Children books with gay couples are hard to find :/

[greenie_breizh]

So I was hoping to find a children's book in French featuring two dads or a gay couple, but apparently that's... nearly impossible? The few children's book on the topic tend to feature two moms, and I have problems with most of them anyway. I just wanted a children's book with two dads about something that's not discrimination. :/ Like King & King is actually pretty awesome, but it doesn't exist in French? Le sigh.

For those of you on twitter who were asking for references should I find something, so far the best list I've found is on the APGL website.

On a cute note, the other night we were playing the Werewolf game with my cousins and we were playing with the Cupid character, who chooses two players who will be "in love" for the rest of the game. My brother (I think) reminded everyone the couple doesn't have to be a boy and a girl and my 13-year-old cousin agreed and said, yeah, it can be two girls or two boys. I'm not certain he really made the link with actual gay couples but I liked how matter-of-fact he was about it. :)

Comments

[petit-rhino.livejournal.com]

When I'm playing Cupid in non-queer circles, I sorta make a point of choosing 2 girls or 2 guys and sadly it often throws people off.

[greenie-breizh.livejournal.com]

No joke, sometimes I forget what life is like in non-queer circles. I mean, seriously, it throws people off...? It's funny - we played three or four games with my cousins (who are not the queerest crowd but I'm the oldest so possibly they're just young and thus more relaxed about the whole thing), and I don't think the couple chosen was ever a hetero pairing? And we have equal numbers of boys and girls.

[petit-rhino.livejournal.com]

Seriously. One game, the villagers were discussing the Lovers and this one girl (around 25) said
Well it's gotta be a girl and a boy, right?
Why?! (that was me cause I couldn't say nothing)
I know it doesn't have to be, but instinctivally, Cupid would've chosen a boy and a boy. Feels more natural.

A few other people looked weirded out by what she said (thank Joss!), but it still makes me want to *headdesk*

[shiraz_wine]

Well, this is timely: Mexico City legalizes same-sex marriage, adoptions

[beyondtherubicon]

I've never played Werewolf using Cupid characters. As I am totally obsessed with that game I'll suggest it next time we all get together to play.

Your brother is awesome. Have you ever played the board game "Life"? When my old roommates and I used to play and you landed on the getting married square we changed the rules to allow same sex marriage.

[greenie-breizh.livejournal.com]

I really like the Cupid character because it really adds a twist to the game - the two lovers don't care if they're villagers or werewolves, they only care that they're the last ones left standing.

We don't have Life in France, so no, but I've heard of it of course. I think that's awesome that you'd change the rules like that. ^^ I was really sad once when we were playing at Brad's house this awesome zombie game and one of the cards was "last night on earth" which forced two people to lose a turn because they were too busy having sex, but it was only supposed to be played with a heterosexual pairing. :(

[heikki-cheren.livejournal.com]

"the two lovers don't care if they're villagers or werewolves, they only care that they're the last ones left standing."
Actually, it's not true. They have their own side if it's a villager/werewolf couple. Otherwise, they stay in the same side as their role.

e.G. if the two lovers are villagers, they are on the villagers side, and win if the villagers win.

[greenie-breizh.livejournal.com]

Good point. I was mostly thinking about the werewolf/villager pairing :)

[semisweetsoul.livejournal.com]

I'm not familiar with such a game, what is it, can you tell me? Or is it that I'm too old??? Also, I wish my cousins were that open-minded. :(

[greenie-breizh.livejournal.com]

It's called Les Loups-Garous de Thierceleux (http://lesloupsgarous.free.fr/htm/accueilR.htm) - it's funny because I've known about this game for years now, but it seems like it's becoming more mainstream. It's a lot of fun :) but you need a large group to play.

My cousin are all pretty young (at 24 I'm the oldest), I think that plays a part. But it's definitely satisfying to see that. :) I remember a few years ago when I mentioned to my cousin, who must have been 8 or 9 at the time, that sometimes girls can like other girls and she started talking about how they can have a baby together, too. And that's from the more conservative side of the family! It made me really happy at the time. I'm not really out to my younger cousins so it's always a relief to hear stuff like that.

[nicoli-dominn.livejournal.com]

I don't know any books originally written in French, alas...but as far as children's books in English, I am also frustrated with my search for books that feature gay couples. If you manage to find any in either language, though, I'd be interested to read them.

On a side note, what's your twitter name?

[greenie-breizh.livejournal.com]

In English, the two books featuring a gay male couple that I ended up finding that seemed satisfying to me (unfortunately I haven't been able to browse through either) are ABC A Family Alphabet Book (http://www.amazon.com/Family-Alphabet-Book-Bobbie-Combs/dp/0967446813/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262065963&sr=8-1) (I'd contact your local LGBT bookstore about that one though because it's hard to find) and Daddy, Papa and Me (http://www.amazon.com/Daddy-Papa-Me-Lesl%C3%A9a-Newman/dp/1582462623/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262066076&sr=1-1) which is about the everyday routine of a kid who doesn't have a specific gender (double-win). There's one based on the same model but with two moms which looks equally good.

My name on twitter is greeniebreizh, because I'm super original. ;)

[heikki-cheren.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, I think I read one once, but right now I can't remember. :s

[greenie-breizh.livejournal.com]

There are a few (literally four or five), just none that fit my criteria, ie the right age range and the right kind of story (not about the kid/family being discriminated against). Or one that spoke to me at all, really, but the choice is so limited. :/

[heikki-cheren.livejournal.com]

Yep, actually you didn't mention the age range, and I was wondering about that. ;)

The one I think about is totally not about discrimination. But I can't find back the title. I think I will hate you in a few hours when I'll have spent the whole evening thinking about it. ^_^

[greenie-breizh.livejournal.com]

Check out the list that I linked to (or this: http://www.altersexualite.com/spip.php?rubrique14) because that's pretty much all the books on the topic that exist in French. That might spare you the evening thinking about it :)

[heikki-cheren.livejournal.com]

Ok. Mine was for kids older than that. And the gay couple thing wasn't the focus of the book, it just happened that the main character's parents were divorced and that his father was now in couple with another guy since a few years, and things were going fine between the main character and his "stepfather" (not sure you can use stepfather and stepmother for the lover of one of your parent. Well, officially at least. In the facts, that's kinda the same ;) )

[andromeda-z.livejournal.com]

Hello! I've come across your journal several times through links and/or comments in my f-list, and I was wondering if you'd mind if I added you? I find your entries very interesting, especially regarding questions of gender and sexuality :)

I also love the Werewolf game! I teached two of my friends how to play just last week, I can't wait to invite them with some other friends for a real big game :) I think it's nice your brother and your cousins are including same-sex couples in the game. Thankfully, I can't remember ever playing with people who were uncomfortable with the idea of choosing two girls or two boys instead of a girl and a boy, I guess I've been lucky so far!

[greenie-breizh.livejournal.com]

No proble, you're welcome to add me! I love new peeps. :)

The werewolf game is a lot of fun, although I have to say after playing it so many years, it doesn't quite have the same appeal anymore. But I'm the same as you - so many of my friends would automatically include same-sex couples, I sometimes forget there are actually a lot of people out there who wouldn't. And family (at least mine) is never a safe bet, so I was glad to see my cousin being so matter-of-factly.