Proud 365 Days a Year!

Here at Kindness Grows Here we love celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride during the month of June. We proudly participated in multiple pride events throughout the month. But it is our goal as an organization to help create a world in which the LGBTQ+ members of our communities feel proud, included, loved and cared for 365 days every single year.

The Trevor Project tells us that "45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year." This is a devastating statistic that we must change. But, we won't change that number by picking and choosing the days in which we celebrate differences. We must celebrate same sex relationships, marriages and families, transgender youth and adults, gender nonconforming individuals, bisexual love, and every other person, family, or group that identifies as LGBTQ+ all year long. 

How can you help do that at home with your children? One very simply way is to fill your book shelves with diverse books with LGBTQ+ characters, and leave them out all year long; Not just during the month of June. You don't need to buy them! (But, you can at your favorite local book store. We love Park Books!) You can also visit your library regularly, making sure to check out books that celebrate all kinds of differences. Ask a librarian to help you choose some good ones! (A few of our favorites are below).

You can attend a Drag Queen story hour. Again, you can check with your local library for upcoming events. A lot of libraries have them! And if yours doesn't, we love Nina West, a beautiful, amazing Drag Queen who does "Storytime with Nina." (Our founder, Kristen and two of her kids had the pleasure of meeting Andrew Levitt, the guy behind Nina West, recently when he was starring as "Edna" in Hairspray!) 

You can also celebrate differences all year long through the everyday conversations you have with your kids. Be certain that you don't refer to "boy toys" or "girl clothes." Talk to your kids about how anyone, of any gender can like any clothes, toys, colors, or activities that they want! If you're out and about, and you see two people of the same gender kissing, or holding hands, comment in a positive way! You can say, "Look at those people who are so in love!" If your child sees someone in the grocery store and says, "Is that person a boy or a girl?" You can respond by saying, "I don't know. We can't tell someone's gender just by looking at them." You can then explain that asking about gender is personal. We shouldn't ask about it, and instead, let people share when they're comfortable. But you can teach your kids to ask people what pronouns they use. This is a respectful way of making sure that when we are talking with someone, we are being true to who they are.