Project Origins
The project started nearly 20 years ago when Lisa Love, manager of health education at Seattle Public Schools, set out to capture the thoughts, feelings, and concerns of LGBTQ+ families at the annual Families Dinner event.
"I had a wonderful parent volunteer to help interview attendees and captured some of their responses on what was then video tape! Sadly, I never did anything of note with that footage. Ever since then, I have been wondering how to capture student and family experiences and how to share them in a useful, meaningful way. I have gathered information anecdotally from students, but I still felt there was more that needed to be done," said Love.
After being inspired by some similar storytelling projects over the years, Love eventually connected with local photographer Nate Gowdy to bring her long-awaited vision to life.
"I honed the scope and vision of the project over the following few months and we began doing photoshoots in January 2020. I worked with Nate Gowdy and Christie Skoorsmith (mother of three SPS students and participant in the book) very closely throughout January and February getting all the photos taken and interviewing every participant," said Love. "It was an intense few months, but so inspiring and heartwarming. We are really proud of this project – it's one of the best things about 2020 for us!"
Supporting Educational Efforts
This project is designed to acknowledge the lived experiences of our students and the important role families play in the lives of their children. It will also encourage readers to develop a deeper understanding of queer and transgender people (including their own friends and family members), and work to create safer schools, homes, and communities for LGBTQ+ folks everywhere.
Within SPS, the book will be used to help support educational efforts: the stories and images will be used in staff trainings and can be used by classroom teachers. The team is exploring the development of an online showcase of some pages to use during remote learning.
SPS already has programs and supports in place promoting safe and welcoming environments for a wide range of student identities. All SPS high schools and most middle schools have some form of a Gender-Sexuality Alliance support group or club. In addition, the Health Education office developed the K-5 Gender Book Kit to support teachers' classroom discussions about gender identity. And most recently, the School Board passed a Resolution outlining a range of ways schools can and should support LGBTQIA+ young people across the district.
Due to a generous grant from Seattle PRIDE, a copy of the book will be made available in every school library, every counseling office, and in school-based health centers. Books can also be purchased by visiting our Health Education webpage.