This early chapter book introduction to LGBTQ+ families has its heart in the right place, but is a jumble of often poorly explained concepts and is not recommended.
The first chapter begins by noting that in June, many families take part in Pride, “a celebration of LGBTQ+ culture,” where “the whole LGBTQ+ community comes together” as one big family. While that’s true, placing a chapter on Pride at the start of the book perhaps overemphasizes the role of Pride celebrations in the lives of many LGBTQ families, particularly those outside of urban areas.
The second chapter asserts that “LGBTQ+ families are made up in many ways,” and may have LGBTQ+ children, LGBTQ+ parents, or both—a nice nod to “second-gen” queer folks. It then tells us that “Most LGBTQ+ families include cishet people, too”—although young readers will have to flip to the glossary in the back to learn what “cishet” and “LGBTQ+” mean. Even there, the definitions are unsatisfying; we learn what the letters of LGBTQ+ stand for, but not what the individual component words mean, although “cisgender” and “heterosexual” are both defined in the glossary more successfully.
We do learn that LGBTQ+ families may be biological (a term again defined only in the glossary), blended (which is defined in-text), or may adopt or foster (both defined in-text). The Glossary definition of “biological families” as “Families whose members are related to one another” is insulting to members of adoptive families, among others, who would also consider themselves related. The book also says that LGBTQ+ families are more likely to include people of different races, national identities, or cultures, without explaining why this is, and perhaps leaving young readers with the misleading impression that these are defining characteristics of most LGBTQ families. It’s an odd emphasis on the demographics of our families for an age group where emphasizing the love and everyday activities of LGBTQ+ families would make more sense.
The book does helpfully note some things LGBTQ+ families have in common with others, living in all kinds of communities around the world, and with parents who are single, married, separated, or divorced. What’s lacking is any mention of the members of an LGBTQ+ family loving each other just like the members of any other family—an important similarity that is completely overlooked.
At the end of the second chapter, that we learn “The term LGBTQ+ covers many types of identities”—but the explanation that follows is only an explanation of gender identity, not of sexuality (although the term “sexuality” is used a couple of times in the book without definition).
A third chapter looks at challenges LGBTQ+ people face, such as coming out, homophobia and transphobia, discrimination, bullying, and even misunderstandings between LGBTQ+ and cishet members of the same family. The explanations are simple but adequate for the reading level. The sentence “LGBTQ+ people are not always accepted by their biological families,” however, while true to an extent, assumes that all LGBTQ+ people grew up with their biological families. Some LGBTQ+ people, for example, are not accepted by their adoptive parents. Alternatively, the sentence could make an adopted LGBTQ+ kid wonder if their birth family placed them for adoption because they were LGBTQ+. A better phrasing might have been “LGBTQ+ people are not always accepted by the families they grew up in.”
A fourth and final chapter asserts that LGBTQ+ people had more rights than ever by the early 2020s, but many “still faced discrimination. People can help fight this discrimination.” That’s an odd shift of tense; the sentence should have said they “still face discrimination.” The chapter does, however, helpfully explain what allies and others are doing to help—from organizations working for positive media representation to schools celebrating diversity and supporting Gender and Sexuality Alliances (GSAs), to families challenging discrimination in their own communities and families. The book’s assertion, however, that Jeanne Manford was “the first ally to march” in the New York City Pride Parade is not quite right: She was the first parent ally to march openly with her LGBTQ+ offspring; the first ally of any relationship to an LGBTQ+ person is (as far as I know) unknown.
Photos of (presumably) real LGBTQ people and families throughout the book are the volume’s best feature.
In addition to the problems above, the overall text jumps from one topic to another with little transition. Even allowing for the early reading level (Grades 2 to 3, according to the publisher), the whole book feels flimsy and unsatisfying.
