I am limiting my writing about Through the Looking Glass <\/a>to the parts of the report that focus on libraries and the CILIP Carnegie Medals. I feel that I do not have the requisite knowledge and experience to comment on the medical chapters or those dealing with the publishing industry. If anyone with more knowledge than I is interested in writing about those chapters, I would be more than happy to collaborate.<\/p>\n The report Through the Looking Glass<\/a> was put together by:<\/p>\n SEEN in Publishing \u2013 a network of publishing professionals, authors, and creatives, who recognise the material reality of sex, and support freedom of expression.<\/p>\n Biology in Medicine \u2013 a group of doctors and colleagues wanting patients to be treated according to their sex, and to know the sex of those caring for them.<\/p>\n Transgender Trend<\/a> an organization that was set up ten years ago to promote evidence-based care for children with gender-related distress and for scientific, factual teaching about sex and gender in schools.<\/p>\n I have heard quite a few things about Transgender Trend over the past decade and none of it good but the other two groups are new to me. SEEN in Publishing was set up back in 2024, there is an interesting Reddit post<\/a> about them that you can read called (Some publishing world drama) The formation of SEEN Publishing \u2013 a group for those who \u201crecognise the material reality of sex, and support freedom of expression.\u201d<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Biology in Medicine purport to be medical professionals, but much like SEEN in Publishing remain mostly anonymous so while it is likely that many of them are medical doctors and publishing professionals, apart from Dr. Alice Hodkinson who is listed as a co-founder of BiM and contributed a chapter of this report, they have not put their faces and names on the work they are doing.<\/p>\n The people running Transgender Trend at least are open about who they are<\/a> and why they are doing what they do although I will state here that I disagree with them entirely. Another red flag about SIP and BIM is that their work is hosted on Substack, a platform known for openly profiting from hosting Nazis newsletters<\/a>. Note: I am not accusing them of being Nazis, but the Nazi bar analogy<\/a> is quite apposite here as to why I am deeply suspicious of anyone who publishes on Substack these days.<\/p>\n Anne Fine\u2019s vituperative screed sets the tone for the report as a whole. I have had a fondness for her books for decades now, but this endorsement, along with her review of Melvin Burgess\u2019s Doing It<\/em> back in 2003 that I discovered recently: Filth, which ever way you look at it<\/a> has left my appreciation somewhat dimmed.<\/p>\n The widespread use of the term \u2018trans activist literature\u2019 in place of \u2018children\u2019s, teen or picture books featuring Trans characters\u2019 shows the bias of the report\u2019s authors.<\/p>\n Let us take a look at the recommendations of the report (to see the full recommendations, you can read the report as I am focusing on some of their main points):<\/p>\n 1. Stop publishing trans-activist literature \u2013 fiction as well as non-fiction \u2013 for all age groups catered to by children\u2019s publishing, up to and including YA.<\/em><\/p>\n The open advocating for censorship is wild!<\/p>\n 2. Children\u2019s librarians must stop shelving trans-activist titles. Particularly egregious is the mis-shelving of titles for young adults or even adults in areas accessed by much smaller children<\/em><\/p>\n Number two is a biggie for me \u2013 collection development by fiat and also saying that such books must not be in any part of the library that young people can access.\u00a0 Anyone that uses Public Libraries is (or should be) aware that no public areas of the library are off-limits to any patrons. There are some public libraries in the US that have started asking for identification for people to prove they are adults before being allowed to use some parts of the library:<\/p>\n Screenshot of an Instagram image from Donnelly Library blocking entry to unaccompanied minors or patrons without unrestricted library membership<\/p>\n They then jump on to Drag Queen Story Times with: Similarly, librarians should note that \u2018drag queen story hour\u2019 is not appropriate for young children. A man who makes money from sexualised performances while wearing \u2018womanface\u2019 has no place reading to babies and toddlers in any setting, let alone a publicly-funded one.<\/em><\/p>\n Attacks on drag performers and story times has been going on for as long as DQST have been organized. American anti LGBTQ+ agitators have a well-developed playbook when it comes to this and it looks as if protesters in the UK are learning from it. The \u2018womanface\u2019 accusation is one that has been hotly debated and studied (I highly recommend Drag as Marketplace edited by Mikko Laamanen from the Bristol University Press if you wish to find out more).<\/p>\n 3. Librarians and booksellers must stop recommending trans-activist titles to parents and children \u2013 not just day-to-day, inside local and school libraries and bookshops, but also via long- and shortlists for prizes such as the CILIP Carnegie Medal<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cTrans activist titles\u2019 pops up again and a demand that CILIP stop listing books featuring trans characters shows a (possibly willful) misunderstanding of how the Carnegie Medals work when it comes to selections and the judging process. CILIP (the organization) remains resolutely hands off when it comes to nominations and how the judges select the long and short lists as well as the eventual winners, if CILIP ever tried to put a thumb on the scales I believe that it would kill the awards. You can read about The Carnegies Medals Awards Process here<\/a>.<\/p>\n 4. Instead of publishing trans-activist titles, children\u2019s publishing should concentrate on putting out excellent stories with captivating characters that will foster a lifelong love of reading in every child \u2013 from picture book age to the uppermost reaches of the YA readership.<\/em><\/p>\n The report is written as if it is a foregone conclusion that books featuring trans characters have no chance at fostering a love of reading, are devoid of excellence, captivating characters and have no appeal and represent no-one any children might know or love.<\/p>\n 5. The CEOs of publishing houses, their imprint heads and publishing directors should be mandating that acquisitions lists are broadened out again to attract genuinely diverse and excellent submissions from authors and agents\u2026. The sharp downturn in reading is not just a sign that other media are competing for young readers\u2019 time, money and focus \u2013 it is also indicative of recent publications simply not being up to scratch.<\/em><\/p>\n It is as if people have forgotten that publishing is a business and publishers publish books they believe will make money. In my research I have discovered that many books do not sell enough for authors to make a living solely as a writer, and the few that do are the exception, not the rule. There are a multitude of reasons why reading for pleasure is on a downturn, and to blame it all on the fact that some books are written by (& feature) trans people is intellectually dishonest.<\/p>\n 6. Children\u2019s publishing and the library services must move away from cancel culture by implementing robust HR practices like staff\/author retraining.<\/em><\/p>\n Can\u2019t really speak to how it is done in the publishing world, although most publishers are parts of massive multinational corporations these days and those have massive HR departments that know the law, I can say that Public Libraries as arms of local authorities also have robust employment policies.<\/p>\n The terms \u2018cancel culture\u2019 (the practice or tendency of engaging in mass canceling as a way of expressing disapproval and exerting social pressure<\/a>) and \u2018consequence culture\u2019 (facing consequences for socially unacceptable actions) the webcomic XKCD<\/a> by Randall Munroe has a pretty good definition of what consequences people can face:<\/p>\n 7. Educational publishing, libraries and schools must collaboratively observe statutory KCSIE and RSHE guidance, ensuring age-inappropriate and factually incorrect, trans-activist books no longer find their way into children\u2019s hands in the school\/peripatetic setting.<\/em><\/p>\n The demand that private businesses and Public Libraries limit themselves with the Keeping Children Safe in Education<\/a> and Relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education<\/a>, legislation aimed at schools an dedicational institutions makes no sense. Schools already adhere to this guidance and most (if not all) school libraries have robust collection development policies to make sure that appropriate materials are contained in their collections. Public Libraries already have collection development policies that are monitored and updated by library professionals. Publishing companies are businesses, and they select works to be published based on where they see the market going.<\/p>\n Indeed, the report reads like a ransom note with the hostage takers demanding that once their demands are met, they will start executing the hostages. <\/p>\n For a group claiming to support authors and others in publishing who have been unfairly censored and silenced they seem to be awfully keen on censoring and silencing those they disagree with and unwilling to put the onus of parents to monitor their children what they read.<\/p>\n Looking at Chapter 5: Discarded Girls: Libraries, Carnegies, Bront\u00ebs by Sibyl Ruth<\/strong><\/p>\n Much of this chapter is taken up by looking at the Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals<\/a> (CILIP)\u2019s Managing Safe and Inclusive Public Library Services: A Practical Guide<\/a><\/em>. The author of this chapter reads much into the guide and raises the point that \u201cthe word \u2018girl\u2019 does not appear. Nor do the terms \u2018woman\u2019 and \u2018female\u2019.\u201d This is true, but as far as I can ascertain neither do the words \u2018boy\u2019, \u2018man\u2019, \u2018male\u2019, \u2018trans\u2019 or \u2018transgender\u2019.<\/p>\n The guide is just that \u2013 a guide, indeed CILIP hopes and anticipates that \u201cpeople will use it primarily as a reference resource or \u2018checklist\u2019 when strengthening their own policies, practice and preparedness.\u201d They further envision that \u201clibrary services will use the guidance as a structure for workshop or group discussions.\u201d It was not created as prescriptive document, but rather as \u201cguidance is intended primarily for public librarians and library staff who are responsible for making decisions, and defining and implementing policies\u201d the fact that it is not legally binding advice is stressed several times as well as including an admonition that Public Libraries and Local Authorities make sure that their policies are legally sound and backed up by professional legal advice.<\/p>\n This chapter also decries the 50% loss of professional staff over the past 15 years a loss that is felt keenly by all supporters of libraries as well as library staff; I was an early casualty of cuts to library staff and have written about it here: Decimation<\/a>. The ongoing loss of staff has and is causing difficulties with public library service, and many libraries have fallen out of statutory library service and are being run by community volunteers or outside organizations.<\/p>\n I find it peculiar that that the author is angry that it is \u201cimpossible for CILIP to shape services in a way that benefits girls\u201d it smacks of whataboutism, the guidance covers library services to all users. One other question could be \u201cwhy doesn\u2019t CILIP shape library services to benefit boys?\u201d after all they need guidance and safe spaces too. Singling out one particular set of users would lead to a ripple effect, quite possibly leading to demands for specific rules and guidance for every subset of users, rather than the overarching approach to provide space and materials for all users \u2013 as used by CILIP in their guide.<\/p>\n The focus then shifts to the Carnegie Medals<\/a>, particularly the 2025 shortlisting of Theo Parrish\u2019s graphic memoir Homebody<\/em> for the Carnegie Medal for Illustration, you can read a review and interview with Theo about it here:\u00a0 Homebody<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n That Homebody<\/em> is a memoir appears to have been ignored and it is instead described as a graphic novel that could have been \u201ca story that encouraged same-sex attracted young women to feel good about themselves\u201d and is \u201ca book that encourages self-harm\u201d instead of being acknowledged that it is about Theo\u2019s experiences growing up and into who they are.<\/p>\n Further umbrage is taken with the 2026 shortlist as the only novel for teenage girls is Tia Fisher\u2019s Not Going To Plan. <\/em>This at least is refreshing, as historically at least many of the complaints levelled against the awards is that there are too many YA books and not enough for younger readers. Previous complaints against the Carnegie Medals have mostly concerned the fact that often the outstanding books selected have been too advanced or contain subject matter that is not suitable for younger readers. Since the diversity review concluded in 2018<\/a>, there has been the Shadowers\u2019 Choice Awards<\/a> (first awarded in 2019) selected by the young readers that participate in shadowing the Carnegie Medals<\/a>. This often gives readers access to youth selected titles that may be considered more age appropriate than the outstanding titles chosen by Librarian Judges that follow the more rigorous selection criteria for written<\/a> and illustrated<\/a> works.<\/p>\n The question \u201cWhat avenues are open to adults who aren\u2019t happy about library services for children?\u201d Is then asked \u2013 as arms of a local authority, feedback about library services can be submitted to the council under the contact button it is usually called \u2018report a problem\u2019 or something similar. Feedback can also be given directly to library management either written or via email (contact details will be provided when requested in the library).<\/p>\n Anger is then unleashed again on Drag Queen Story Time with another unsubstantiated accusation that men who perform in Drag are turned on by mocking women.<\/p>\n The chapter concludes with: \u201cAll too often the library service still offers girls dangerous \u2018nonsense.\u2019 And the way in which it treats them remains \u2018scarcely fair\u2019.\u201d A subjective opinion masquerading as objectivity.<\/p>\n To quote the introduction of the CILIP guide:<\/p>\n\n
\n
<\/i-amphtml-sizer>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/teenlibrarian.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-3.png\")
<\/amp-img><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/i-amphtml-sizer>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/teenlibrarian.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-4.png\")
<\/amp-img><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n