The American Library Association on Monday announced it has added another prize to its Stonewall Book Awards.
The Stonewall Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award will recognize an English-language children’s book “of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered experience.”
“Children’s books regarding the LGBT experience are critical tools in teaching tolerance, acceptance and the importance of diversity,” Roberta Stevens, president of ALA, said in a statement.
“Our nation is one of diverse cultures and lifestyles and it is important for parents, educators and librarians to have access to quality children’s books that represent a spectrum of cultures,” she added.
In making its announcement, the group cited figures by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that show 14 million children are being raised by a gay or lesbian parent and the latest Census data which estimates that more than 56 percent of gay households have at least one child under the age of 18.
Additional coverage in the NYTimes.
hypocritical
If that’s the case, get some more books by ex-gays and some more Christian perspective books on the lifestyle. It’s hypocritical to say that and then only allow one viewpoint about it in many libraries.
You know, you’re right!
I also would like some books by members of the Ku Klux Klan on African-American history. You know, just so we can have that “balance”
What I would like
Every library needs to have books on the holocaust written from a Neo-Nazi perspective. Its only fair. Presenting just one side of the Holocaust issue is hypocritical.