LGBTQ Ojai School Book Drive

Hi, my name is Michelle, and I am a local LGBTQ+ advocate helping raise funds for inclusive books to be donated to the Ojai Unified School District (OUSD). This fundraiser is not affiliated with any organization and is coordinated through a handful of Ojai LGBTQ+ community members and allies.

With the City of Ojai proclaiming Pride Month on June 14th and the Ojai Pride Walk coming on June 26th, we wanted to take Ojai Pride one step further this year with a direct and positive plan that impacts our community’s most vulnerable – our youth.

With the news this year from across the country of “Don’t say gay” bills and the banning and burning of books, an inclusive book drive is a powerful way to support LGBTQ+ youth and families. Not only does this fundraiser directly help, but it demonstrates to our neighbors how to be compassionate allies.

Tiffany Morse, OUSD Superintendent, says, “The library is a reflection of the students that we serve. The books in our library need to be relevant to the experiences that our students are living. Books can be really important tools for students to be able to validate their existence and their experiences and reinforce their self worth."

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation and Welcoming Schools have a great list of inclusive books we will use as a starting point for our selections. All books will be purchased through Ojai’s local bookstore, Bart’s Books – further supporting our local community.

Thank you for your donation. Together we can make our world a safer and happier place. Today we start one book at a time.