Teaching children the history of the LGBTQ rights struggle
When children are old enough to learn about Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and the March on Washington, they’re old enough to learn about Harvey Milk, Gilbert Baker and Stonewall.
In age-appropriate ways, always offer a little information and see where the child’s interest takes them. Here are some of our favorite picture books as conversation starters about LGBTQ rights history.
Picture books:
Stonewall: A building, an uprising, a revolution by Rob Sanders. “In the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, the Stonewall Inn was raided by police in New York City. Though the inn had been raided before, that night would be different. It would be the night when empowered members of the LGBTQ+ community--in and around the Stonewall Inn--began to protest and demand their equal rights as citizens of the United States. Movingly narrated by the Stonewall Inn itself.”
Sewing the rainbow: the story of Gilbert Baker and the rainbow flag by Gayle E. Pitman. (2019 Finalist, Children’s Choice Book Awards, 2019 ALA GLBT Round Table Rainbow Book List, National Parenting Product Award Winner) “Gilbert’s story unfolds just like the flag he created: in a riot of color, joy, and pride.” In 1994, Baker created a mile-long Rainbow Flag in New York to mark the 25th anniversary of the LGBTQ civil rights movement, recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest flag.
Pride: the story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag, by Rob Sanders. “Written in direct, accessible language, this book opens with a quote from Harvey Milk about hope, Milk's choice to enter politics and Gilbert Baker's design of the first flag. [The book] connects that to the flag's modern appearances as a symbol of equality and pride, and the use of it on June 26, 2015 across the White House. The narrative includes references to opposition and the assassination of Milk and George Moscone, but moves decisively on to tell of enduring hope, with an illustration of the candlelight vigil and the persistence of the rainbow flag as an icon. With its emphasis on pride and hope, this title will make a strong addition to support[ing] discussions of character and equality.”
For older children:
The Stonewall Riots: Coming Out in the Streets by Dr. Gayle E. Pitman. “This book is about the Stonewall Riots, a series of spontaneous, often violent demonstrations by members of the gay (LGBTQ+) community in reaction to a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. The Riots are recognized as the spark that ignited the LGBTQ+ movement. The author includes her interviews of people involved or witnesses, including a woman who was ten at the time. Profusely illustrated, the book includes contemporary photos, newspaper clippings, and other period objects. A timely and necessary read.”
What was Stonewall? by Nico Medina. “How did a spontaneous protest outside of a New York City bar fifty years ago spark a social movement across America? Find out about the history of LGBTQ rights in this Who HQ title.”
(All book summaries are from their Amazon listings)
What books do YOU recommend for teaching children about the history of LGBTQ rights?
From our earlier series: