Libraries across the city will stage dedicated LGBT Pride events throughout the month of June.
The first-time “Free Library of Pride” features discussions, film screenings, games, socials and more, with offerings for LGBTs and allies across all ages. Activities will take place at more than two-dozen libraries throughout the city.
The library has had a presence at Pride, OutFest and other community events in the past, but this is the first system-wide LGBT initiative.
The effort is the brainchild of several FLP employees, who pitched the idea to officials and worked with individual library representatives to create the programming.
“Librarians across the city — mostly straight allies — said yes, of course, they’d do something for Pride month,” said Marianne Banborn, branch manager for the Independence Branch. “The Free Library has been completely supportive. My library coordinator, Mary Marques, also a straight ally, worked with graphics to get us a logo, an online Free Library presence and a brochure. We had no budget. We had no committee. This was a completely grassroots librarian-to-librarian effort.”
Librarians chose the programs, the audience and the age group, Banborn added.
“Each community library knows its patrons best,” added Sara Palmer, children’s librarian at Ramonita G. de Rodriguez Neighborhood Library in North Philadelphia. “We purposely wanted it to be grassroots-oriented; we didn’t want to go around and assign different activities to different places because each librarian knows the needs of their patrons best.
“We want our programming to lift up the voices of those in the LGBTQ+ community who continue to face daily struggle and discrimination, especially trans folk, LGBTQ+ people of color and youth,” she said. “The programming is diverse because our community is diverse, and we celebrate that.”
The programming was initially titled “30 Days of Gay,” which Banborn said was “our way to take back the word ‘gay’ and use it with pride.” Organizers reworked the name after concerns about the wording not being inclusive.
“As we launched our programming under that title, we have heard that this was not welcoming to and inclusive of many members of our LGBTQ+ family,” she said. “Since this was far from what we intended by having a month-long series dedicated to Pride programming, we have renamed the program ‘Free Library of Pride.’ We hope that our communities will all come out and participate and make this a huge success.”
Apart from this month’s programming, supporters also created a broader effort that includes a Facebook page that Palmer said will keep followers up to date on FLP and community news.
Banborn said organizers hope to streamline the planning process for next year’s Pride activities. Plans are in the works for an LGBTQ+ Youth Advisory Group to offer organizers input on the programming, as well as an advisory group at Blackwell Regional Library. An event was also added to the Free Library of Pride to encourage community feedback and suggestions on programming.
“I hope we’ll have a committee to work on Pride month programming next year,” she said. “We did the best we could but of course with more experience and feedback we can do better. I hope that everyone will feel welcomed by their public library.”
For more information, visit https://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/tag/30-days-of-gay.