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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Jessica Patrick, Parent and LGBTQ+ Advocate from Brooklyn School District 15
5:29:02
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Jessica Patrick, a parent of a transgender third-grader and LGBTQ+ advocate, testifies in support of Intro 1125, emphasizing the critical role of school librarians for LGBTQ+ students. She highlights the importance of libraries as safe spaces and librarians as vital support for vulnerable youth.
- Patrick stresses that librarians provide affirming information, curate inclusive stories, and create a sense of belonging for LGBTQ+ students.
- She points out the increased risk of self-harm among LGBTQ+ youth, especially transgender and non-binary children, and how librarians can help mitigate these risks.
- The testimony underscores the urgent need to bring librarians back to all New York City public schools to support all children, particularly those in the LGBTQ+ community.
Jessica Patrick
5:29:02
Good afternoon, Chair Joseph and Chair Rivera and members of the committee.
5:29:06
My name is Jessica Patrick, and I live in Brooklyn School District fifteen.
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I'm the parent of a transgender third grader.
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I'm also the parent lead of our school's Gender and Sexuality Alliance and an active member of the PTA.
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Today, I'm here as a parent and an advocate for LGBTQ plus students in our public schools, especially our transgender and non binary youth.
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Our GSA meets every month in our school library, but our students can't check out the books.
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Why?
5:29:31
Because we don't have a certified librarian.
5:29:33
I'm here in support of Intro eleven twenty five and to speak about the quiet crisis unfolding in our schools and how it's impacting some of our most vulnerable students.
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For LGBTQ plus students, school can be a place of isolation, harassment, or invisibility, but a library staffed by a trained and compassionate librarian can offer something radically different.
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It can be a sanctuary, a place to find not just books, but belonging.
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Librarians are often the first adults to connect with students about finding with affirming information about gender identity, queerness, and mental health.
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They curate stories where LGBTQ plus characters aren't defined by their struggles, but celebrated in everyday ways with joy, love, and possibility.
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They build community, offer care, and create refuge.
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Without them, these lifelines vanish.
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This matters.
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LGBTQ plus youth are four times more likely to self harm and worse, and that risk is even higher for trans and non binary kids.
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Affirming stories, trusted adults, and safe spaces don't just help, they actually save lives.
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And yet, our city is letting this critical support system disappear.
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Librarians are not just keepers of books, they are protectors of the truth, defenders of inclusion, and sometimes the only adult in a school who quietly tells a queer or trans kid, you belong here and you are enough.
5:30:53
We must do everything we can to bring librarians back into all of our schools for all of our children, and the first step is this bill and finding out how many public schools are in New York City are missing librarians.
5:31:04
Thank you.