Happy Nonbinary Parents Day to all of the many nonbinary parents out there! Here are some books for all ages featuring nonbinary parents and adults, as well as ideas from other nonbinary parents about what their kids call them!
What’s in a Name?
Back in 2011, I launched a little project to collect answers from LGBTQ parents to the question, “What do your kids call you?” There are now nearly 400 responses, many from nonbinary parents who have shared the personal, creative parental titles that they (or their kids!) have chosen for themselves.
They include Parent!, Maddy, Ren (from “paRENt”), Baba, Nomie (nonbinary + mommy), Pare, Otter, Mapa, Sasa, treea, Poppy, Adi, Nibi, tuiste, Baba Pear, and Mr. Mom, as well as Dada, Mama, Abba, and other titles that may have traditional gender associations but were chosen by nonbinary parents because they felt right for them.
I’ve summarized many of the responses (nonbinary and otherwise) here and here, and there are links in those posts to the full spreadsheet, should you wish to browse further. Please also add your own parental names and name stories (whether you’re nonbinary or not) so this becomes an even better resource!
Books Featuring Nonbinary Parents/Adults
My Database of LGBTQ Family Books includes many titles with nonbinary parents or adults:
I’m taking a broad view here in order to be as inclusive as possible; note that some characters’ identities are not specified but could be read as nonbinary. I recognize that different folks may have different definitions of nonbinary, too; my intent here is not to dictate, but rather to offer a selection from which you can choose what fits your viewpoint and needs.
You can click the links above to see the books with nonbinary parents/adults for each age range. I’ll highlight just one title, because it’s brand new—actually, it isn’t even out yet, but will be shortly and is available for pre-order: Gender Heroes: 25 Amazing Transgender, Non-Binary and Genderqueer Trailblazers from Past and Present! from Jessica Kingsley Publishers, illustrated by Filipa Namorado, a bright and celebratory book profiling 25 amazing transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people from the U.S. and U.K.
You can also use the “Nonbinary/genderqueer kid” tag to see the growing number of books with representation of younger nonbinary and genderqueer folks!
Continuing to Celebrate
I hope that all nonbinary parents have a splendid day today! I also hope that all LGBTQ parents, people with LGBTQ parents, anyone else with LGBTQ people in their family, and allies join in on June 1 for the 18th Annual LGBTQ Families Day. Stay tuned for more details soon!
