Week 14 Prompt

I would not separate LGBTQ fiction or African American Fiction from the general collection.

1. It's generally easy to determine if a book has LGBTQ or African American subject matter. If someone doesn't want to read it, it's fairly simple to avoid. Personal autonomy and responsibility are things; we must be responsible for the media that we choose to consume, and not try to dictate the media someone else chooses to consume.

2. I agree that it promotes segregation. To me, it makes it seem like these books don't belong with other books, which I disagree with. It brings a focus to anyone in those sections; someone may want an LGBTQ-themed book, but may be embarrassed or uncomfortable with letting others know.

3. By separating these books, you decrease the chance of a reader stumbling on them and discovering something new. We tend to stick to what we know and like, and if someone doesn't usually pick books on these topics, then the chances of them discovering these subjects on their own greatly decreases if the books are separated.

Over all, I don't feel that the desire to separate LGBTQ and/or African American Fiction comes from a good place, and I couldn't in good conscious do so.