Reflections of a Reader and PLP Intern
Alex G
A protagonist, or even a side character who is given a spotlight by the author, can be a true friend and inspiration. In many cases, growing up and catching a few minutes to read during class or during lunch, these characters are with us as young readers for quite a long time. A character who is like the reader, whether through appearances, family structure, or even personality can be extremely influential in inspiring a young reader.
Pride and Less Prejudice’s mission is based on this idea of representation, of characters that resemble the many different types of families and identities in this world, the identities that are often left out of literature. I think that the mission of Pride and Less Prejudice is so compelling to so many people because we understand how stories can stay with us. I was especially thinking about my continued interest and connection to fairytales when I decided to apply for the Communications and Development Internship.
Throughout my time with Pride and Less Prejudice, I’ve seen requests for books grow by the thousands, and I’m very proud to say that even my hometown has seen a huge number of requests in the past few weeks. Just a few days ago, I noticed that a teacher from the school I attended when I was in elementary school, a school that is just a short walk away from me, had requested books from Pride and Less Prejudice.
I especially loved being able to explore my creative side by creating graphics for social media on Canva. I can remember early into my internship, pitching the idea for a series of designs themed around LGBTQ+ history month. The feelings when I saw that that particular post had gained hundreds of likes was like a sense of reassurance. The entire team has been so welcoming throughout the internship experience. Throughout the experience I’ve gotten the impression that in the face of hesitation and doubt, going for one’s dreams and goals (even if one isn’t sure if things will work out) can create lasting positive change.
A recent example of a leap of faith has to do with discovering Give OUT Day: a month-long fundraising campaign for LGBTQ+ focused non-profits. In the process of searching for grant opportunities, I came across Give OUT Day and learned that through it, we could post information about Pride and Less Prejudice and encourage others to create their own fundraisers for us. I brought the idea to our founder, Lisa, and we decided to go for it even though we weren't sure how successful it would be. Then, even before the month of June had begun, a teacher who had been deeply impacted by our resources had already started a campaign and raised funds. It was incredibly uplifting to hear, and particularly gratifying to see that my discovery was already benefiting Pride and Less Prejudice. It was also a reminder that we make positive impacts on people every day without even realizing it.
While interning with Pride and Less Prejudice, my life changed considerably. I went from a recent college graduate, taking a few classes to add to my resume and continuing to explore my interests as I danced through a number of career ideas and doubts, to a current Library Page at the library I grew up going to. I see the books Pride and Less Prejudice sends to teachers making their way in and out of the library, and beam when a patron compliments my “Read Banned Books” pin on my lanyard. I did not predict when graduating that my internship would correlate so strongly to what may now be my career field, but I love how it’s worked out like this. At this moment I’m considering attending a Master’s in Library Sciences program with a focus on representation and diverse literature, and it’s thanks to my experiences with Pride and Less Prejudice.
We can’t let our fears or doubts hold us back. If the heroes of the stories we love decided to never leave their hometown to go on a quest, there wouldn’t exactly be a story in the first place. Literature that makes everyone feel included, with voices coming from all corners of the worlds and varied experiences, from different perspectives and understandings, is something that makes one feel less alone in this world.
