Seven picture books published this year—six biographies and one historical snapshot—highlight an array of figures and moments from LGBTQ history. One expects such books to be informative—but these are also often fun, lyrical, and dazzlingly illustrated, ready to inspire young readers in multiple ways.
My spouse and I started our path to parenthood via reciprocal IVF (my egg, her womb) in 2002—so I was surprised to find numerous places online saying that RIVF was created in 2007 or even later. For LGBTQ History Month, I dug into RIVF’s real history, going back more than 30 years.
Today starts Banned Books Week, and a new report from PEN America is blunt about the current wave of book bans in the United States: “Never before has access to so many stories been stolen from so many children.”
For LGBTQ History Month, I spoke with Margaret Mooney, editor of a new anthology of essays by lesbian mothers who raised children in the 1980s, 90s, and early 2000s. The book not only sheds light on the past, but also offers wisdom for today.
“No one is in a better position to identify the supports that LGBTQ youth need to thrive than these youth themselves,” asserts a new report that offers a “holistic” look at the lived experiences of these young people in their own words.
In a powerful new collection of nine personal essays, lesbian parents who raised children in the 1980s, ’90s, and early 2000s share the stories of forming and sustaining their families.
For many LGBTQ parents, back-to-school time brings worries about whether our children will be harassed or stigmatized because of their families. After seeing my son through college, I can say that the worries never fully disappear, but there are things we can do to lessen them and prepare our children for whatever they may encounter.
Starting a family is always a momentous decision. Doing so as an LGBTQ person often means additional complexities and considerations, especially at a time when our rights and identities are under attack. For those considering parenthood or newly decided on it, here are three things I would emphasize right now.
Happy Father’s (or Fathers’) Day to the dads, to all who fill that role, and to all who claim today as their own. Let’s celebrate with a roundup of recent picture books (and one board book) featuring queer dads!
Mother’s Day (and Father’s Day after it) can be fraught times for LGBTQ parents and our children, often underscoring that our families are different. I try to see them, however, as opportunities to reclaim and extend the holidays and to remind the world that queer families exist. This year, that’s more important than ever.
