Pride Month Resources, Tools, and Literature
. Posted in LGBTQ+
Commemorated each year in the month of June, LGBTQ+ Pride Month honors the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York City. In June of 1969, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn staged an uprising to resist the police harassment and persecution to which LGBTQ+ Americans were commonly subjected. This uprising marked the beginning of a movement to outlaw discriminatory laws and practices against LGBTQ+ Americans. Today, LGBTQ+ Pride Month celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, attracting millions of participants around the world.
In schools and classrooms, LGBTQ+ Pride Month is an excellent time to talk with students about LGBTQ+ people and their struggles to achieve equity and justice in all aspects of their lives. It is an opportunity to learn about important LGBTQ+ people in history, read literature that features LGBTQ+ people, analyze heterosexism and explore its causes and solutions. As with other similarly themed months, it is important not to isolate the exploration of LGBTQ+ people and culture into one month during the year. LGBTQ+ history is U.S. history and should be integrated into the curriculum throughout the school year.
Below is a list of relevant K-12 curriculum, children’s books and other resources to bring LGBTQ+ Pride Month to your schools and classrooms.
Literature
1. Unstoppable: How Bayard Rustin Organized the 1963 March on Washington by Michael G. Long. This powerful and triumphant picture book biography tells the story of how openly gay civil rights leader Bayard Rustin defied prejudice as he planned and organized the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
2. Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle by Nina Lacour. For one little girl, there’s no place she’d rather be than sitting between Mama and Mommy. So when Mommy goes away on a work trip, it’s tricky to find a good place at the table. As they pass by a beautiful garden, the girl gets an idea . . . but when Mommy finally comes home, it takes a minute to shake off the empty feeling she felt all week before leaning in for a kiss.
3. Calvin by JR Ford. Calvin has always been a boy, even if the world sees him as a girl. He knows who he is in his heart and in his mind but he hasn’t yet told his family. In this joyful and impactful picture book, a transgender boy prepares for the first day of school and introduces himself to his family and friends for the first time.