A Quick And Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns - A queer language reference comic

A Quick And Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns by Archie Bongiovanni and Tristan Jimerson

Archie, a snarky genderqueer artist, is tired of people not understanding gender neutral pronouns. Tristan, a cisgender dude, is looking for an easy way to introduce gender neutral pronouns to his increasingly diverse workplace. The longtime best friends team up in this short and fun comic guide that explains what pronouns are, why they matter, and how to use them. They also include what to do if you make a mistake, and some tips-and-tricks for those who identify outside of the binary to keep themselves safe in this binary-centric world. A quick and easy resource for people who use they/them pronouns, and people who want to learn more!

This guide is simple and really useful.

Covering how it feels to be misgendered, how we're all going to make mistakes occasionally, and offering some examples of how to integrate this pronoun knowledge into regular life, this guide is a great introduction for cis-gendered folks, and also, I imagine, really affiriming for those who use gender-neutral pronouns, and identify as gender queer, gender fluid, trans, or queer.

Some interior panels, from the review copy supplied to me by Oni Press:

Add your review of "A Quick And Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns" in comments!

Breakthrough U - Puppets and LGBTQ-Inclusive Videos

What a cool tool to spark conversations.

Like this Breakthrough U. video, Intersectionality 101:



And check out this one on Gender Norms (covering non-consensual photo sharing, sexual scoring, and how to transform it)!



And this one on Culture Change (touching on Gender fluid identity, homophobic language, and bathroom use.)



Find out more about Breakthrough U. here.

"Making Gay History" Podcast - my new podcast obsession

Author and historian Eric Marcus conducted over a hundred audio interviews with key figures in the LGBTQ movement. He used portions of those interviews in his books, and now he's created a podcast series called Making Gay History, where we get to hear these icons in their own voices.

We get to hear Jeanne & her son Morty Manford. Jeanne talks about starting PFLAG, and about what happened when she marched with her gay son in the gay pride parade, holding a sign that proclaimed her love and pride in him.

We get to hear Dr. Evelyn Hooker, telling us about her gay friend Sam, and how Sam urged her to take on the study of healthy gay men that would eventually lead to a complete shift in how being Gay or Lesbian was understood.

We get to hear Sylvia Rivera (the transgender icon) tell us about being at Stonewall.

It's a treasure trove! We're only six episodes in and I'm already obsessed with how amazing it is to hear these people speak through time.

Go listen - Eric and his team have done a great job with this podcast!

College Guide For Current and Prospective LGBT Students - a web resource

This College Guide For Current and Prospective LGBT Students seems like a good place to start, with a lot of good links (especially their scholarship section. Besides the Point Foundation, these were all new to me.)

If it seems useful to you, check it out.

Resources If You Were At My #CASC15 Session "Interventions for LGBTQ Youth" (and even if you weren't!)

I want to thank my co-presenter at this weekend's California Association of School Counselors 2015 Conference, Palisades Charter High School Counselor Jill Barker, and the more than 60 school counselors from all over California who attended and participated with so much engagement and good energy!

Again, my apologies for not having enough handouts to go around, but the reason for the problem (more counselors than we expected showing up who wanted to learn how to better help and support the LGBTQ youth in their schools) was wonderful!

As to the two handouts, 

here's a link to the Gender Unicorn.

For the Shakespeare and Sappho handout, just pop me a quick email at leewind (at) roadrunner (dot) com and I'll send you that pdf. (Or, leave your email address in the comments section, below.)

The resources Jill, myself and your fellow counselors shared:

The article by Mitali Perkins discussing how books can be mirrors and doors is here.

And here's the wonderful piece by Lisa Egan that I read the first part of, I'm Not A "Person With A Disability": I'm a Disabled Person, that discusses the social model of disability.

The American Library Association's Rainbow List website, listing the best books each year for kids and teens with LGBTQ characters and themes is here.

And the handful of books I brought to illustrate the power of books to spark conversations and be those mirrors and doors were:

Board Book:

Mommy, Mama, and Me
by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Carol Thompson
(An essential, simple board book - there's also a Daddy, Papa and Me one.)

Picture Books:

And Tango Makes Three
by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, illustrated by Henry Cole
(This is the book that's been in the top 10 of the most challenged books in American for years and years!)

This Day In June
by Gayle E. Pitman, illustrated by Kristyna Litten
(A Pride parade book with an extensive readers guide, won the ALA's 2015 Stonewall Book Awards – Mike Morgan and Larry Romans Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award!)

Snutt the Ift 
by Helen Ward
This is the Intergalactic, Gender-Free Love Story, and it's the one published by Little Pickle Press, where I now work!

Middle Grade Books:

Drama
by Raina Telgemeier
(A graphic novel, super-sweet)

Better Nate Than Ever
by Tim Federle
(Funny and brave and VERY Broadway)

Young Adult (older-skewing)

Tricks
by Ellen Hopkins
Tough-hitting novel in verse, brilliant.

I'll Give You The Sun
by Jandy Nelson
Gorgeous writing and twins (one gay, one not) struggling to deal with grief and life and... they'll stay with you long after you've read it!


Organizations mentioned that offer additional great resources and opportunities to engage with young people about LGBTQ equality to help shift the culture at your school:

GLSEN - The Gay Lesbian & Straight Education Network

GSA Network - The Gay-Straight Alliance Network (with a lot of resources and advice on starting a GSA at your school)

PFLAG - Parents, Families and Friends and Allies United with LGBTQ People to move equality forward!

Trans Student Educational Resources

Genderfork

No Name-Calling Week

National Coming Out Day - October 11

Ally Week 

Day of Silence

Harvey Milk Day here in California

The Trevor Project and their TrevorSpace online community for young people. They also have a crisis intervention and suicide prevention hotline for LGBTQ Youth: 866-488-7386

GSA Monday posts here at this blog with conversation prompts (including some curated youtube videos that are really thought-provoking and/or just amazing!)

LGBTQ Pride Month is June

October is LGBTQ History Month

While compiling this list, I realized there were three organizations that didn't get mentioned but that are well-worth checking out:

The Human Rights Campaign,

Gender Spectrum

and

Trans Youth Family Allies.


There it is! Glad you stopped by, and if you have any further questions, email me or leave a comment.

Thanks again!
Lee

Two Spirits, One Heart: A Mother's Day Gift For Us All

Mother's Day is Sunday, so this is the perfect time to share about:

Two Spirits, One Heart by Marsha Aizumi with Aiden Aizumi

Mother, educator, and LGBT activist Marsha Aizumi shares her story of parenting a young woman who came out as a lesbian, then transitioned to male. Marsha's personal journey was from fear, uncertainty, and sadness to eventual unconditional love, acceptance, and support of her child who struggled to reconcile his gender identity.

Two quotes from Marsha's introduction in the book need to be shared:

"May the thoughts I am sharing encourage you to continue to love your child no matter what and may this book serve to inspire you to release the fear and embrace the love you have for your child."

and

"This journey with Aiden has made my life so much richer. It has deepened my appreciation for my husband and brought me closer to my younger son, Stefen. I am living the life I dream, and I am living it because Aiden had the courage to say, "This is who I am."

Marsha Aizumi and her son, Aiden

I interviewed Marsha last year, and you can watch that video here. Add your review of "Two Spirits, One Heart" in comments!

Matthew Shepard Continues To Make A Difference: An ELA/History Resource Guide For High School Educators

GLSEN, the Matthew Shepard Foundation, Lesléa Newman and Candlewick Press have collaborated to develop He Continues to Make a Difference: Commemorating the Life of Matthew Shepard, a resource for high school educators interested in:

• Commemorating and learning from the life of Matthew Shepard

• Teaching themes of empathy and social justice

• Implementing LGBT-Inclusive curriculum while meeting reading and writing standards

• Supporting LGBT students

Using Lesléa Newman’s award-winning book of poetry, OCTOBER MOURNING: A SONG FOR MATTHEW SHEPARD, as a foundation, educators can foster meaningful dialogue with students while meeting English/Language Arts and Social Studies standards.

I like a lot of this guide - the discussion of windows and mirrors, the core curriculum tie-ins, the call to educators to include more LGBTQ curriculum materials, and especially Lesléa's introduction "Why Matthew's Story Still Matters," which included these very moving words:

When someone is reduced to a slur, he or she becomes, in the
eyes of a tormentor, less than human. He or she becomes, in a
tormentor’s eyes, someone of no consequence, someone who
doesn’t matter, someone—or something—easy to destroy.
And this is why we must keep telling Matthew Shepard’s story.
Matt was not a “fag.” Matt was a person. He was a son, a brother,
a boyfriend, a classmate, a friend. In the Jewish tradition, which is
my tradition, it is said, “Whoever saves a life, saves a whole world.”
I believe that the opposite is also true. Whoever destroys a life,
destroys a whole world. We will never know all the great things
Matthew Shepard would have done had he not been murdered
(ironically, he wanted to work for international social justice). We
will never know how he would have looked once his braces were
removed. We will never know what he would have done upon
graduating from the University of Wyoming. We will never know
if, later in life, he would have married and raised children. We will
never know all the joy and love he would have continued to bring
to his family and friends and to those he had yet to meet. When
his life was cut short, a whole world was destroyed.


In my tradition there is a concept known as “tikkun olam” which
means “repairing the world.” Every person is assigned this task at
birth even though it is assumed that our broken world will never
be fully repaired. Still, each one of us must contribute to “tikkun
olam” in some way. It is also assumed that no individual can do
this alone. And that is why I am so excited to be working with the
Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN), the Matthew
Shepard Foundation, and Candlewick Press. Together we can
do so much. Together we can reach high school educators and
administrators, political activists, LGBT youth, librarians, parents,
and readers of teen literature, all of whom can work together
to carry on Matthew Shepard’s legacy to make the world a safer
place.

The resource guide is available as a free pdf, and is well worth checking out.

Namaste,
Lee

Raising My Rainbow: Adventures In Raising A Fabulous, Gender Creative Son

Raising My Rainbow: Adventures In Raising A Fabulous, Gender Creative Son by Lori Duron

C.J. is gender variant or gender nonconforming, whichever you prefer. Whatever the term, Lori has a boy who likes girl stuff—really likes girl stuff. He floats on the gender-variation spectrum from super-macho-masculine on the left all the way to super-girly-feminine on the right. He's not all pink and not all blue. He's a muddled mess or a rainbow creation. Lori and her family choose to see the rainbow.

Lori's blog (the same title as the book) is great and very popular, read by over a million readers in more than 170 countries and is used in gender studies courses at over 35 colleges and universities.  

I'm enjoying reading the book, which feels poignant, honest, and important. It's an excellent resource for parents (and anyone who wants to get some insight into a gender-non-conforming child's life.)

Add your review of "Raising My Rainbow" in comments!

LGBT Science - Exploring the origins of sexual orientation and gender identity

Check out this cool new resource, LGBT Science, to stand up to anti-lgbtq arguments.

"If you hear someone say that homosexuality is unnatural, you can be pretty sure you are not listening to a scientist."
- Dr. Marc Breedlove, Michigan State University, Rosenberg Professor of Neuroscience

Here's a video from Wayne Besen, executive director of Truth Wins Out, explaining the LGBT Science project's mission:

Q & A (Queer and Asian Pacific-Islander) Space - Coming Out Stories!

This Q&A Space website is very cool. In their own words,

Q&A Space is the first ever coming out resource website specifically for LGBT Asian Pacific Islanders with multimedia stories, coming out advice, translated resources for parents, and more.

Q&A is a play on the common phrase "question and answer" and the term "queer and Asian."

The goal of this website is not to answer every question, but to provide support, advice, and resources for those seeking it.

Take a look, read the stories. Encourage others to add their own stories!

The more people willing to come out, the safer the world will be for others!

The stories, poems and videos on their site are brave and true, and well worth reading (and sharing!)

And I was excited to see their parent resource page has information translated into Simplified Chinese (簡體中文), Traditional Chinese (繁體中文), Farsi, Hindi, Bahasa Indonesia, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog, Urdu and Vietnamese!

Namaste,
Lee

It's Asexual Awareness Week!

Okay, I admit it. I knew very little about the Asexual community (and Asexuality) prior to this week.

But thanks to Shelby and Tiny Dinosaur and the information over at the Asexual Awareness Week website, I feel better equipped to stand up as an ally for people who identify as Asexual.

Check out this video:

Asexuality Awareness Week's "Asexuality 101" is a great resource

Tiny Dinosaur did a tumblr slideshow about Asexuality. Here's a taste:

And I think what Tiny Dinosaur is pointing out above is true of everyone. If you are aware of who you are and that there is a community of others like you, you're less sad, feel less alone, you know you're not broken and you're not confused.

You're just free to be your authentic self.  And isn't that what we're all working towards? A world where each of us can be our authentic selves?


Check out the Asexual Awareness Week website, and stand up as an ally to the Asexual community!

Namaste,
Lee

"Where Are The Gay Parents In Children's Literature?" - A Resource (with Reviews) To Know About

Check out this blog series Kris Asselin and Jonathon Arnston have put together.  There are lists, and reviews, and some titles I hadn't heard about (but will be including here as well!)

Thanks, Kris and Jonathon!

Lee

What Makes A Baby - A Picture Book For Every Kind of Family and Every Kind of Kid

"What Makes A Baby" by Cory Silverberg, illustrated by Fiona Smyth

Most books about where babies come from leave many of us out. They tell a nice story (mommy + daddy + intercourse = you!) but the truth is that more and more of us are acknowledging the help we get to bring children into our lives. That help might be a doctor, fertility clinic, adoption or foster agency; it might be a turkey baster and a friend; it might be a sperm donor or a surrogate. What Makes a Baby helps parents tell children a story about where they came from that isn’t just true for them, but true for everyone.

Geared to readers from pre-school to 8 years old, it teaches curious kids about conception, gestation, and birth in a way that works regardless of whether or not the kid in question was adopted, conceived using reproductive technologies, at home or in a clinic, through surrogacy, or the old fashioned way, and regardless of how many people were involved, their orientation, gender and other identity, or family composition. Just as important, the story doesn’t gender people or body parts, so most parents and families will find that it leaves room for them to educate their child without having to erase their own experience.

Definitely a picture book I wish had been read to me when I was a little kid!

Interestingly, this book was first self-published (through a hugely successful kickstarter campaign) and is now in it's second printing with Seven Stories Press.  There's a great interview with Cory and Fiona about making the book here at Pen and Oink.  

Add your review of "What Makes A Baby" in comments!

New Blog Resource To Note: Straight Parent, Gay Kid

Check out this Straight Parent, Gay Kid blog by Wesley Cullen Davidson.  I liked her summary of recent news events like the U.S. supreme court gay marriage ruling and the Boy Scout's partial acceptance of gay people in their organization.

As this internet thing works, Wesley and I connected, and when I told her I was going to tell everyone about her blog she asked to share this message with you, my readers...

Hi. I'm Wesley Davidson, mother of a gay adult son, and I consider myself an ally of the Gay, Lesbian and Bi community.

In my blog:http://straightparentgaykid.blogspot.com, I give support, based on experience and research, to straight parents raising gay, lesbian and bi children. I am currently working on a book with a psychiatrist, Jonathan L. Tobkes, M.D. who happens to be gay, about the issues parents face while raising gay children and how to resolve them. The book will also have the voices of gay teens and adults on what worked or didn't work in their relationship with their parents.

That's where I'd like to hear from you. I'd like to interview you to get tips on what helped or hurt your relationships with your families. You know best. Please e-mail me at wcdwrite@aol.com and put in the subject line: Request for interview.

I'd also like to know what topics you'd like to see me write about in the blog. Please send me an e-mail also about this with suggested blog topics in the subject line.

Thanks so much. Together, we can make gay-straight familial relationships better right now. Wesley

My thanks to Hayden Thorne for sharing this blog with me, so I could share it with all of you.

Namaste,
Lee

Representations of Gender in Advertising

This under five minute video is excellent, with some shocking statistics and thought-provoking images, and it is a great entry point to talk about how men and women are "supposed" to be, and how we need to break free of that mind trap...





Created for

"a Women and Gender Studies class at the University of Saskatchewan by Sarah Zelinski, Kayla Hatzel and Dylan Lambi-Raine [who] wanted to show how ridiculous media portrays gender roles and stereotypes in advertising through presenting gender roll reversals."

It was also interesting that in the "real" ads, all the women conformed to the thin and buxom stereotype of beauty, while in the role reversal ads, there were many different kinds of men portrayed.

What do you think?

Transforming Practice: A Transgender Resource for Health Care Providers (You May Want To Suggest It To Yours)

Transforming Practice: Life Stories of Transgender Men That Change How Health Providers Work by Marcus Greatheart, MSW

As the publisher writes,

In our experience our trans friends frequently have to educate their healthcare providers and therapists- not to mention the general public- about trans issues, so hopefully this book can grease the wheels for many of them so there's a peer reviewed book/study they can point to that dispels the myth that trans men and people anywhere on the gender spectrum are prone to mental illness and unhappiness. This book has first hand interviews of trans men talking about positive experiences and even describing their transition process as enjoyable.

Add your review of "Transforming Practice" in comments!

Resources: The Sylvia Rivera Law Project's "Toilet Training" Video - The Challenge People Who Don't Conform To Gender Norms Face In Just Needing To Use The Bathroom

This excerpt from a longer video is thought-provoking!

The video addresses the persistent discrimination, harassment, and violence that people who transgress gender norms face in gender segregated bathrooms.  Using the stories of people who have been harassed, arrested or beaten for trying to use bathrooms, Toilet Training focuses on bathroom access in public space, in schools, and at work.

Find out more at the Sylvia Rivera Law Project.

The Organization for Refuge, Asylum & Migration helps LGBTI refugees worldwide

Refugees fleeing persecution due to sexual orientation or gender identity have an organization advocating for them!

The Organization for Refuge, Asylum & Migration (ORAM) is the only organization focused exclusively on helping vulnerable LGBTI refugees worldwide find safety and rebuild their lives in welcoming communities. ORAM increases global support for refugees and asylum seekers through advocacy and education, as well as technical assistance to people and groups interested in working with refugees, asylees, and asylum seekers.

They've also put together a publication, Rainbow Bridges

which is a "Community Guide to Rebuilding the Lives of LGBTI Refugees and Asylees," designed for US LGBT and accepting communities to support increasing numbers of LGBT refugees.


I was really happy to learn about ORAM so I could share it with all of you.

Namaste,
Lee

Gendercast: Our Transmasculine Genderqueery - A Fantastic Podcast About Gender

Gendercast is a podcast exploration of gender and what is means to live in, challenge and exist beyond the binary. It is a conversation between all those who identify along the transmasculine spectrum and our allies and supporters. It is a commentary on our culture and a reflection on where we have come from and where we are headed. 

I listened to podcast #34 and as an ally to the trans and gender non-conforming community found it fascinating and very informative.

You can download Gendercast via itunes...just go to the itunes store and search Gendercast. Or you can download directly from their gendercast.libsyn.com site.

Enjoy!

Lee

Rainbow Family Collections: Selecting And Using Children's Books with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Content - A New Resource!

"Rainbow Family Collections: Selecting And Using Children's Books with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Content" by Jaime Campbell Naidoo

From the back cover:

Research shows that an estimated 2 million children are being raised in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) families in the United States; that the number of same-sex couples adopting children is at an all-time high; and that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) couples raising children live in 96 percent of all counties in the United States.  Today's educators and youth librarians therefore need guidance in choosing, evaluating, and selecting high-quality children's books with LGBTQ content.

Highlighting titles for children from infancy to age 11, Rainbow Family Collections examines over 250 children's picture books, informational books, and chapter books with LGBTQ content from around the world.  Each entry in Rainbow Family Collections supplies a synopsis of the title's content, lists awards it has received, cites professional reviews, and provides suggestions for librarians considering acquisition.

The book also provides a brief historical overview of LGBTQ children's literature along with the major book awards for this genre, tips on planning welcoming spaces and offering effective library service to this population, and a list of criteria for selecting the best book with this content.  Interviews with authors and key individuals in LGBTQ children's book publishing are also featured.

I know I've found some titles new to me in this - look for a blog post on "Gender Now Coloring Book: A Learning Adventure for Children and Adults" by Maya Christina Gonzalez soon!

Have you used this book as a resource?  Add your take on it in comments.

Namaste,
Lee

PS - my thanks to Yapha and Robin, two awesome librarians, who both made sure I knew about this one!