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Breaking The Stereotype of LGBTQ+ Via Children’s Books
Isabel Sánchez Vegara, the creator of ‘Little People Big Dreams,’ has come up with yet another interesting educational read, this time her inspiration is the famous Drag Queen, RuPaul
Drag, being a way of dressing up (mostly, men in women’s clothes) and performing, has not been an art-form that was or is imagined to introduce to children. Even though the world is in its 21st century and the LGBTQ+ community is not anymore in the shadows, it still does not speak of topics like ‘drag’ or non-conformity very openly.
RuPaul Andre Charles, amongst all the non-acceptance members, is an American drag queen, actor, model, singer, songwriter, and television personality. His (both "he" and "she" have been deemed acceptable in RuPaul’s case) show ‘Drag Race’ has been a very famous one since its inception. And recently, he has been the source of inspiration for a children’s book.
Isabel Sánchez Vegara, the creator of the inspiring ‘Little People Big Dreams’ book series, spoke about her new book that is based on RuPaul. The book is set to launch in 2021 but has caught quite speed in becoming pre-famous due to the choice of the theme.
Isabel is known to write books about strong female figures from history, politics, art and whatnot. Her new book is to break the stereotype for children to understand the non-conformities and learn that it is absolutely normal to not like, do or say the way the world expects them to.
In a recent interview, Isabel spoke about her thoughts on the same, she said, “Boys have kind of the same problem. They are supposed to play football, they are supposed to like fighting and all these things that not all of them like.”
The reason she was drawn toward this particular theme and RuPaul has to do with her personal experience. She said, “That is what I found so amazing about this character – it makes me think of so many of my friends who are LGBTQ, and many of my friends who went through a very similar story when they were kids. And this is so important to break all these stereotypes that are related to boys.”
She did not know much about RuPaul earlier as the show was not so famous in Spain (her native country) but after watching all the episodes of ‘Drage Race,’ she now calls herself a fan of RuPaul.
Isabel added, “I have always strived to paint queer and [gender non-conforming] stories, as I’m so passionate about young people being able to see themselves in the books around them. I believe that many people will be touched by little Ru’s story of persistence, authenticity, creativity, and love.”
Dear teachers, it’s about time we introduce students to the LGBTQ+ community and their life choices. Let’s teach them about acceptance and inclusivity. And what better way than this book on RuPaul? It breaks many common stereotypes that our young generation needs to learn about. ScooNews thinks books like these should be introduced to bring enough sensitivity and avoid ignorance. Agree?
Source: Pinknews