And not just any Pride Month -- this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. It's a moment for remembering the past, as well as advocating for the future. For instance: I vividly remember being 14 years old, riding my bike to far-off library branches just so I could furtively check out much-mended paperbacks of One Teenager in Ten or Annie on My Mind. Heck, when I started my library career, I could count on my hands the number of LGTBQIA YA books published in a given year, and the options for middle grade and picture books were even more limited.
So, even as we acknowledge that there’s still a long way to go before all LGTBQIA young people can see themselves on the page, let's not forget just how much progress has already been made. Today’s young readers have options when it comes to reading books by and about LGBTQIA people, and that's something worth celebrating, this month and all year long.