STRONGER NEWS - June 2026 - Happy Pride and Hope to see you at ALA
Thank you for being a freedom to read advocate! Amid the storm of prejudice and laws targeting members of the LGBTQIA2+ community, we remind ourselves and our friends that just being our authentic selves is resistance. Thriving and living a good life outside of their narrow boxes is revolutionary. And so here’s to knowing every day, every month, that we deserve joy.
Thank you for being a freedom to read advocate! Amid the storm of prejudice and laws targeting members of the LGBTQIA2+ community, we remind ourselves and our friends that just being our authentic selves is resistance. Thriving and living a good life outside of their narrow boxes is revolutionary. And so here’s to knowing every day, every month, that we deserve joy.
If you’ll be at the American Library Association Annual conference coming up in Chicago, come say hello:
Lee will be speaking at the Library Insights Summit on Friday Jun 26 at 10:30am, moderating the panel “Land Your Book In Libraries 201: Metadata, Reviews, Marketing and Consumer Demand” for author publishers (a.k.a. Self-published authors) and hosting an 11:45am Book Bingo game for publishers and librarians with 25 publishers giving 30 second pitches of their latest books!
On Saturday Jun 27, Lee will be doing two signings where he’ll give away copies of his new gay teen action adventure romance novel, A DIFFERENT KIND OF ENEMY (courtesy of his publisher, Duet of Interlude Press/Chicago Review Press.) At 10am he’ll be at the distributor IPG’s booth #4029, and then at 3pm he’ll be at IBPA’s booth #2429. (IBPA stands for the Independent Book Publishers Association, where Lee works as the Chief Content Officer.)
Tasslyn will be part of the panel, “Data vs. Censorship: How Critical Data to Protect Intellectual Freedom is Preserved” on Saturday June 27 from 11-12. She’ll also be floating around the Library Marketplace for the entirety of the conference (check the Bibliotheca booth #1818) … she’s happy to take questions or hear about what’s happening for you!
As we’ve talked to folks across the country over the past month, a few things are clear. Censorship is not about the books - it’s an attempt to erase the recognition and visibility of the people represented by those books. We oppose this awful censorship movement by fully embracing the beauty and diversity of books and readers across this country. Speak up for the books – and even more important – let’s speak up for each other. Remember that together, we are STRONGER than censorship.
With thanks and appreciation for all you do,
Lee and Tasslyn