans make them feel punished and erased, said Melanie Willingham-Jaggers, executive director of the LGBTQ educational organization GLSEN. At least 1 in 4 high school students identifies as LGBTQ, according to a 2021 study Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey.
“When LGBTQ+ youth don’t have access to books that reflect their narratives, they lose identity affirmation, role models and inspiration,” said Willingham-Jaggers. “This absence can lead to feelings of shame and doubt. They also miss out on critical social and emotional learning opportunities that can help them navigate their own experiences.”
It’s also equally important for non-LGBTQ students to see queer representation, Willingham-Jaggers said. “By ensuring that queer literature is accessible to everyone, regardless of location, these platforms promote inclusivity and understanding,” she said. “They inspire a love of reading and support lifelong learning, while fostering a sense of community among readers.”
The impact and future of the Queer Liberation Library
QLL continues to grow its collection and membership by researching the needs and concerns of its audience. Odawnul said some interviewees expressed fear that they would not be able to borrow LGBTQ books from their local libraries, and that when they read these texts, they see their identities reflected. When she gets responses like that, “that’s when I know we’re doing something right,” Odawnul said.
In Valparaíso, “there is very little visibility and diversity,” Katherine said. But through the books, she tries to show the LGBTQ youth she mentors that “what you’re feeling is okay, and that you being you is okay,” she said.
While the team respects member privacy and does not disclose specific details, Lawton shared some demographic data: 16% of members reside in rural regions, and two of the most checked titles on the platform include: “How to Bite Your Neighbor” and “Win a Bet” by DN Bryn and “At 30, I realized I had no gender” by Shou Arai.
Next, QLL hopes to hold in-person events such as book clubs, summer reading programs, and meetups to support LGBTQ youth.
“I think any opportunity we have to bring queer people together and realize how much our shared liberation depends on each other’s liberation is super important,” Hickey said. “I’m trying to give people what I didn’t have.”
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