This afternoon, patrons of a Little Rock library can "check out" the story of Katy Allison and ask her about being bisexual.
They can also check out Mehmet Ulupinar and ask him about his Muslim faith and relocation to the U.S. from Turkey two decades ago.
Allison and Ulupinar are two participants in a Human Library program taking place at the Hillary Rodham Clinton Children's Library and Learning Center, at 4800 W. 10th St., from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. today.
"Given the current divisiveness in American society, I wanted to organize an event which brings people together with diverse perspectives, encourages them to see past their differences, and helps them engage in honest conversations," said Yvonne Quek, the event's organizer.
"The Human Library, which loans out real people for real conversations, is a wonderful way of kick-starting meaningful dialogue and fostering respect for one another," said Quek, a candidate for a masters of public service degree at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.
"I wanted to create a safe space for people to engage in honest dialogue, challenge our stereotypes and prejudices, and rethink our perspectives. Through intimate conversations with human 'books,' I hope readers might come to realize that despite our apparent differences, we are more alike than we think," Quek said.
There will be 11 "human books" available for checkout: A Transgender Man: Zachary Miller; Understanding the Police: Lt. Earnest Whitten; A Muslim Man: Mehmet Ulupinar; An Alcoholic: Molly Miller; An Invisible Woman -- Being Black and Lesbian in the South: Kendra Johnson; A Jewish Woman: Karen; An Atheist/Freethinker: Anne Orsi; A Bisexual: Katy Allison; A Blind Person: Rachel Buchanan; A Refugee; and An American-Muslim Woman in the South.
Some participants asked that their full names not be included.
Allison, 27, said she hopes to clear up some misinformation about bisexuality but that she hopes to learn from the experiences and identities of her "readers" just as much. She said people will hopefully leave the interactive event realizing that their understanding is limited by their own experience.
"When people check me out for a conversation on bisexuality, I hope people learn what it means -- and doesn't necessarily mean -- to be bisexual. To me, being bisexual means that I'm sexually and romantically attracted to both men and women, but it doesn't mean that I'm promiscuous, confused or going through a phase," Allison said.
"I hope people learn that sexuality isn't binary [gay versus straight]. Instead, it's a spectrum, and we all fall somewhere on that spectrum. I just happen to fall somewhere in the middle, and that's OK," she said.
Ulupinar, 36, expects people to ask him about the Islamic State and terrorists who proclaim Islam as their faith.
"My response to that is: My religion is being hijacked by those people," he said. "It's a big tree, and you can't judge a tree based on a few bad apples that can be in every tree, or any group or belief. The good people are the significant majority. I don't believe any religion professes violence, killing or being a bad person. All religions, I believe, promote and encourage its followers to be compassionate, to be welcoming and sharing."
Ulupinar immigrated from Turkey about 20 years ago to study in New York, New Jersey and Louisiana. He has a master's degree and a Ph.D. He now works at the University of Central Arkansas and has lived in Little Rock for the past eight years.
He said he tries to stay active in community events. He serves on the board of Interfaith Arkansas.
"I just want to bring a different perspective to my local community," he said. "I think there should be a voice showing that there are people from all different backgrounds and with different beliefs working for the community," he said.
Orsi, 54, president of the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers, said she hopes people will check her out to ask about atheism.
"I see the prejudices and problems nonbelievers face every day in an area dominated by religion. When atheists admit their nonbelief they lose jobs, their friends reject them, their families shun them and people insult them. I hope that my participation in this event will help dispel at least some of those prejudices and problems in the minds of people who attend," Orsi said.
Most of the human books expressed a desire to clear up misconceptions about the traits they represent.
Buchanan, 34, vice president of rehabilitation services at World Services for the Blind, said she hopes participants will learn the only difference between them and her is that she can't see.
"Blindness is not the endgame; it's just one of life's obstacles," she said. "Some of the most frequent questions I get are: 'How do you pick out your clothes and do your makeup?' 'How do you deal with transportation issues in Little Rock?' 'How do you run a household?' [Or I'm asked about] cooking, cleaning and raising my children. 'How many fingers am I holding up?'"
Miller said the vulnerability she will feel when talking about being an alcoholic should create a space where people who attend the event can also be vulnerable.
"I hope that people will learn that being an alcoholic is not a choice, but a disease. I hope that when people 'check out' my book, they are prompted to think about their own drinking habits [and] ask for help if they have been avoiding it. I hope that people will recognize that anybody can become an alcoholic, including the highly educated and young people," she said.
Miller, 28, works part time at Arkansas Children's Hospital and is pursing a degree at the Clinton School of Public Service.
Quek said everyone has heard the phrase "don't judge a book by its cover," but most people often do.
"I hope the event will encourage readers to acknowledge and rethink their own stereotypes and biases. It is also my hope that readers, both young and old, will come to hear the stories and celebrate the incredible diversity of individuals who all call Arkansas home," she said.
Metro on 04/23/2017