SAN DIEGO – The new name of an American Library Association round table contains more than a minor grammatical change. It carries wide implications for GLBT communities.

The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Round Table (GLBTRT) is now the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table, to reflect the preferred terminology of the transgender community.

The name change was approved during the American Library Association’s Midwinter Meeting in San Diego. By changing the previously-used “transgendered” to “transgender” in its title, GLBTRT’s membership seeks to bring the round table’s name in line with the language preference of the transgender community and better reflect the GLBT community.

“The Round Table decided to make this change so there would be consistency between the name of the round table and commonly used language,” said ALA Co-Chairs Anne Moore and Dale McNeill in a statement explaining the change. “From outside the community, this change may seem like a minor detail, but GLBT communities have long been attuned to the power and implications of labeling.”

In 2010 the GLBTRT celebrated its 40th anniversary as one of the oldest GLBT professional organizations in the United States. 

About GLBTRT

The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table provides its members, other American Library Association divisions, members, and affiliates, and the library and information science field as a whole with a forum for discussion and an environment for education and learning regarding the needs of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender professional community and population at large.

For more information about GLBTRT, please visit www.ala.org/glbtrt. 

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