Classic Children's Books of Queer Representation

Next Friday I will post about the most recently completed reading "month". 

As I was starting it, it occurred to me that I should check out some kind of related books that had been quite notorious in their time.

Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite (1990)

Heather Has Two Mommies by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Diane Souza (1989)

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, illustrated by Henry Cole (2005)

I would say they are all very sweet and simple books with no reason to object, except that decades later people are still trying to ban books and preventing even the utterance of the word "gay".

(One note: the first edition of Heather Has Two Mommies references artificial insemination -- which did draw some objections -- but it was later removed and not in the edition I read.)

For my personal opinions, I like the artwork in Daddy's Roommate more that in Heather Has Two Mommies, but Heather Has Two Mommies is more broadly representative. When her classmates talk about their families, there are multiple different configurations, not only of gender and race but there is even some disability representation.

(And oddly, but it also seems appropriate, both of these books seem to be set in Boston.)

Newman wrote her book after being asked by some lesbian parents who did not see themselves anywhere. That may have caused her to approach it differently.  

Personally my favorite was And Tango Makes Three. I worry that is just so typical of a straight person, but I found the backstory really interesting and I love penguins.

I did try and find a little about the controversies at the time, though Wikipedia has some conflicting reports. 

On one page it talks about the library in Wasilla, Alaska refusing to shelve the books, but then in another it was that they did shelve the books, but councilwoman Sarah Palin objected and fired the librarian, who was rehired after an outcry. 

I am more interested in two other criticisms, both from the page on Heather Has Two Mommies. 

One was a concern that schools should not celebrate one type of family structure over another. The book is very clear that all families are valid, and includes some with straight, married, parents. I feel that is very much a case of reinterpreting equal rights as special rights. Mentioning is not automatically promotion, and certainly not automatically a competition either.

The other was a little more thoughtful, but still had some really wrong points.

One complains that the book is more about the kids at the preschool and Heather's relationship with her class, and that by showing Heather's family as equivalent to heterosexual families, it "dequeers" them. That includes a complaint about Heather being sad about not having a daddy, when some of the other kids do, because that makes it a bad thing. 

While this day of class is clearly the first time Heather realizes her family is not identical to all others, that would be an actual milestone. Then each child draws a picture of their own family, in all their diversity, and the teacher confirms that all of these structures are valid. 

Let me reference Sarah Palin again. When she was banning books and firing librarians, a fellow councilwoman asked her if she had read the book:

"I don't need to read that stuff."

I bet she says that a lot. Regardless, some of these criticisms do make you wonder if the critics really read the book, or just reacted to it. They seem to be missing the point.

There is another point, though.

A child learning that other family structures exist, wondering about it -- perhaps with strong emotions since they are a child -- and then reconciling with that, as well as a book that allows other children to understand that they will meet people with different kinds of families, and that's okay... that book fills a definite, necessary role.

It is not the only possible role. 

It was a reasonable one for Newman to write after being asked, but no one book can fill all needs, and it's great that there are lots of different books.

It is true that back then there was not a lot to choose from, but they filled a role. 

There was an episode of Modern Family where Mitchell has a story for Lily about her adoption. He and Cam briefly think about trying to get it published, for representation, but at the bookstore they find many books about gay parents, gay adoption, gay international adoption... That was 2011.

Things have gotten better. 

There are still people who find it a threat if someone different from them is called valid.

We need to stay on top of that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daddy%27s_Roommate

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heather_Has_Two_Mommies