Non-profit Pride and Less Prejudice, which has donated over 10,000 LGBTQ-inclusive picture books to elementary school classrooms since 2019, is holding a virtual auction October 5 to 8, so they can send 1,200 more. Check out some of the amazing celebrity offerings!
This year’s auction items include: a pair of concert tickets with a post-show meet and greet from Rufus Wainwright; a pair of tickets to see Melissa Etheridge in her Broadway show My Window; a pair of tickets to see Frankie James Grande in the off-Broadway show Titanique; a pair of tickets to Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme’s Holiday Tour, as well as a photo opportunity; signed and personalized merch from Lily Tomlin, Jane Wagner, and Elvira; a signed original sketch from Christian Siriano; personalized video messages from Nicole Maines, Frankie James Grande, Ilana Glazer, Brooke Lynn Hytes, Latrice Royale, Harvey Guillén, Chris Colfer, Lance Bass, Leo Sheng, and Desmond is Amazing; signed books from Neil Patrick Harris, Billie Jean King, Melissa Etheridge, Sally Field, Idina Menzel, Adam Rippon, Alan Cumming, Tim Gunn, Hayley Kiyoko, Lisa Ann Walter, and Chris Colfer; signed photo from Daniel Radcliffe; signed Wynonna Earp collectibles from Kat Barrell; a signed ukulele from Ingrid Michaelson; and a Zoom hangout with Jess Darrow.
PLP is hoping to raise $15,000, which will enable them to send 1,200 LGBTQ-inclusive books to elementary schools across the U.S. PLP sends its books only to teachers who request them.
Since its launch in 2019, PLP has raised more than $175,000 and donated over 10,000 books to more than 5,000 classrooms in 50 states. It also offers Teaching Guides for those books.
Click here to browse the full list of items, bid, and see full details. Bidding starts tomorrow, October 5, 2023, and runs through October 8, 2023.
PLP’s virtual auction coincides with Banned Books Week, a time to raise awareness about the freedom to read and to recommit to working against censorship. LGBTQ-inclusive books are among the most frequently banned (with “Don’t Say Gay/Trans” laws in 11 states sometimes leading to sweeping bans, as I wrote earlier). As PLP founder Lisa Forman said in a statement, “Young kids deserve to see themselves and their families represented in schools, and that’s why PLP’s work to send LGBTQ-inclusive books to teachers is more important than ever.”
I hope you will consider helping them do so!