Beyond the vacations and gorgeous weather, summer usually means a chance to tackle a growing list of books and recommended reads I’ve been compiling throughout the long Chicago winter. Perhaps it’s an ingrained pursuit from childhood, but a summer reading list is (for me) the perfect companion to any vacation, beach run or lazy evening.
I recently read at Advocate.com how the Washington, D.C. public school district restored nine LGBT-focused books, which were previously omitted, to its annual list for students. These additions came after much heat from local librarians and the LGBT community for excluding growing favorites, such as And Tango Makes Three and The Geography Club. The district, however, argues that the initial list was just that – initial, and the revised list with LGBT titles was final.
Timing and intention aside, the inclusion of LGBT-themed works for young audiences is a largely debated communications issue. Conservative opponents argue that such works force an “agenda” on young, impressionable minds, while LGBT parents and others hold fast that it is important to expose children to diversity to build inclusive and respectful character traits.
I’m amazed that there are nine LGBT-themed books and glad they’re on the list. I am pretty sure we didn’t have those when I was in grade school in the early ‘90s. Furthermore, these books are primarily for young children, whose parents should be reading with them or at the least having discussions with children about the subject of their summer reading. These books should be seen as an opportunity – not a propaganda tool – to discuss LGBT individuals who make up the fabric of this country and every town in it.
In personal reflection, I remember reading An American Family in high school, largely in private. When my parents discovered my nighttime reading about an LGBT family in New England, the book was taken and there was no discussion. Years later, after many conversations, tears and experiences, both of them have a different perspective of LGBT individuals.
I wonder if we had shared a conversation about the book’s subject rather than a quick argument where my path would have taken me. It is simple storytelling of LGBT individuals’ lives that can make the change. Here’s to starting some of those conversations this summer for a brighter, more inclusive future.
SUBSCRIBE