LGBT+, Trans-Inclusive, and Queer Resources and Literature

Resources for college students

For more resources on USM’s trans-inclusive policies and resources, check out the Student Diversity Page, which includes resources for the LGBT+ community (including a list of gender-neutral bathrooms on campus as well as the preferred name policy) and resources for students of color.

• USM offers Safe Space training for groups and staff members who want to become better allies to the LGBT+ community. You also get a cute sticker for completing the training!
• There are multiple queer-friendly spaces on campus, including:
  • The Student Diversity center on the Gorham campus located in Upper Brooks 
  • The Women and Gender Studies house located on the Portland Campus

• USM’s special collections have resources for LGBT+ studies at their Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine.
• USM is also a part of a local research project called Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection. The project aims to interview local LGBT+ folks about their experiences as queer-identified individuals in the state of Maine. 
• Accreditedschoolsonline.org created a comprehensive list for LGBT+ students, including how to build community, an abundance of resources, and scholarships for queer-identifying students.

General LGBT+ Terminology and Discussion

• Terms and definitions relating to the LGBT+ community:
  • A glossary of LGBT+ terms provided by the Human Rights Campaign
  • How to ask someone for their pronouns from pronouns.org
  • How to be a better ally to the LGBT+ community from glaad

• Videos about gender:
  • TED Talk: “Ending Gender” by Scott Turner Schofield
  • Ash Beckham, a butch lesbian, talking about how to respond to a kid’s “are you a boy or girl” question: Video Link

Recommended Books & Readings

• Penguin Random House’s Ultimate Pride Book List.
• Book, Becoming Nicole, follows the journey of the Mainer’s family while Wyatt transitions into Nicole. The book takes you on the journey from Wyatt’s childhood into her transition to Nicole, and how her family and community dealt with the transition.
• Unbound is written by award-winning sociologist Arlene Stein. Stein interviews four queer-identifying individuals who are having surgery and explores the different ways one can identify as a transgender male. (And one of the interviewees is from Maine!)
• Lisa Bunker is a Transgender woman who is an author and a house representative for New Hampshire. See Lisa Bunker’s website. 
• For info on LGBT+ history and Stonewall, read The Gay Revolution: The Story of the Struggle by Lillian Faderman
• Julia Serano is Trans-woman and academic. She discusses various Trans-related issues in her books.
• For information on Biology and its connection to Women and Gender studies, we recommend Testosterone by Rebecca Jordan-Young and Katrina Karkazis.
• Business Insider provides a book list from various LGBT+ topics ranging from queer-culture to LGBT+ politics. Some notable authors include Audrey Lorde, Julia Serano, and a book by Hilda Viloria who navigates life as an intersex individual.

Other General Resources

There are resources pertaining to different areas of LGBT+ studies on the online databases at USM’s library, but here are additional resources to get you jump-started!

• LGBT+ laws vary state by state, which means queer individuals have different protections depending on where they are in the United States. This map, LGBTQ equality by state, by the Movement Advancement Project, offers a look at the country and ranks each state based on its protective policies.
• In 2015, the National Center for Transgender Equality conducted a survey for the transgender population, asking questions related to socioeconomic status, marginalization and microaggressions, interpersonal violence, and more. View the report of their 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey here.
• New York City Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violence Project created a power and control wheel, which has information on abuse that is specific to the LGBT+ community.
• The Trevor Project is a national suicide hotline for LGBT+ individuals. On their website, there is education and resources about LGBT+ youth discrimination and ways to volunteer for the project.
• Have a look at a recent TED talk by Kimberlé Crenshaw on the urgency of intersectionality.