Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Program
Sociology
Date of Award
5-2014
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Dr. Martha Copp
Committee Members
Dr. Kelly Foster, Dr. Joseph Baker
Abstract
Over the past 30 years, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) groups have called for children’s books to include LGBTQ characters and themes to help children understand our multifaceted social world. Few LGBTQ characters have appeared in children’s literature. This qualitative study analyzes the text and images of 29 children’s books published between 1972 and 2013 that have any LGBTQ characters. Books featuring lesbian and gay characters often presented them as conforming to heteronormative standards to find fulfillment. The majority of books with gender-deviant characters focused on boys harassed by other characters for their conventionally feminine behaviors. Surprisingly few books in this inclusive sample depicted any non-white characters. This study concludes by offering recommendations for how authors of children’s books could approach this genre without reinforcing other long-standing inequalities tied to gender, race, class, and sexuality.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Toman, Lindsay A., "Queering the ABCs: LGBTQ Characters in Children’s Books" (2014). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 2350. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2350
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.