Sexuality and Gendered Acceptance

SAGA is an acronym for Sexuality and Gendered Acceptance or Alliance.

LGBTQIA2S+ is an acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Two-Spirit and additional sexual orientations and gender identities including non-binary.

Resources included on this page provide informational starting points for all library users, including youth, allies and parents. Not a comprehensive list.

NPL Booklists

• For Kids – 2SLGBTQIA+ books for kids and tweens – regularly updated and maintained
• For Kids – Sex, Body & Gender – Nonfiction books for kids and their grown-ups to help with conversations about how our bodies grow and change and the diverse ways love and self identity manifest
• Young Adult – Rainbow Reads 2022
• Teens – Queer Fiction & Non-Fiction
• Queer Non-Fiction
• Queer Fiction

Local Resources

• Trans Connect – A health and community program supporting transgender, two spirit, intersex, and gender diverse people in the East & West Kootenay regions.
• Kootenay Pride Community Forum – link to Facebook group.
• nelsonpride – link to Instagram.
• Nelson Pride – Kootenay Pride has changed its name to honour and respect the work of other Kootenay-based Pride organizations, [and] better reflect the local area served.

Non-binary People

• Life Outside The Binary – includes resources for nonbinary people and support for family and friends.
• National Center for Transgender Equality – Understanding Non-Binary People – overview on how to be supportive and respectful of non-binary people.

Trans People

• GLAAD – Transgender FAQ – Answers common questions like: What does transgender mean? How is sexual orientation different from gender identity? What name and pronoun do I use?
• National Center for Transgender Equality – About Transgender People –  understanding trans people, FAQs, how to support and answers to common questions.

Two-Spirited People

• Trans Care BC – Two-Spirit – includes books, online resources, film, and academic articles about two-spirited people.
• Turtle Island Native Network – source for news stories and issues pertaining to Indigenous and LGBTQ2S people.

Youth

• In Their Own Words – explores of non-binary gender identity created by non-binary teens and young adults.
• QMUNITY – Youth Services – online drop-in spaces, our Bras, Binders, and Breast Forms Exchange Program, one-on-one support, and referrals and resources for LGBTQ/2S youth ages 25 and under.
• UNYA – Two-Spirit Collective – provides support, resources, and programming for Indigenous youth, ages 15 to 30, who identify as 2-spirit or LGBTQ+.

Seniors

• Aging with Pride – BC Care Providers Association and EngAge BC are working with seniors’ living and wellness operators to help improve LGBTQ2+ competency across the sector. Background information and resources, which can be used by operators, or shared with the people you support.
• Raising Awareness and Addressing Elder Abuse in the LGBTQ Community – Simon Fraser University (SFU) worked with a variety of partners to host Town Hall meetings, produce videos and factsheets to increase awareness of elder abuse in the LGBTQ community.

Legal Information

• BC Children’s Hospital (BCCH) – Transgender Resources – Offers information and forms for: name and gender change, binding, tucking and other supplies, consent forms for blockers and hormones, and much more.
• Legal Aid BC – Safety in Relationships: Trans Folk – Describes relationship abuse, dispels common myths about abuse involving trans folk, discusses why a person might stay with an abusive partner, provides practical tips for making a plan to stay safely or leave safely, and lists community resources where help is available

Parenting Resources

• Family Acceptance Project
• Gender Spectrum
• PFLAG Vancouver – Resources for Parents
• QMUNITY – Support for Parents
• Trans Care BC – Parenting

Research & Projects

• University of Victoria – Transgender Archives – An online discovery tool to search the world’s largest collection of trans, nonbinary, Two-Spirit, and other gender-diverse publications archived by UOV.

Understanding and Becoming an Ally

• GLAAD – Tips for Allies of Transgender People
• Life Outside the Binary – Resources for Friends and Family
• National Center for Transgender Equality – Questionable Questions about Transgender Identity – A guide to help you decide whether or not a particular question is appropriate to ask a transgender person in your life.
• National Center for Transgender Equality – Supporting the Transgender People in Your Life
• Trans Care BC – Queer Straight Alliances

Words Have Meaning

• CBC Kids – They/Them/Their: Why some people use these pronouns
• GLAAD – The Ally’s Guide to Terminology – Includes terms to use, terms to avoid, and other etiquette suggestions.
• NPR – A Guide to Gender Identity Terms
• QMUNITY – Queer Terminology from A to Q
• Radical Copyeditor – Style Guide for Writing about Transgender People – Guidelines for writing about trans people that includes modern language on matters pertaining to gender diversity.
• Words Matter – Guidelines on using inclusive language in the workplace, produced by BC Government.