Interviews Archives - Page 2 of 7

Justin Richardson (L) and Peter Parnell (R), photos by each other, courtesy of Simon & Schuster

“And Tango Makes Three” Authors Reflect on New Wave of Book Bans

April 21, 2022

Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell’s award-winning picture book, And Tango Makes Three (Simon & Schuster), based on the true story of two male penguins who hatch an egg together, has been one of the most-challenged books in the country since shortly after it was published in 2005. Yet the current surge of book bans and challenges sweeping through the U.S. is different from anything they’ve seen before, they told me in an interview.

The Task Force’s Kierra Johnson on Motherhood and More

May 7, 2021

Kierra Johnson, executive director of the National LGBTQ Task Force, is also the mother of three. She spoke with me for Mother’s Day about her experiences as a parent in “a big fat queer blended family,” her advice for other queer parents, and how being a parent has impacted her work.

Stacey Stevenson - Photo credit: Angela Flournoy

Family Equality’s New CEO: “I Have Been Preparing for This Role My Entire Life”

April 9, 2021

Stacey Stevenson, the recently hired CEO of Family Equality, is serious about the work ahead. “This isn’t about a job for me; this is about survival,” she told me in an interview. “Through all of the adversity I have faced over the years, I feel I have been preparing for this role my entire life.”

Alli Harper of OurShelves - Photo credit: Alaina Lavoie

OurShelves Connects LGBTQ Families with Diverse Books and Advocates for More

March 11, 2021

When lawyer, policy advocate, and community organizer Alli Harper and her wife had their first child, they did what many LGBTQ parents do: looked for children’s books that showed two-mom and other diverse families. The difficulty of finding more than a handful, however, led Harper to launch a nationwide service that is connecting readers with these books while also pushing the publishing industry to create more.

Jesse's Dream Skirt by Bruce Mack. Illustration by Marian Buchanan

Classic Picture Book About Gender Creative Boy Is Back in Print

August 31, 2020

One of the first picture books about a gender creative boy, published in the 1970s but long out of print, is now available in a new edition produced by its illustrator, Marian Buchanan. She recently shared with me some details about the lengthy journey to its reprinting and why it still holds lessons for today.

Detail from cover of "Trans and Nonbinary Kids Mix." Art by Wriply M. Bennet

New Music Album Celebrates Trans and Nonbinary Children and Youth

July 17, 2020

A new multi-artist, multi-genre music album coming out this month will offer transgender and nonbinary children and youth songs that reflect and support who they are. It’s the brainchild of Julie Lipson, one half of children’s music duo Ants on a Log, who spoke with me recently about the project and shared this sneak peek of the cover art.

New Edition of LGBTQ Picture Book “Uncle Bobby’s Wedding” Is Brighter, Bolder, and More Human

May 12, 2020

Uncle Bobby’s Wedding, the 2008 picture book about a girl worried that her favorite uncle will no longer have time for her after he marries his boyfriend, is coming out today in a bright new edition. The anthropomorphic guinea pigs are gone, replaced by human characters—and author Sarah Brannen was kind enough to answer some questions for Mombian readers about the changes.

“You Began as a Wish” Picture Book Explains Assisted Reproduction to Children

November 21, 2019

Kim Bergman wrote her new children’s picture book about assisted reproduction based on “what I’ve been telling parents for 30 years to tell their kids. It’s what I told my own kids.”

Creating Inclusive Children’s and Young Adult Books: One Publisher Shows How

August 27, 2019

Orca Book Publishers of British Columbia, Canada, is an independent publisher that has produced two of my recent favorite LGBTQ-inclusive children’s books: Pride Colors, by Robin Stevenson, a bright board book for the youngest tots, and A Plan for Pops, by Heather Smith and Brooke Kerrigan, a poignant story about a two-grandfather couple and their gender-ambiguous grandchild. Publisher and owner Andrew Wooldridge was kind enough to speak with me recently about the 35-year-old company and its goal of offering “reading material that represents the diversity of human experience to readers of all ages.”

Creator Shares Origins, Future of Hulu’s Two-Dad Fairy Tale Series

June 20, 2019

The Bravest Knight, a children’s television series that centers on a family with same-sex parents, is premiering on Hulu June 21—the first such series on a mainstream network. I spoke with creator Daniel Errico about the show, his motivations, and working with the all-star voice cast.