We’ve asked libraries across Colorado to submit program they’ve run in the last year that they’re proud of and they want the rest of us to see and celebrate. Sharing stories in books is great… but what about our stories? The stories of the ways our libraries bring the community together, enrich the lives of our neighbors, and serve the people who live and work in our cities and towns.
Tori Sandoval, Jeffco Public Library’s Teen Outreach Librarian, answered our call and we’re excited to let them tell you about Jefferson County Public Library’s Glitter and Gay Dance in their own words.
Library Name: Jefferson County Public Library
City/ Town: Lakewood, CO
Program Name: Glitter and Gay Dance
Date/ Date Range of Program: February 16, 2024
Intended Audience: LGBTQIA+ teens and allies
Description:
Celebrate an inclusive Valentines day with music, dancing, tarot card reading, glitter tattoos, and more! Wear your dream dance attire – it can be formal, cos-play, retro, or your own personal vibe! Glitter and Gay dance is for everyone in 6th grade-12th grade! Come celebrate the season of love with friends or your secret crush!
How did you come up with the idea for this program?
We have a GSA TAB (Gender and Sexuality Alliance Teen Advisory Board) and these teens host one LGBTQIA+ specific event each month around the county and they want to host an inclusive valentines dance where they could be their authentic selves.
What partners (if any) did you work with in developing or implementing this program?
We partnered with a local teen maker space (Gold Crown Club House) and they provided cool crafts and DJ the whole event with a legit DJ set up on the dance floor.
What about this program did you find successful? How did you measure the success of this program?
This was our first time hosting this event and we had over 50 teens attend this event on a night that had freezing rain. This shows that not only did teens want to attend, but that they also had caregivers who felt the importance of this event and made sure their teens attend the event and left safely. We had multiple caregivers share feedback about the event:
- “Thank you for providing a safe space for LGBTQ+ students to not only gather, but to be celebrated and honored for who they are. As a school counselor and ally, I know how meaningful and important these events and spaces are for LGBTQ+ youth, as they are a huge protective factor against depression and suicide for a population that is already at-risk.”
- “I was at your Glitter and Gay dance at the Belmar library, and just wanted to say it was an amazing time! I had so much fun, and it actually helped me come out to two of my friends. I have to say it was a bit short though, only two hours, but other than that, it was a great time”
- “I absolutely LOVE that the libraries host events like the Glitter and Gay Teen Pride event. It means so much to me and my kids to have events like this one available to express ourselves in a judgement free zone. Thank you for putting together inclusive events for the Jeffco community.”
We will be hosting the second annual glitter and gay dance again this year and are so excited to continue to provide this safe space for LGBTQIA+ teens and their allies to be their authentic selves!
Final Thoughts:
This event was a huge hit, but more importantly having a GSA TAB has made a WORLD of difference! The teens on our GSA TAB are the ones who came up with the idea and ultimately made it a huge success. I would HIGHLY recommend other public libraries creating a GSA TAB (TAG or whatever form of a teen advisory board they have). The GSA TAB makes sure that we host monthly events for the LGBTQIA+ community outside of the month of June.
Tori has permitted us to share their contact information so that anyone interested in reaching out to them about their program can do so. It is an incredibly generous offer of which you are invited to avail yourself if you’re inspired by their work and want to celebrate them or if you have questions about ways you can follow their lead.
To reach Tori, email them at tori.sandoval@jeffcolibrary.org
Colorado State Library (and the readers of this point as well, no doubt) understands how time consuming, emotionally draining, costly (in so many ways), and challenging it can be to run a program or project. Sometimes they fail gloriously… sometimes they fail with barely a whisper. It can be hard to recover from that. You’ve worked so hard!… and it just didn’t work out. Be gentle with yourself. Self-reflect. Pick up the pieces. And then get to the next thing. It’ll be worth it.
For all those other times, be sure to celebrate. Brag about it! Feel good about yourself, the team that collaborated on your work, and the community members who participated with it. Celebrate your hard work and the value that you contribute to your community.
Tell us the story of your program just like this library did here. Submit your library’s program for a Program Spotlight featured here and shared as far as Colorado State Library news reaches.
