Books depicting LGBTQIA+ characters or storylines have sparked significant controversy in recent years, particularly in the United States, where ‘book bans’ are becoming more commonplace. Closer to home, Cumberland City Council in New South Wales is the latest to draw headlines on this topic, after a decision to remove same-sex parenting books from public library shelves within the municipality.
But the research makes it clear that educational settings offering LGBTQIA+ representations in texts develop safer, more inclusive spaces for LGBTQIA+ families, and happier, healthier young people.
Nurturing an inclusive learning environment
Curriculum and Pedagogy expert Dr Alison Bedford is a senior lecturer at the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) and has investigated how making queer texts accessible can help foster an inclusive learning environment for all children and their families.
“It is vitally important that children see representations of the diversity within our communities in books – whether that be LGBTQIA+ families, people of different cultural backgrounds or different faiths – as this is the community in which they are going to grow and learn,” Dr Bedford told EducationDaily.
“Understanding that people have differing experiences and differing perspectives is a vital skill in a liberal democracy, as we must consider not only what is best for us, but for our communities at large.”
Dr Bedford says banning books that represent queer people or same-sex parents is particularly harmful as it invalidates the lived experience of those families.
“By having books that represent the children’s own experiences, while also having books which represent other types of families – whether that be married heterosexual, single parent, same-sex, kinship, or foster care families – children can see themselves in stories and understand that there are others with similar experiences to their own.”
Books are, she told EducationDaily, “just one tool that educators can draw on in fostering inclusive spaces”.
“Our recent research with early childhood educators shows that they draw on a wide range of strategies to help children understand the different groups which exist in their community. Having people share food from different cultures, play games and music, and having visitors to the learning centre are other ways in which early childhood educators help children learn about different cultures and perspectives.”
Respecting differences and celebrating diversity
The key message that all people deserve respect and kindness, even if they are different to us, is an important message for young children to learn, Dr Bedford says, adding that many of the books that explore diversity focus on this.
“This helps create a safe space for members of the queer community, such as same-sex parent families, by creating a culture of inclusivity and acceptance amongst those outside of that community.”
In schools across Australia, she says each state and territory has differing school text lists – but believes more needs to be done to show more diverse representation to young students.
“While I have not done a close audit, in both Queensland and Victorian lists there are no texts with a queer protagonist, although a number of texts can be subject to a queer reading – that is, that character’s actions can be perceived as queer, even though they are never explicitly identified in this way.”
With the selection of books for libraries generally managed on an individual basis, Dr Bedford says the Australian School Library Association has a clear anti-discrimination policy and does provide links to LGBT+ books in the resources on their website – something that suggests “they are supportive of queer representations being present in schools, as part of a broader goal that the diversity of Australian communities are represented generally”.
Inclusive books for younger readers
For younger readers, she told EducationDaily there are an increasing number of books featuring LGBTQIA+ characters.
“We recently analysed two books for early readers that include trans characters, and there is a growing market of young adult fiction, such a SR Silcox’s Crush and After Summer, which feature same-sex teen romances, although many authors self-publish as large publishers still don’t see a mainstream market for these texts.”
Dr Bedford says the worrying book bans in the US need to be seen as a part of a broader agenda to erase LGBTQIA+ representation and identity entirely.
“The book bans have occurred against a backdrop of legislative change which silences and criminalises LGBTQIA+ identities as Florida’s Parental Rights Act (or the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law) ban teachers from talking about same-sex relationships and gender diversity,” she says.
“The Australian efforts to ban books are much less coordinated, although perhaps underpinned by similar ideology. Australian law also affords more protection: the Cumberland Council was advised they may lose government funding as the ban potentially violated the Library Act (1939) which includes protections for freedom to information. They have since reversed the ban.”
Educators can find book choices challenging
Book selection that ensures children can both see themselves represented in texts and also learn about people who have differing cultures, beliefs, languages, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical dis/ability, neurodiversity and other differences is vitally important, says Dr Bedford – and it can be challenging for educators.
“As the US example shows, efforts to foster a singular nationalist identity do harm to non-dominant groups and to the underpinnings of liberal democracies, which are by definition made up of a diversity of peoples and perspectives,” she told EducationDaily.
“It is important that school communities understand that, to read a book which represents beliefs or experiences that differ from their own does not mean that the student is expected to adopt those beliefs, but rather provides them the opportunity to consider the experiences of others and reflect on their own beliefs through a different lens.
“As I have argued in the context of history education, this sort of critical literacy is vital to the development of democratic dispositions – that is, a mindset in which young people can consider the experiences of others within the community and critically evaluate evidence to make informed decisions in the ballot box which work for the well-being of the whole community, not just people like themselves.”
Educators should, and do, make efforts to ensure that students can read widely and be exposed to a range of representations, as it is not only a curriculum requirement, but an ethical imperative.”
