Child's Play

Family and Sexual Orientation

There are all sorts of families and all sorts of relationships. A child's parents could be two fathers, two mothers, a single parent, grandparents, adoptive parents or foster carers, yet still it is mainly
only the 'traditional' family that is represented in books.

Children raised by parents who are gay or lesbian need to see their families acknowledged in the books they read. Other children also need
to see positive images to challenge the stereotypical views that can be inadvertently passed on and expand the boundaries of what they think
is possible and acceptable.

Although Child's Play doesn't explicitly focus on 'non-traditional' families, we aim to represent a range of family set-ups, whether they are the
main characters, a family in the background, or even reflected in
a child's drawing.

Fuller and more realistic representation of the diversity of human relationships in children's literature helps to tackle homophobia
and challenge the culture of homophobic bullying that affects
so many children and young people.

Out for Our Children
Out for Our Children is a group of London lesbian parents producing books and resources that reflect their children's lives and family experiences. A child needs love, support and acceptance for who they are and where they come from: they believe that inclusive books and other materials are an essential part of that support.

No Outsiders
'No Outsiders' was a 28-month research project (end date: March 2009) based in primary schools and funded by The Economic and Social Research Council. During the course of the project, teachers from three areas of the UK developed strategies and resources to address lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in their own primary education settings.