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Despite Maryland’s Freedom to Read act, schools still banned 64 books in the 2023-2024 school year—many by queer authors and centering LGBTQ+ identities. So this group of high school students said f that.

With one of our It Gets Better: Changemakers grants, they launched Navigating the Margins—a writing program that paired young authors with published mentors. What came out of the partnerships was a groundbreaking anthology filled with stories ranging from fantasy and dystopian fiction to school dramas and murder mysteries.

One of the students said, "I see the book at school and I’m filled with such immense pride for all of us who were brave enough and proud enough to show who we really are." <3

If you want to do this or something similar for LGBTQ+ youth in your own community, we can help! Apply for a $10,000 Changemakers grant by May 5th at itgetsbetter.org/changemakers.