Chapter 10: Teaching Tolerance Through Literature: How Including LGBTIQ Titles in Your Library Can Increase Acceptance

In 2010, a fellow teacher approached me about sponsoring a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA). This was the first I had ever heard of a GSA, and I was excited about the challenge. I am a high school English teacher in a diverse St. Louis suburb, and I have observed many of our nearly 2,000 students suffer from homophobic bullying, so I wanted to do whatever I could to improve our school culture. Since its inception, our group has grown to nearly 50 active members. We hold yearly events and fundraisers, and though we don’t have any hard evidence, many students and teachers have said that the bullying climate in our school has drastically improved since we founded our GSA.