The Fossil Ridge High School Gender and Sexuality Alliance club (GSA) won a Poudre School District (PSD) grant of $360 to get books for academic and diversity purposes. They used this money to create an LGBTQ+ centric library full of graphic novels, poetry, non-fiction, fantasy, and more.

A member of the GSA, Fin, wrote the application that won this grant. The inspiration for the grant was his love for literature and desire for all students to feel they belong.

“I think reading is one of the best forms of escapism and when you can read a book and see yourself reflected and your experiences reflected it’s really, really validating.”

Fin is hoping this will be seen as a safe space for any students who need it.

“I really just want to make it a little corner where like, if someone walked in not knowing that we have GSA in that room, and they could identify with that, they would know that they could go and check out a book.”

The club sponsor for GSA, Todd Forkner, is proud to see this library come to fruition.

“Literature expands people’s horizons, and especially for a GSA, it can help students to find affinity where they may not have it in their own individual lives.”

Winning this grant has provided a great jumping off point of about 25 books, but Fin wishes to expand this library over time.

“It would be cool if we could also do like films because libraries nowadays you can check out films and TV… I think it’s also important to have all different kinds of media that you can see you’re reflected in, and not everyone’s the biggest reader.”

This library project means a lot to Fin as he has been wanting to leave something behind after graduating.

“I kinda wanted something to be here after I leave high school because, like, my family or some people close to me don’t really know this side of me, and so leaving something that could like kinda be, just, have like, an impact on all future queer people coming through Fossil.”

Fin is grateful that during a time when literature in schools nationwide is being threatened, PSD sets up opportunities for purposeful diversity.

“I’m just really happy [PSD] is a school district where they will give us money to do projects like this instead of taking the books away.”

This library can be found in E104 and the GSA meets every Tuesday at lunch in the same room.