SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About TLT
  • Reviews
    • Book Reviews
    • A to Z Book Lists
    • Book Review Policy
  • Teen Issues
  • Middle Grade Mondays
  • Programs
    • TPiB
    • Tech Talk
  • Professional
    • Teen Services 101
    • Things We Didn’t Learn in Library School
  • MakerSpace
  • Projects
    • #SVYALit
    • #FSYALit
    • #MHYALit
    • #Poverty in YA Lit

July 19, 2015 by Karen Jensen, MLS

Sunday Reflections: This is what courage looks like

July 19, 2015 by Karen Jensen, MLS   2 comments

cour·age

noun: courage
  1. the ability to do something that frightens one.
    “she called on all her courage to face the ordeal”
    2. strength in the face of pain or grief.
    “he fought his illness with great courage”

For weeks now people have been talking about Caitlyn Jenner and courage. You don’t have to like that Caitlyn Jenner came out as transgender, though your anger and hostility proves exactly why her doing so is in fact an act of courage. For my entire life GLBTQ have been harassed, beaten, killed or taking their own lives. They have grown up watching people stand on street corners holding signs saying “God Kills F@gs Dead”. They have been told in no uncertain terms that there are whole segments of the population who not only hate them, but actively wish them harm. Coming out is an act of courage. In the year 2015, coming out is still an of courage. It means that tomorrow night or one night next year, you may be walking down the street and stumble into a group of those very people and lose your life because you chose to be open and honest about who you are.

My father was in the military. It is not a dishonor to him to say yes Caitlyn Jenner is brave. People can be brave and show courage in different ways. One does not negate the other.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

My friend has a 5 year old child who has tried to take his own life 3 times because he was born a girl but feels he is supposed to be a boy. Caitlyn Jenner coming forwards help kids like this, help families like my friend. Thing 2 is the same age as my friend’s child. I can not imagine what it is like to live in fear as your 5-year-old child tries to take their own life.

Bravery and courage comes in all shapes and sizes. There is more than one way to show courage. Standing tall in a world that says you have no right to stand tall is indeed an act of courage. And it is an act that has the potential to save a lot of other lives, if you don’t end up losing yours for this very act.

40% of homeless youth are homeless because they have come out as GLBTQ+ and have been rejected by their family.

30 to 40% of GLBTQ+ youth attempt suicide

I know that a lot of people have strong religious beliefs about GLBTQ issues. I, too, once held these same beliefs. But despite what I may or may not feel about the issue of homosexuality and being transgender, at the end of the day I can’t escape two irrefutable facts. One, my God has told me to love everyone. Two, GLBTQ people lose their lives every day because so many of us forget about point number one. If you don’t understand why Caitlyn Jenner is showing incredible courage, then maybe it’s time to rethink what courage means.

October Mourning is a moving portrait of the life and death of Matthew Shepard
October Mourning is a moving portrait of the life and death of Matthew Shepard

Caitlyn Jenner could be the next Matthew Shepard, to name just one of the 1,000s of people who have been murdered for being GLBTQ. That alone makes Caitlyn Jenner an example of courage.

Filed under: Uncategorized

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Karen Jensen, MLS

Karen Jensen has been a Teen Services Librarian for almost 30 years. She created TLT in 2011 and is the co-editor of The Whole Library Handbook: Teen Services with Heather Booth (ALA Editions, 2014).

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

May 2022

Have Some Mysteries and Thrillers for June Through December

by Karen Jensen, MLS

April 2022

Tackling Your Children's Collection Diversity Audit, a TLA presentation recap

by Karen Jensen, MLS

April 2022

Mindfulness in the Library, a guest post by Erica B. Marcus

by Karen Jensen, MLS

April 2022

Cindy Crushes Programming: DIY Paper Flowers

by Karen Jensen, MLS

April 2022

In SLJ: Verse Novelists Forge a Unique Connection with Young Readers

by Karen Jensen, MLS

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Notes on June 2022

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Review of the Day: Listen to the Language of the Trees by Tera Kelley, ill. Marie Hermansson

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Banana Fox and The Gummy Monster Mess | Review

by J. Caleb Mozzocco

Heavy Medal

Mock Newbery Update – Our List of First Half Suggestions

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

by

The Classroom Bookshelf

by

The Yarn

Shark Week, Vanilla Ice Cream, and the Honda CRV: Bob Shea and Brian Won Team Up for ADURABLE

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

2 Contemporary Retellings of 'Pride and Prejudice'

10 Shonen Manga Must-Reads | Mondo Manga

Four Novels for Young Sleuths Watching 'The Mysterious Benedict Society' on Disney+ | Read-Alikes

15 Titles to Help Students and Families With College Prep

Mental Health Awareness Month: 9 Books About Teens in Therapy

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. JennB says

    July 24, 2015 at 6:11 pm

    Karen, This piece is brilliant. Until I had a child and started working with teens, I’m not sure I really understood. I now have two transgendered teens that I have gotten to know through the library and I think about them every time I hear this topic discussed. I can’t imagine something happening to them, or to my own child for that matter. It is so sad that we as humans can’t just love each other and put the judging and hate aside.

    • Karen Jensen, TLT says

      August 5, 2015 at 8:40 pm

      Thank you Jenn. And those teens are lucky to have you, we all need loving people in our lives.
      Karen

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

Follow This Blog

Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

Primary Sidebar

  • News & Features
  • Reviews+
  • Technology
  • School Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Age Level
  • Ideas
  • Blogs
  • Classroom
  • Diversity
  • People
  • Job Zone

Reviews+

  • Book Lists
  • Best Books
  • Media
  • Reference
  • Series Made Simple
  • Tech
  • Review for SLJ
  • Review Submissions

SLJ Blog Network

  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal
  • Neverending Search
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn

Resources

  • 2022 Youth Media Awards
  • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
  • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
  • Summer Reading 2021
  • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
  • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
  • Summer Programming Survey
  • Research
  • White Papers / Case Studies
  • School Librarian of the Year
  • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
  • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

Events & PD

  • In-Person Events
  • Online Courses
  • Virtual Events
  • Webcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Media Inquiries
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Content Submissions
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Sale
  • FAQs
  • Diversity Policy
  • Careers at MSI


COPYRIGHT © 2022


COPYRIGHT © 2022