News from the Pine Tree State
Inclusive books to schools
OUT Maine, the organization serving the state’s LGBTQ+ youth, has expanded their initiative to help school libraries be more inclusive. They’d already been recommending reading lists for families and educators on their website. But now, with their Read the Rainbow campaign, they’ve put into practice a plan to get these books into school library shelves.
First, they secured donations to purchase the books. When they opened the program to schools, the response was overwhelming. Applications from 59 school libraries requested the curated, grade-level appropriate book sets, far exceeding the funds raised so far.
By mid-January, they’d sent book sets, each containing 16–24 books, to 43 school libraries in 15 of Maine’s 16 counties at no cost to the schools, thanks to OUT Maine’s generous donors. And thanks to Hello Hello Books in Rockland, which coordinated the shipping.
To help keep the books going out to Maine school libraries, go to outmaine.org/read-the-rainbow, where you can make a donation. OUT Maine and Hello Hello Books will take it from there.
More: outmaine.org
New LGBTQA+ scholarship
A scholarship fund for graduating LGBTQ+ seniors and their allies (also graduating seniors) has been established by the Maine Community Foundation in honor of the life and work of Betsy Parsons (1954–2019), one of the first public school educators in the state to come out publicly. Parsons, an award-winning instructor who taught for 30 years in Portland schools, was also a cofounder of the Southern Maine Chapter of GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network).
“We’re honored that Betsy’s family trusted MaineCF with this scholarship honoring their sister and daughter,” Liz Fickett, director of grants and scholarships, told the Bangor Daily News. “We are excited to add our first scholarship for LGBTQ+ youth to our offerings and look forward to this first season of applicants and awards.”
The scholarship was “created by her family who staunchly support her ideals and share her deep love for and commitment to Maine and its people,” says Maine CF. “The Parsons Family welcomes and encourages Maine graduating high-school seniors of any gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion or socioeconomic background to apply.
More: mainecf.org
Queers of Greater Portland
American Sign Language interpreter and photographer Kyle Warnock reinvented his career during last year’s pandemic lockdown to create the website “Queers of Greater Portland,” which documents and connects LGBTQ people in Southern Maine and helps them combat loneliness and isolation in the community.
“Photography is the medium of connection for me,” Warnock told the Bangor Daily News. “It lessens the awkwardness of meeting, and talking to, strangers.”
Along with the beautiful photographs, the site provides resources—from health care to camping, politics to love, business to performing arts—to help link folks together.
“All the subjects on Queers of Greater Portland are organized into categories including, artists, health care, business, education and politics. The idea is that queers are normal, everywhere, and involved in all facets of Maine life. It’s an idea Warnock feels the need to stress, especially outside of Portland,” reports BDN.
More: queersofgreaterportland.org
HRC Municipal Equality Index
Overall, New England earned leading scores once again on the Human Rights Campaign’s 10th annual Municipal Equality Index.
In the Pine Tree State, Portland received 96 out of a perfect 100, South Portland 71, Scarborough 61, Bangor 58, Lewiston 56, Augusta 52, Auburn 49, Brunswick 39 and Orono (home of the beloved Orono Ostrich) 32.
The index measures LGBTQ inclusivity in municipal laws, policies and services for LGBTQ people in cities and some other communities with a strong LGBTQ presence across the US. Scores are based on 49 different criteria from employment, housing, credit, education, public services, transgender health care and anti-conversion therapy laws.
More: hrc.org
