Meet the queer experts in the latest issue of Kazoo Magazine! They’re part of the lesbian-mom-led publication’s ongoing queer inclusion. (And there’s positive representation of neurodivergence here, too!)
Kazoo: A Magazine for Girls Who Aren’t Afraid to Make Some Noise, launched via Kickstarter in 2016 as “A new kind of print magazine for girls” (that also welcomes readers of all genders), with empowering, inspiring, and fun activities, stories, puzzles, interviews and more aimed at ages 5 to 12. In 2019, it became the first children’s magazine to win a National Magazine Award.
While it’s not specifically a queer magazine, the quarterly publication is the creation of a lesbian mom, Erin Bried, a former Condé Nast editor who has two daughters with her spouse Holly Bemiss. Bried explained to me in a 2018 interview how her daughters were the inspiration for the magazine.
All Kazoo stories are developed or inspired by real people at the top of their respective fields, including many who are queer. The latest issue, dedicated to “Girl Power,” includes several queer experts: artist Shantell Martin, chef Nekisia Davis, and physicist Julia Tilles.
Martin answers questions about why and how she draws, and notes that she’s dyslexic, “But my dyslexia allows me to be more creative.” Readers are invited to try their own hand at drawing in a similar style.
Davis, founder of Early Bird Foods, answers questions about how she got into making granola and shares her favorite granola recipe. In describing what gives her confidence, she says, “Also, I have autism and ADHD, which means my brain works a little differently from other people’s. It’s like having a superpower, because anytime you land outside of the norm, you have this incredible opportunity to have a different kind of perspective. You’re already offscript, so you can really jazz it up!
Tilles, who works at Sandia National Laboratories, talks about the excitement of studying lightning and shares a bit about this little-understood natural phenomenon.
The publication has previously included many pieces by and about queer women and nonbinary people, including a story about a girl with two moms; a spot-the-difference puzzle by cartoonist Alison Bechdel; a search-and-find showing a two-mom family, by cartoonist Chan Chau; a queer-inclusive search-and-find puzzle; and other pieces by singer Lea DeLaria, photographer Catherine Opie, artist Mickalene Thomas, writer Jacqueline Woodson, poet Eileen Myles, swimmer Diana Nyad, singer Ani DiFranco, biologist Lynn Adler, comedian Cameron Esposito, and vogue dancer and Pose choreographer Leiomy Maldonado (one of the first times a transgender person has been featured in a children’s magazine), among others.
Not all of these pieces center or even mention the person’s queerness, but that’s fine. It’s clear the magazine isn’t avoiding it; sometimes it’s just not relevant. Queer folks shouldn’t just be brought in for queer topics—we are more multifaceted than that. Young readers may nevertheless be motivated to learn more about these inspiring role models and will likely discover along the way that their heroes are queer. For queer young people, that’s important for envisioning their own futures. For non-queer folks, it’s a reminder that queer people are a vibrant part of their world.
I’ve been a big fan of the publication for a long time now; it’s smart, fun, creative, and inclusive. I’m excited to see it continuing to flourish. Visit Kazoo’s website to learn more.