KarMel Scholarship 2006
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Runner Up – Written Category “Alternative Families and Lifestyles: A Study of Gay-friendly
Books for Children” By
Tiffany Davidson - MI |
Desciption of Submission: “A detailed study of gay friendly children’s
books, outlining a need for gay role modesl for children and young adults and
also the addition of LGBT diversity in children’s books. This study examines fictional anthologies,
non-fictional anthologies, picture books, and young adult novels.“ - Tiffany
Biography: Tiffany is a graduate student attending
Why Karen and Melody Liked
It: This essay focuses on
a new gay issue regarding LGBT children’s books. It was very well written with lot of detail
analysis. It inspired us to think about
coming up with our own LGBT children’s book in the future.
Did you enjoy reading this essay?
Then feel free to send a message to Tiffany at: david1tj@cmich.edu
The gay community
has been under fire for a long time; with many people claiming the lifestyle is
not only unnatural, but also perverse in some cases. The attitude about being
gay was such that it caused the American Psychiatric Association to list
homosexuality as a mental disorder and to treat it with various methods, such
as electroshock therapy and some more deadly methods. During the Cold War in
the United States, a Senate committee even went so far as to begin an inquiry
to root out homosexuals holding government jobs, claiming that even one “sex
pervert in a Government agency tends to have a corrosive influence upon his
fellow employees.” (Davidson & Lytle 931) The actions of that committee
eventually spread beyond its reach, causing the military to step up its efforts
to expel suspected homosexual soldiers and city police across the nation to
increase the amount of raids in suspected gay bars and social clubs. (Davidson,
et al. 931)
The gay
community did not just sit by and allow the authorities to push them around
however. Various organizations started to form in the 1950s to counter the
actions taken against homosexuals. The Mattachine Society (founded in 1951) and
the Daughters of Bilitis (founded 1955) were two of the first organizations
formed to support gay and lesbian rights within a time that was known for its
politics of conformity. In the 1960s,
more radical groups started to form, citing their goals to raise consciousness,
establish gay culture in which they felt free, and to have “acceptance as full
equals…basic rights and equality as citizens; our human dignity;…[our] right to love whom we wish.” (Davidson, et al. 1034) All of the problems
for the gay community came to a head on
Although
the rights of the gay community increased from the 1950s to the 1970s, the
mid-1980s and the years of Regan started a time of regression and the rise of
anti-gay evangelical groups, claiming the AIDS epidemic to be a gay disorder in
Although
gay and lesbian adults have fought for their rights and are currently
experiencing a rise in public opinion, where does this leave gay and lesbian
children and youth? Fighting cognitive
isolation, social stigmas, and emotional situations, many of these children and
young adults have no role models to model their lives after. With no one to look up to and very little
information available about people their age, many children and young adults
are stuck in the present with very little to look forward to in the future.
Being gay is such a stigma that the teen suicide rate is
still on the rise in
Now the
subject of being gay and same sex parenting falls into the arena of children’s
and young adult literature, sparking some conservatives into action. Some evangelicals such as Pat Robertson and
several lesser-known figures, are calling for the banning of these books or the
placement of them within the adult section of libraries across the nation. Books such as King and King and One
Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads are being pulled from school libraries,
public libraries, and are even being put on banned book lists across the web
and in communities nationwide. With the need for positive role models in the
gay community and the systematic banning of homosexual themed books, where
should children and parents look for positive portrayals of homosexuality?
(Richardson and Seidman 199)
This
paper focuses upon the different portrayals of homosexuality in children’s and
young adult books, the need for gay role models such as those portrayed in the
books, and the redefinition of the idea of family therein. First, I will examine three picture books, One
Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads by Johnny Valentine, Best Best
Colors/Los Mejores Colores by Eric Hoffman, and King & King by
Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland.
Secondly, I will focus upon three young adult novels, Living in
Secret by Cristina Salat, No Big Deal by Ellen Jaffe McClain, and From
the Notebooks of Melanin Sun by Jacqueline Woodson. Next, I will talk about one book of realistic
fiction, Am I Blue? Coming Out From the Silence
edited by Marion Dane Baur. Lastly, I
will talk about one work of non-fiction for children, Outspoken: Role Models
From the Lesbian and Gay Community by Michael
Thomas Ford.
The main
focus of this paper is upon how gay and lesbian characters, as well as same sex
parents are portrayed positively within recent works for children. In discussing this topic, language, pictures,
stereotypes, and many other elements are discussed. I hope to prove that although omitted as a
topic of diversity in past children’s literature, the topics of same sex
families and gay characters have found their way into the spotlight and
therefore as yet another element in the pursuit of acceptance and
diversity. In the end, it is the aim of
this paper to show that homosexuality has gradually started to become accepted
as a legitimate form of living and loving and that this fact has been proven by
the existence of books for children and young adults portraying this type of
relationship and lifestyle as not only acceptable, but in some cases as
commonplace. I also hope that these books will provide a positive way for
children and young adults to escape the isolation and social stigmas many feel
through just being themselves. I will narrow my focus to books published within
the last fifteen years.
Picture Books:
In the
last fifteen years, more picture books have been published portraying same sex
families and gay characters. Picture
books portray all kinds of families, yet are subtly inclusive of the subjects
of romance and same sex parenting.
Alyson Wonderland, a branch of Alyson Publications, famous for many gay
themed children’s books, published One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads
by Johnny Valentine in 1994. In talking
about this book the publisher notes,
“Two children--one with
blue dads, one from a more traditional family--compare notes in this light
hearted, easy-to-read book about parents who are different. In the end, of
course, they discover that blue dads aren't really that different from other
dads. Except for one thing...” (Alyson Books)
This
book is light, delightful, and almost Seuss-like in its portrayal of Lou, a
young child with two blue fathers. Lou
is introduced in a way that would allow any younger child to identify with him. He is approximately between the ages of four
and seven, black, and dressed in a striped shirt and a pair of blue jeans, like
most children one would see on the street today. The only thing that really
separates him from other children is that his fathers are blue. Lou notes
that despite their color, they are able to do anything that other dads can do
such as swimming, cooking, playing piano, and skydiving (even though they blend
in with the sky during that activity) saying, “But
except for that problem, our life is routine, and they’re just like other dads—black,
white, or green.” (Valentine 26)
Throughout the book, a little girl (and
narrator) asks questions about how their skin became blue, whether they
function like other fathers, and if they love Lou. Other skin colors are
introduced in the beginning of the book and the title. Later in the book, Jean
shows up and talks a little bit about having a father who is green. She does not discuss this however, because
she says “I’d love to have you take a look, but we’ve run out of room, now in
this little book.” (Valentine 29)
Homosexuality
is discussed in a more indirect way in this book. The dads just live together and there is no
explanation as to where the mother is.
The inclusion of the fathers being “blue” even refers to the Russian
slang term for homosexual, that means blue, a fact of which many parents and
children probably would not know. It can
also refer to the idea that royalty in
Another
picture book that portrays homosexuality in a positive light is Best Best
Colors/Los Mejores Colores by Eric Hoffman. According to the publisher,
RedLeaf Press,
“When his Mamma Jean and Mamma Laura
ask him about his favorite color, Nate doesn't know what to say. When his friends
say he has to choose one best friend, it just doesn't seem possible. Then his
mammas bring home a rainbow flag to hang on the wall, and Nate realizes that he
likes the colors—and his friends—best when they're all together. Includes activity and teaching ideas for caregivers. Bilingual English/Spanish.” (RedLeaf Press)
Today,
many books teach the idea of diversity to children with several different
methods. This book seems to encompass
them all and send them back out in one small book. Nate is approximately between the ages of
three and six, at the stage of everything being his favorite thing. Nate and his Mamma Laura are both black,
while Mamma Jean is white and his little sister appears to be Asian. Nate’s friends Kayla, Miguel and Mandy are of
varying cultural heritage and physical ability (one of his friends is in a
wheelchair). With the diverse
characterization in this book, most readers should be able to identify with at
least one character in the book. The
book is also written in both Spanish and English, allowing children that speak
only Spanish to also comprehend the book and therefore opening up the lessons
of this book to more than one population of children.
Although
the title does not hint at it, the issue of homosexuality is more blatant in
this book than in Valentine’s book, especially in the end. Once again there is no accounting for the
father of Nate, thereby normalizing the same sex parenting in the book. The
mothers are portrayed much like the fathers were in Valentine’s book with the
exception being they are actually given speaking parts and their relationship
can be seen more directly through their family activities such as picnicking
(Hoffman 9-10) and through the last illustration of Mamma Jean with her arm
over Mamma Laura’s shoulder in the gay pride parade. (Hoffman 25-26) It can
also be seen in the culmination of Nate’s “best best colors” at the end
resulting in the gay pride flag, which he is told he can hold in the parade
with his mothers. (Hoffman 25-26)
Lastly, King
& King by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland is an example of a picture
book with positive portrayals of homosexuality.
Unlike the other books, however, this book focuses upon a gay character
rather than gay parents. Tricycle Press, a division of Ten Speed Press, says,
“Once there lived a lovelorn prince
whose mother decreed that he must marry by the end of the summer. So began the
search to find the prince’s perfect match and lo and behold... his name was
Lee.
You are cordially invited to join
the merriest, most unexpected wedding of the year.” (Tricycle Press)
This
book portrays its characters in a fairy tale style, focusing upon the royal
courts and the elusive search for the perfect princess. Although the characters are older (or
seemingly so) they are still easily identified with, in that children do not
often wish to do what they are told and sometimes parents can seem a little bit
pushy. The queen, portrayed as an
elderly or near elderly woman, tells her son that he must get married by the
end of the summer and that she had been married twice already by the time she
was his age. (de Haan and Nijland 8) The prince is
portrayed as a young adult, most likely in his late teens to early
twenties. He is presented with
princesses of various different colors and backgrounds, eventually settling
upon Prince Lee, much to the surprise of everyone involved.
The
subject of homosexuality is not immediately discussed when first opening this
book (though the title might give it away). At the beginning, the prince is just
searching for a princess with his mother pushing him along. The prince sees many different princesses
from many different races and parts of the world, but finds none to his liking.
Later on, the prince settles upon Prince Lee, when his heart begins to stir and
they both establish that it is love at first sight. (de
Haan and Nijland 19-20) In the end, the
princes get married in a wedding thrown by the Royal Kitty and friends. (de Haan and Nijland back cover) The celebration and joy of
the wedding and the Queen finally “has some time to herself”, (de Haan and
Nijland 27) makes the portrayal of a same sex union positive and seemingly
acceptable in the public eye of the book as “they live happily ever after”. (de Haan and Nijland 28) On the last page, the two princes
kiss, though a heart covers their mouths so as to not show the kiss completely.
(de Haan and Nijland 29)
All
three of these picture books are positive about their portrayal of
homosexuality. Whether blatantly stated
and unapologetically shown such as in Best Best Colors/Los Mejores Colores,
subtly hinted such as in One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads, or
later noted such as in King & King, each book opens up the subject
of homosexuality to a much younger crowd, showing the relationship and the
state of being gay as acceptable and commonplace.
Young Adult Novels
A much more common type of book to portray
homosexual relationships and coming out stories is that of the young adult
novel. Homosexuality in many young adult novels is a subject of debate,
acceptance, and hardship, accentuating the difficulties of being gay, as well
as the eventual acceptance of homosexuality or the steps towards acceptance. In
the end, each of these books gives a positive portrayal of homosexuality,
though a different view of it than the picture books do.
Bantam
Skylark Books first published Living in Secret by Cristina Salat in 1994
and it has been re-released several more times in the past few years. According to Publisher’s Weekly
as noted on Amazon.Com,
“Amelia was excited
about escaping from her father's house to go live with her mother and her mom's
lesbian lover in
This book illustrates to
young adults between the ages of nine and twelve (though younger audiences would
most likely have no trouble reading it) that sometimes difficult decisions need
to be made and that just because an idea seems true in the mainstream does not
mean that it is.
The portrayal of characters in this book is descriptive.
Amelia is a twelve-year-old girl who has been separated from her mother and her
mother’s partner Janey through a divorce.
Despite her protests, her father is awarded sole custody of her, because
the judge believes her mother is unfit as a parent and represents a bad example
of living due to her lifestyle. (Salat 9-10)
Amelia says in the book that she wants to live with her mother and
Janey, because her father and his girlfriend, Rosa, do not take care of her
properly, constantly being away and never talking to her. (Salat 10) At the beginning of the book, Amelia runs
away with her mom and Janey to
Parenting
is also a subject within this book. Amelia’s father and his girlfriend are bad
parents despite the fact that they are the heterosexual parents in the book and
theoretically should represent the idea parents. They do not pay attention to Amelia, do not
talk to her, and often leave her to her own means to run the household and the
streets as she sees fit. They do not
listen to her opinion when she tells them that she does not like the color of
her comforter and the design of her room and do not take her wants and needs
into consideration when she says she wishes to live with her mother and Janey.
Despite the secrets they must keep and the hardships they must face, mom and
Janey come across as good parents. In
the beginning of this book, Janey and Amelia were the only two in
“I don’t know what to say to that,
so I change the subject. ‘I went to the library.’
‘You went where?’
‘To the library, and I met this
girl! She’s twelve and I lied and said I was twelve too.’
Janey looked alarmed. ‘You left the front stoop without telling me?’
‘I just went to the library. And I
told the girl my name was Julie.’
‘What else did you tell her?’
‘Nothing.’ Why did I bring this up?
‘This isn’t a game, Amelia. If
someone finds out—‘
‘I just said hello and good-bye,
okay?’ Janey must think I’m really stupid…that I’d tell the first person I meet
Hi, I’m Amelia Monet. My mother kidnapped me. ‘I’m going upstairs,’ I
say, taking my pictures back.” (Salat
33)
Although she did not like the
scolding she received, Janey acted like a parent should, taking care for her
child and letting her know that her behavior was not right. This is similar to
the groundings and punishments that many people receive as children for
misbehaving. Through their ability to
properly parent their daughter, Amelia’s mom and Janey are convincing as
parents.
In
the end, Amelia’s father and a private detective catch up with her and take her
back to Greenport. They threaten to press
charges if Amelia’s mother and Janey come back for her. (Salat 159) While this
may seem a sad ending to a story about a girl and her lesbian parents, Amelia
does not go quietly. She found every
excuse she could to go back to her mothers and acts thoroughly upset about
being back in Greenport. Eventually, she
asked for an allowance (Salat 167) that she used to rent a post office box.
(Salat 169) Now, she could write to her old
friends and family out in
No
Big Deal by Ellen Jaffe McClain also focuses upon doing what is right under
bad circumstances. Published in 1994, this
book is about a junior high age girl, Janice, struggling with the prejudice
against her suspected homosexual teacher, Mr. Padovano at
Though
homosexuality is contested as a legitimate lifestyle from the beginning of this
book, the main characters are well developed.
Janice can be seen as a brainy, but accepting girl who can see beyond
someone’s lifestyle to who he/she is as a person, first noticing that Holly
looks like one of the drill team girls, but not relying on exterior traits for
her final judgment. She finds out that
Holly’s mother dressed her that way the first day, so that she would make a
good first impression at her new school. (McClain 14-15) Although Kevin
maintains a homophobic attitude throughout much of the book, his situation is
explained in the end with the revealing of his AIDS afflicted gay brother and
his jealousy for Mr. Padovano’s health. (McClain 180) Holly is portrayed as brainy and the daughter
of a very liberal set of parents, rubbing off on her in her open view of
homosexuality. Although the parents are
not developed, so that more focus can be brought to the children, one can see
the battle between the conservative and the more liberal parents clearly at the
meeting about Mr. Padovano.
Homosexuality
is portrayed well in this book, though Mr. Padovano must endure many acts of
discrimination. Mr. Padovano is
everyone’s favorite teacher and coach, leading up the Academic All-Stars team
at West River Junior High. He is able to
inspire his students to do well and no one has any complaints about him before
the rumors start about his sexuality. His partner, though not a large character
in the book, is portrayed as a nice man who lives with Mr. Padovano and travels
with him when he escapes to
From
the Notebooks of Melanin Sun by Jacqueline Woodson takes the subject of
homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle from a different perspective. Melanin Sun, the main character of this book,
has lived alone with his mother for most of his life, never really getting to
know his father. He had no objections to
hearing the word “faggot” or using it in his daily speech, though he had been
brought up to be more accepting. One
day, his mother decides to reveal her relationship with a woman, but not just
any woman, a white woman. Through Melanin’s
prejudice against white people, his insecurity about his mother’s new love, and
his own fear of rejection, Melanin hints at the end that he may soon accept
that homosexuality and lesbianism are legitimate forms of love. (Woodson)
The
characters in this book are mainly Melanin, his mom named Encanta, and her
girlfriend/partner Kristen, though other characters are introduced
throughout. Melanin is portrayed as a
self-conscious teen, who is worried about more about his own image when his
mother reveals she is a lesbian than he is worried about her image. He is negative about white people, because he
feels that white people have given his mother a hard time throughout their
lives together. (Woodson 31) Encanta is a mother who is trying to become
accepted by her son, study law, and be happily in love with a woman, Kristen. She and her son have a tough relationship in
that they do not talk much shortly after she reveals her love for Kristen. Lastly, Kristen is a white upper-class lawyer
who goes to the gym with Encanta. They
fall in love, defying racial and gender barriers, and she wishes to know
Melanin better.
Even
though the situation never really resolves at the end between Melanin, Encanta,
and Kristen, there are signs of acceptance in the near future. Melanin gives the two of them a chance by
going out with them to the beach and talking to Kristen about how her family
stopped speaking to her because she is a lesbian. Realizing that Kristen lost her only real
family because of her lifestyle, Melanin realizes that his Mamma is the only
person he has and it would be bad to lose her over the person she loves. In the end, although Melanin is not sure
about the future and whether it matters what people think, he seems ready to
accept his mother and welcome Kristen into his life. (Woodson 140-141)
In
each of these books, the lifestyle of homosexuality has been addressed along
side of all of the hardships that come with being gay. Gay bashing, vandalism, parental rights, and
acceptance are all discussed along side of lessons teaching children and young
adults to see through the exterior layer and the societal expectations to the
real people who are gay. In Living in
Secret, Amelia’s mom and Janey sacrifice everything just to be with their
daughter and Amelia gives up her life and identity in Greenport just to be with
them. In No Big Deal, Janice, her sister, and Holly defy a large group
of homophobic parents to support Mr. Padovano as a teacher instead of a gay
man. Lastly, in From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun, Melanin learns to
look beyond racial barriers and heterosexual relationships to accept his mother
and Kristen’s love for each other. Above all these books teach acceptance of
homosexuality and doing what is right against all odds.
Fictional
Anthologies:
Fictional
books combining the stories and interviews of various authors and societal
figures have become very popular in the last decade. These books encompass various subjects from
feminism to religion, from history to sociology. Books like these also exist with gay themes
and a target audience of children and young adults. Through these books, children and young
adults get a glimpse into familiar situations and perhaps answer any questions
that they may have had themselves.
An
example of an anthology of fiction in this area is Am
I Blue? Coming Out From the Silence. This book combines the talents of
sixteen well-known authors of gay children’s literature such as Nancy Garden,
Jacqueline Woodson, Cristina Salat, and M. E. Kerr, illustrating many different
situations that may arise in the life of a gay, lesbian, or bisexual child or
young adult. Throughout this book, each
of the authors tackles a different issue from acceptance within a family to
discrimination from that same family, fantasy to parents’ night, war to running
away, and so on. In this book, young
adults see into a world that is full of love, hate, acceptance, discrimination,
understanding, and ignorance.
Characters
in this book vary depending on the story.
The most positive character and most humorous within this book is
Melvin, the fairy godfather. Melvin is
trying to help his charge understand what it means to be gay in “Am I Blue?” by
Bruce Coville. Through revealing his own
death, discussing the feelings a gay man has, and some of the societal
stereotypes that one may experience in being gay, Melvin is able to provide a
funny, yet realistic view of some of the positives and negatives of being gay.
(Bauer 3-16) Other characters such as
Winnie and Tommy show what it is like to be in a relationship with someone and
realize that one is gay, (31-44) while others such as
those from “In the Tunnels” show what it is like to be in love in the midst of
war and sexual discrimination. (Bauer 249-258)
Overall,
this book serves much of the same purpose as the young adult novels. It fleshes out some of the hardships that
gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender young adults face, noting the
discrimination, debate, and sometimes the acceptance of someone being gay. Homosexuality is portrayed in a positive way,
despite many hardships that the various characters must endure. This book serves as an example that gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth are commonplace enough to need
literature for their tastes. It also serves to show that homosexual young
adults come from all walks of life and deal with many of the same problems when
revealing their sexualities or living within the shadows. Not all stories end
in this manner however, some are left to the courage of the individuals to move
on in the world, furthering the reality that some people do suffer for the lifestyles
that they lead and courage is needed to fight against what is considered to be
the social norm.
Non-Fictional
Books:
Non-fiction
books can also be helpful in guiding homosexual children and young adults
through their lives. Through interviews
and positive portrayals of role models, these children and youth, many of whom
feel alone in the world, are told that they are not in fact alone and that
there are other people like them, even people in the limelight such as Rosie
O’Donnell, Ellen DeGeneres, and Ian McKellen.
An
example of a non-fiction book is Outspoken: Role Models from the Lesbian and
Gay Community by Thomas Michael Ford.
Ford states in the jacket of his book,
“Young people need role models,
perhaps none more than gay and lesbian youths, who too often feel inferior and
alone because they hear only negative things about homosexuality. They must be shown that there are people like
themselves who have happy, healthy, and productive lives…” (Ford jacket)
Ford
is able to accomplish this need for role models through the format of his book.
This book is composed mostly of interviews.
Ford first describes who the person he is interviewing will be and then
asks the person various questions about living as a lesbian or gay, focusing on
their lives, careers, coming out, and leading fulfilling lives inside and
outside of the gay community. (Ford jacket)
He interviews a cartoonist, an Olympic boxer from
In one
interview, Ford talks to Canadian boxer Mark Leduc. Leduc is famous for his silver medal as part
of the Canadian boxing team in the 1986 Olympic games.
Establishing that he wishes people such as Leduc would have been more open
during his childhood, Ford goes on to interview this athlete, noting that he is
part of a sport that is known for its masculinity and sometimes for its
homophobia. Leduc answers the questions
he is given by Ford candidly and establishes himself as an athlete first before
anything else. Although Leduc says he faced hardships from managers, promoters,
and other boxers, he says that he made it through and never made a secret out
of who he was.
He goes on to say that his teammates on the Canadian Boxing Team never
gave him trouble for his lifestyle and that both his countrymen and athletes
from other countries have supported him as an athlete. (Ford 39-44)
In
another chapter, Ford interviews Rabbi Lisa Edwards, the rabbi of Temple Beth
Chayim Chadashim in
Each
chapter of this book is also titled as a question that some young adults may
ask themselves about being gay, such as “Lesbian and Gay Fast Fact #1: What
Does It Mean to Be Lesbian or Gay?” or “Lesbian and Gay Fast Fact #6: Don’t All
Lesbians Look Like Truck Drivers, and Don’t All Gay Men Like Ballet.” In each
chapter, he answers these questions and then relies on the interviews with the
well-known figures to illustrate that being gay is not as bad as society would
like many to think.
Overall,
non-fiction books such as Outspoken: Role Models From
the Lesbian and Gay Community provide role models to children and young
adults who may be searching for some.
They are positive in that they show individuals from the GBLT community
as regular people leading regular or not-so-regular lives. Although there are some hardships that people
such as Mark Leduc and Rabbi Lisa Edwards have to endure, the benefits far
outweigh the hardships.
Conclusions:
Although
homosexual men and women have endured many hard times throughout the history of
the
Through
these books, homosexuality is talked about just as any lifestyle is, addressing
the positive and negative experiences that come with making a life
decision. While many would not choose to
live as a gay or lesbian individual, nor to see their friends or family members
go through the many trials that arise for people in that lifestyle, children’s
and young adult books aid to give a more positive outlook on being gay and/or
living with same sex parents.
In the
future and with the publishing of more books concerning homosexual
relationships and individuals, perhaps the acceptance of this lifestyle will go
up even further, allowing same sex couples and gay individuals to live as
completely equal and free citizens of the
Bibliography
Am I Blue? Coming Out From the Silence. Ed.
Marion Dane Baur.
“Best
Best Colors/Los Mejores Colores.” Redleaf Press. http://www.redleafpress.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=23
(2005)
“King and King.” Tricycle Press. http://www.tenspeedpress.com/catalog/tricycle/item.php3?id=1384
(2005)
“Living in Secret.” Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/ (2005)
Nation of Nations: A Narrative History of the
“One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads,” Alyson Books
Online. http://store.yahoo.com/alysonbooks/onedatwodabr.html
(2005)
De Haan, Linda and Stern Nijland. King
and King.
Ford,
Michael Thomas. Outspoken: Role Models From the
Lesbian and Gay Community.
Hoffman,
Eric. Best Best Colors/Los Mejores Colores.
McClain,
Ellen Jaffe. No Big Deal.
Richardson, Diane and Steven Seidman. Handbook
of Lesbian and Gay Studies.
Salat,
Cristina. Living in Secret.
Valentine,
Johnny. One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads.
Woodson,
Jacqueline. From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun.
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Did you enjoy reading this essay?
Then feel free to send a message to Tiffany at: david1tj@cmich.edu