This is perhaps the first of many quarantine editions of my roundup—because we could all use some interesting and informative reading while we’re hunkered down in our homes. Here are some of the stories about LGBTQ parents and our children that I haven’t covered elsewhere—including some additional kids’ virtual story times.
Family Profiles
- Lucy Catherine Fry writes about her experience as a nonbiological mother in “This is the first year I feel like a mother to my three-year-old son” at Metro UK.
- Katy Robson-Malone writes at Diva magazine about shifting gears and parenting solo during the day once parental leave ends for her spouse. (Note that it was written before the pandemic.)
- Athena Reich shares “3 Things Straight People Can Learn About Dealing With Infertility From The LGBTQ Community” at Pregnantish. Among her tips: “Find your community to normalize your experience, and celebrate the pride in your unique journey to parenthood.”
Community Profiles
- “Rural, gay Americans have more children” compared with urban same-sex couples, as an article in the Economist reminds us.
- I wrote a few days ago about how COVID-19 has brought a pause to family formation for those using third-party assisted reproduction. The pandemic is also causing problems for those who had already started the process of family formation via surrogacy, but can no longer travel to be with the surrogate for their child’s birth.
Gender
- Amber Leventry at Parents has a useful piece on “Explaining Nonbinary: How to Talk to Kids About Gender.”
Schools and Education
- The class room of San Pedro High School teacher David Crowley now has what it is calling “the nation’s first 100 percent LGBTQ+ classroom library,” with more than 100 LGBTQ+ young adult novels, classics and histories. Read on for more about how they built it and how students of all identities are using it.
- A Tennessee two-mom couple is suing their county and their son’s physical education teacher, alleging that the teacher required students interested in the school basketball program to also participate in his “Teens for Christ” program, during which he said homosexuality was a sin.
Entertainment
- Best-selling British children’s novelist Jacqueline Wilson has spoken publicly for the first time about having a same-sex partner. Her first book to star a queer character, Love, Frankie
, comes out in August.
- Disney’s Duck Tales has introduced a two-dad couple as recurring characters—the parents of Huey, Dewey, and Louie’s friend Violet.
- Comedian and lesbian mom Wanda Sykes spoke with Oprah magazine about coming out.
Stories for Kids
- Lesléa Newman, author of Heather Has Two Mommies
, did a reading of her newer book Sparkle Boy, which you can watch on YouTube
.
- Ida Jackson, creator of a popular Norwegian children’s book series about Bo Bear, a bear who happens to have two moms, has released a special, free audiobook (in English) about when Bo Bear has to stay home because of COVID-19.
- Family Equality’s The Neighborhood: A Virtual Hub for LGBTQ+ Families has lots of story times and other activities coming up for both kids and parents.
And don’t forget that I’ve put together a list of “LGBTQ-Inclusive Kids’ Activities for a Time of Social Distancing” and some tips on “How to Educate Yourself and Your Kids About Coronavirus.”
