censorship

#ReadWithLove

I’m Proud to #ReadWithLove on #ReadAcrossAmericaDay

I launched my Mombian Database of LGBTQ Family Books, Media, and More because I’ve seen the power that representation can have, both in my own family and with other LGBTQ families and LGBTQ youth. That’s why I’m also proud to join PFLAG in their new #ReadWithLove campaign supporting the freedom to learn for all students. Here’s a roundup of some pieces I’ve written recently on the topic, and a bit more about the campaign.

School bus

“Don’t Say Gay” and Other Gag Bills Will Harm Children Across the U.S.

A bill that just passed its final legislative committee hearing in Florida and now heads to the floor could soon squash all discussion of LGBTQ identities in schools—but Florida is not the only state pushing for such legislation. The attempt to remove content and discussion about LGBTQ and other marginalized identities from classrooms is a nationwide epidemic that must be stopped.

Hands holding banned books

How Parents, Students, and Others Are Fighting the Surge of Book Bans

Many journalists, including myself, have recently reported on the increasing number of attempts to ban children’s and young adult books with LGBTQ characters or ones with other marginalized identities. In this column, however, I want to focus not on the bans themselves, but on the ways people have mobilized to stop them—and to ensure that students continue having access to books that reflect their identities and experiences and those of our diverse world.

LGBTQ Parenting Roundup

LGBTQ Parenting Roundup

It’s time for another roundup of LGBTQ parenting news I haven’t covered elsewhere, with stories on family creation, politics, censorship—and penguins!

Maus

Tennessee School Board Bans Pulitzer Prize-Winning Holocaust Novel from Curriculum

Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It is deeply ironic, then, that news broke this week of a Tennessee school board removing a Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel about the Holocaust from its curriculum—one of many recent attempts across the U.S. to ban or restrict books about marginalized groups.

Banned books - Heather Has Two Mommies - Gender Queer

Fighting Back Against the Attacks on Diverse and Inclusive Books

Preschooler Heather is no stranger to opposition. Lesléa Newman’s 1989 Heather Has Two Mommies, the first picture book to depict happily coupled same-sex parents and their child, faced opprobrium from conservatives since shortly after it was published. Now, it is one of a record number of books for children and teens, largely about people with marginalized identities, that are under attack across the country.

Banned Books Week 2021

5 Ways to Celebrate Banned Books Week 2021

It’s Banned Books Week, the annual event celebrating the freedom to read! LGBTQ-inclusive children’s books are among those most frequently banned, along with books that have themes of race and racial justice. Here are five things you can do now to celebrate and support banned books.

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