LGBT+ Representation in Books

Here’s why I decided to feature a gay wedding in my children’s picture book…?

At nursery drop-off this week I bumped into one of the dads who had pre-ordered 10 copies of My Family is So Scottish. That’s right, ten copies! He’s keeping one for his kids and gifting the rest to friends and family. I asked why he bought so many and he said something I hadn’t realised…?

First off, let’s talk about incidental representation in books and why it is so important for children’s books.?

Incidental representation is where marginalised identities such as religion, ethnicity, race, sexuality, gender, disability, are represented in a book - and where the book is not centred around this identity.?

Can you think of any children’s books that include an LGBTQ+ character that isn’t about having same-sex parents? Or one featuring a disabled child but not about their disability? Where is religious representation in non-religious books???

Many of you reading this will agree that representation in children’s books matter, so that every child gets to see themselves in the pages they read - and this is also why publishing houses need to do better at getting behind authors from marginalised communities.??

What is also important is for all children to see more of this in their own books, and for it to be normalised.?

When I decided to include a wedding at the end of my book to show the family having a gallus time, I first thought of my own. Because my husband’s family is Bangladeshi and mine Scottish we had an explosion of colour with kilts, sarees and a mash-up of music when it came to the end of night dancing. I wanted to re-create this joy and as I was looking at pictures to send as a reference for Karen, I thought - why not have two uncles marry.??

It was one of the best decisions I made. The two wedding pages - the ceremony and the party, emanate joy and celebration.??

So let’s get back to my conversation at the nursery doorstep.?

As a same-sex couple, this dad has quite a few books in his home about a family with two dads. But they all have two things in common: They are aimed at very small children; and they only really focus on the nuclear family of the parents and the child(ren).??

He said my two double pages of a gay wedding celebration where the whole extended family are celebrating is something he hadn’t seen - let alone one of uncles (or guncles) rather than parents.??

I hadn’t realised this, and that’s why that in itself is a problem. As a woman in a relationship with a man we didn’t actively seek out books about same-sex parents. In fact the only books we have that feature LGBTQ+ parents are those that are done so incidentally! (see recommendations below)?

And here lies the reason why incidental representation is important: because the coverage is so much wider. Parents of non-disabled children don’t tend to buy books about disabled children. But if that representation is in every book, their children see more varieties of children playing and having adventures just like they do.?

You can buy My Family is So Scottish here

Here are some great books which include same-sex couples:

READY FOR AN ADVENTURE by Abbi-Jean Reid and Bhumika Jangid

BATHE THE CAT by Alice B. McGinty and David Roberts

JULIEN AT THE WEDDING by Jessica Love

GRANDDAD’S CAMPER by Harry Woodgate

MR WATSON’S CHICKENS by Jarret Dapier and Andrea Tsurumi

HARINI AND PADMINI SAY NAMASTE by Amy Maranvile and Tim Palin