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Publisher's Letter: Creating a Bully Pulpit for Equality

by Laura Matanah

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Did you know that three presidential hopefuls have signed pledges stating that they believe gay parents are inferior to straight parents? Even worse, they broadcast this view to everyone who will listen, using the pulpit of their presidential bid to bully others.

We’re fighting back. Starting this month, we have brand new features on our kids’ fiction, teen fiction, and comic pages to empower kids and teens to create different messages about our families. As an adult who supports LGBT-headed families, I’d like to ask you to pledge to use your own “bully pulpit” to promote understanding and equality.

  1. Spread the word about our “Talking About Our Families” project to kids, teens, parents, and educators on Facebook or by email. Kids and teens who respond to the invitation to share their thoughts about our fiction and comics will get a written thank you for participating and be eligible to win prizes.
  2. Share our printable picture books with other interested families and educators. Each book contains educational activities and information for parents and teachers about talking about family diversity. If you’re planning on bringing the books to your own child’s classroom, please be sure to talk with him or her about it to ensure that you’re both enthusiastically on board.
  3. Make a donation to support our work.
  4. Take five minutes of political action. Choose an issue you feel passionate about.
○ Send a message to your representatives letting them know that all children in the U.S. foster care system deserve families.
○ Sign a petition against the “Don’t Say Gay” bill in Tennessee.
○ Pledge to vote “no” on Minnesota’s or North Carolina’s  anti-marriage amendments.

Your support of LGBT-headed families is more important than ever. Thanks so much for being part of our safe, welcoming, empowering community for kids and teens in LGBT-headed homes.

Author

Laura Matanah has led Rainbow Rumpus from being a small group of parents committed to creating great literature for their children to a publisher that creates more LGBT-family fiction each year than all other English language publishers combined.