National Children’s Book Week, slated for February
3-9th.
Whether it’s from a sitcom or a storybook, our children are
bombarded with heteronormative imagery and concepts on a daily
basis. This is why it is so important to ensure that your child is
exposed to various family constellations in their everyday
lives.
Reading books (to your children) that encourage open-mindedness,
understanding, and acceptance are a great start. And that’s why
the Family Equality Council has decided to declare the month of
February National Diversity
Book Month for Children!
How to participate:
– Donate an LGBTQ-inclusive book
to your child’s school library. Unfortunately, many
schools do not have particularly inclusive libraries. In order to
reinforce non-heteronormative family constellations into your
child’s perception (and that of her peers) you may need to
provide the resources yourself. Download a copy of our LGBTQ
Family Friendly Children’s Book List for titles of books
you can donate listed by age category.
– Volunteer to read
one at your local public library’s story hour or in your
child’s classroom.
It’s relatively easy to set up a
story hour at your local library or to request some time to do an
activity at your child’s school to read a book. Maybe you can
have everyone make a family tree and you can share yours. Talk
about the make up of your family, show pictures from your
last vacation and see what everyone’s families have in common.
Ask us for help or other ideas at outspoken@familyequality.org.
– Listen to program
& education associate Julia Bean read Molly’s Family
on the Family Equality Council website! Julia can “read
you a story” via the web by clicking here.
We encourage you to take action this month and to dive in to
Diversity Days with the Family Equality Council. Books are a
great tool for learning to be accepting. Help build allies in your
child’s school today!
52 Ways to be OUTSpoken is part of OUTSpoken Families,
and provides LGBTQ parents/allies with creative, doable actions to
help secure family equality all year long. To increase the reach
of 52 Ways, Family Equality Council staff will blog about
each upcoming “way” the week before it takes effect. People who
sign up to become
OUTSpoken receive weekly email reminders about 52
Ways. To download the 2008 version of 52 Ways,
click here.