How to Talk about LGBTQ Pride Month with Your Child

1.Talk about universal values and your family’s values.

• We, as a family, believe that “everyone should be able to be fully who they are, no matter who they are or who they love.”
• We, as a family, believe that “we owe all people – regardless of what they look like, the color of their skin, or who they love – respect and kindness” and that “everyone should be treated the same – equally”.
• We, as a family, believe that diversity is beautiful and makes our community stronger.

2. Keep it simple. Try to be relaxed and comfortable. Talking about LGBTQ pride and LGBTQ people does not mean you have to talk about sex or body parts.

• When talking about Pride Month, start by explaining that Pride Month is an opportunity for the LGBTQ community to be visible and connect with people like them because for many years and in many places currently, it isn’t safe for LGBTQ people to be who they are. Pride Month is also an opportunity for allies (friends/supporters) to stand with LGBTQ people and continue working together towards equal rights, respect, and kindness for all LGBTQ people.
• When talking about gender, you can start by saying “you can’t judge a book by it’s cover”. We can’t always correctly guess someone’s gender identity or sexual orientation just by looking at them. Some people might appear one way but feel differently inside.

3. Have an ongoing conversation about diversity, difference, and discrimination rather than one “big talk”.

• Help children understand the value of diversity. Being surrounded by people with diverse experiences and viewpoints (in our community, school, family, etc.) helps us better understand the world around us and helps groups of people be more creative in finding solutions to problems. Diversity is interesting and beautiful. How boring would the world be if everyone were exactly the same?
• Some people “discriminate” against people who are different than them. They mistreat people who look different than them (e.g., have a different color skin or different gender expression) or have different beliefs or behaviors than them. In the past (and still currently), LGBTQ people have been hurt by others and have been told they cannot get married or could lose their jobs because they are LGBTQ. We believe that all people should be treated fairly and with kindness and respect, no matter who they are.

4. Kids love the colors of the flag. Talk to them about the meaning of the colors:

Red: Life

Orange: Healing

Yellow: Sunlight

Green: Nature

Blue: Harmony

Purple: Spirit

Brown and Black: Diversity and Inclusion