Browsing the bookshelves of Milner Library, Digitization Coordinator Karmine Beecroft is struck by the wide range of genres available to Illinois State University readers—especially in LGBTQIA+ literature—and how those subjects have historically been denied a place on the shelf.
"I have that fantastic, transformative experience of being able to walk through the stacks and pick up books that would have been forbidden knowledge 50 years ago," Beecroft said. "For queer folks, we grow up divorced from our history. I’m very cognizant of the fact that we have a ton of privilege when it comes to knowing ourselves today."
To deepen understanding of queer history for both community members and allies, Beecroft organized Read the Rainbow, a summer reading challenge running through August 21, sponsored by Queer Coalition. Illinois State’s affinity group for LGBTQIA+ faculty, staff, and graduate students, Queer Coalition counts Beecroft among its co-presidents and founding board members.
People are also reading…
Open to all campus affiliates, Read the Rainbow rewards participants for reading or listening to books with queer characters or themes across all genres—from scholarly works to popular fiction. Readers can pick up a passport at the Milner Library service desk or download one to print, and earn rewards for each book completed.
"A lot of people have fond memories of doing similar things at the public library during the summer when they were kids, so I thought that might spark some interest," Beecroft said.
The challenge comes at a moment of heightened tension around queer literature. Despite greater access, Beecroft said books in the genre remain targets of bigotry—often found turned around on the shelf or gone missing entirely.
"This is an area that has seen a lot of censorship in recent years. I wanted to give people a chance to explore the books that are being censored instead of just taking people’s word for it online," they said.
To that end, Beecroft assembled a list of more than 100 queer ebooks available through Milner Library. For those new to the genre, they suggest Queer: A Graphic History by Meg-John Barker and Julia Scheele; Bi: The Hidden Culture, History, and Science of Bisexuality by Julia Shaw; and Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson by Tourmaline.
With such a long list of options, political science graduate student and Queer Coalition member Caitlin Bradford ’22 wishes there was more time in the summer to kick back with a good page-turner.
"I’m a big fan of queer romance books, queer history books, and Black history books. There’s been this great overlap I’ve been able to explore, and there are books on this list outside my typical reading that I’m super excited to get to," Bradford said.
Bradford is currently reading A Black Queer History of the United States by C. Riley Snorton and Darius Bost. Next on their summer reading list is Black. Queer. Southern. Women. by E. Patrick Johnson, a collection of life narratives of more than 70 African American queer women born and raised in the American South.
Queer people have always existed in history. While the stories may not have been told, we are aware of them now," Bradford said. "Even with all the attempts to erase it, our history will still be told, whether through oral storytelling, documentaries, or biographies. We have existed in the past, we exist now, and we will exist in the future."
“Queer people have always existed in history. Even with all the attempts to erase it, our history will still be told, whether through oral storytelling, documentaries, or biographies.”
—Caitlin Bradford ’22
In addition to the summer reading program, Queer Coalition hosts a Gay Agenda Book Club where campus bookworms can discuss recent reads and swap recommendations. The next book club meeting is at noon on July 10, at 504 DeGarmo Hall.
Bradford said the camaraderie of the book club shows that that the LGBTQIA+ community "is still thriving."
"As a grad student, being able to attend events and connect with others who understand the struggles of being queer in society where sometimes it feels like (we aren’t) welcome—ISU has been great," Bradford said. "Whether it’s through the reading challenge or having a booth at Bloomington-Normal PrideFest, Queer Coalition provides space to come in and be yourself at your own pace."
Beecroft is hopeful that Read the Rainbow inspires Redbirds to strengthen connections with others during Pride Month and beyond.
"For the allies who would like to learn more about queer identities and queer history, it’s an incentive to spend some time over the summer to exercise empathy and put yourself in somebody else’s shoes and see the commonalities that exist more than the differences," Beecroft said.
