feedback for "Where Are The Gay Classics?"
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Loved the article! Is there any good tween or teen gay lit?
posted by : VioletLizzie on 2/10/2009 at 11:32 AM Flag For Abuse
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The Rainbow Boys series is teen gay lit.
posted by : NorthernMom on 2/10/2009 at 11:45 AM Flag For Abuse
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Your flip and certainly biased comments about reading these books in a classroom setting are reprehensible and regrettable - you make great points that in todays society it is best to have literature for those families that are in a situation that bares further explanation or bridge to understanding - however, by taking it upon yourself to impart such information to children (ie your comment about reading the book if still in a classroom setting) you take a step that YOU are not permitted to take - it is not up to you to educate all on the "ways of the gays" in today's society - it is up to parents - and no one else!
posted by : Sayitoutloud on 2/10/2009 at 6:28 PM Flag For Abuse
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As soon as our kids go out into the world they are educated by many people who are not their parents or even their official teachers. What do we really gain by teaching our children to believe in half truths. People of all genders fall in love - that's the way the world is. Isn't part of our job as parents to teach our children about the world?
posted by : cocoa on 2/10/2009 at 6:55 PM Flag For Abuse
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cocoa: well said. i totally agree.
it's really sad to live in a world where parents are still hiding this entire segment of the population from their kids, or even worse, teaching kids that such lifestyles are wrong or bad. i don't think that you necessarily need to overly emphasize the gay thing...or have a gay-themed-books-only library, but surely one book among the 50 or 100 or so that a kid has would be appropriate.
posted by : gaylitlover on 2/11/2009 at 10:52 AM Flag For Abuse
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I disagree with Sayitoutloud. In today's society it is great to have literature not only for those families who are "in a situation that bares further explanation" i.e. those with gay family members. On the contrary, it is great to have that literature for ALL families, and for ALL children, and for it to be as available and commonplace as any other kids' lit.
Teachers teach MANY things that might be beyond the scope of the parents' knowledge. We do not state that it is up to the parents to educate their children on the ways of math, or science, or languages. Teachers teach children about how the world works, be it in the scientific, historical, literary, or sociological scope. And if we disagree with what the teacher is teaching, be it about homosexuality, evolution, or the influence of Shakespeare on modern-day literature, then it is up to us to impart our own lessons at home, and let the child eventually make up his own mind on things. Good teaching, be it by a parent or by a teacher, is not about indoctrination. It is about imparting information and helping the child develop critical thinking skills so that they can process and evaluate that information based on its own merits.
posted by : RedKitten1975 on 2/11/2009 at 12:09 PM Flag For Abuse
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Great overview, Brett! FYI, I've recently done two related pieces on LGBT-inclusive children's and young adult media:
Rainbow List Highlights GLBTQ Children's Literature - This annual list from the American Library Association covers both children's and teen/young adult lit. The 2009 list just came out last week.
LGBT Families on Public Television: the Time Has Come Less about current media and more about possibilities for the future (although I do cover the episode of Postcards from Buster that features two lesbian moms).
posted by : DanaR on 2/11/2009 at 4:07 PM Flag For Abuse
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Sayitloud - the great thing about using these books in a classroom setting is they're not 'educating kids about The Gays' so much as showing gay families as part of a child's normal world. I'm sure that any kid with two dads would appreciate seeing another kid with two dads pop up in a storybook, without it being a big deal!
posted by : booklover11 on 2/12/2009 at 10:59 AM Flag For Abuse
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I won't comment on the review itself, as I am the author of one of the books. However, I will comment that the link to my book, The Different Dragon, takes the reader to AMAZON!! Why not have the link go directly to the brave, struggling, independent publisher who made this book available to the public? Two Lives Publishing (www.twolives.com) is dedicated to producing quality books for GLBTQ families, for all families who care about books that depict universal truths about family life. If we indeed want this important genre to grow, then we better make sure that we put money in the pockets of publishers like Two Lives instead of Amazon.
posted by : jenniferbryan on 2/13/2009 at 4:29 PM Flag For Abuse
