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A Library Is a Place You Can Lose Your Innocence without Losing Your Virginity: LGBTQAI+ Young Adults, Young Adult Literature, & Sexuality Health Information Needs

Although sexual education programs are staples in the middle and high school curricula, many of these courses are abstinence-based which do not serve the needs of the teen demographic, let alone those who are LGBTQAI+ (Orenstein, 2016). “LGBT teens are often left out of discussions in sex education classrooms in the United States because of discriminatory curricula, ignorance on the part of some teachers and students, or fear of retribution from conservative political and religious activists” (Bittner, 2012, p. 357). LGBTQAI+-focused literature can help fill the gaps in sexuality/sexual health information not addressed in public school curricula. Content analysis, both quantitative and qualitative divulges sexuality and sexual health issues examined in LGBTQAI+ marketed young adult literature. Individual interviews of LGTQAI+ young adults add insight into whether the positive and negative aspects of the young adult literature, discovered through content analysis, affect them in their enjoyment of or willingness to read the book, whether the issues in the book are authentic and pertinent to their everyday life, and if the books fulfill an information need they have about sexuality or sexual health. The mixed methods complement each other as the content analysis explores what is contained in the texts while the interviews with LGBTQAI+ teens will determine the significance of those findings. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Information in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / 2019 / September 18, 2019. / LGBTQ, Library Science, Literature, School Libraries, Young Adult Literature, Young Adults / Includes bibliographical references. / Michelle M. Kazmer, Professor Directing Dissertation; Amy Burdette, University Representative; Charles Hinnant, Committee Member; Don Latham, Committee Member.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_752422
ContributorsEscobar, Kristie L. (author), Kazmer, Michelle M. (professor directing dissertation), Burdette, Amy M. (university representative), Hinnant, Charles C. (Charles Christopher) (committee member), Latham, Don, 1959- (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Communication and Information (degree granting college), School of Information (degree granting departmentdgg)
PublisherFlorida State University
Source SetsFlorida State University
LanguageEnglish, English
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeText, text, doctoral thesis
Format1 online resource (139 pages), computer, application/pdf

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