Later this month, readers across the country will join the annual Jazz & Friends National Day of School & Community Readings, a literary celebration of transgender and nonbinary youth.
On Thursday, February 25, libraries, schools, and households will participate in readings of three children’s books about gender identity: I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, My Rainbow by Trinity and DeShanna Neal, and When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff. The event encourages communities to (virtually) come together to show support and advocate for transgender and nonbinary kids.
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Welcoming Schools Program organizes the annual event, alongside cosponsors the National Education Association and the American Association of School Librarians (AASL). Educators can get involved by registering at hrc.im/JazzSignUp, where they can receive discussion guides, promotional tools, resources, and more.
“School librarians strive to create an inclusive environment where all students feel welcome,” AASL Kathy Carroll shared in a press release about the event. “Our goal is to provide collections and learning experiences that celebrate diversity and recognize our learners’ unique experiences.”
She continued: “School librarians also carefully curate the digital and print collection, outreach programs, and services so that all students see themselves reflected within the offerings of the school library. We hope that school librarians across the nation will join us in advocating and supporting our transgender and nonbinary learners.”
Subscribe to the I Love Libraries newsletter for more stories and resources.
