Monday, April 3, 2000
Lesléa Newman, author of Heather Has Two Mommies, spoke March 24 as part of Women’s History Month. Newman, who has written many books dealing with topics such as AIDS, eating disorders, sexual abuse, and gay and lesbian families, focused on the issues of homophobia, censorship and family values. Some highlights:
“Many times people ask me why I wrote this book. I wrote it because I met
a woman who was starting a new family with her spouse, and they had no book to read to their daughter about their family. She said, ‘Somebody needs to write a book for us.’ And I then decided that the woman would be me. . . .
“I also wrote the book because I know from experience how important it is for children to see families like their own reflected in the media. Kids don’t seem to have a problem with the fact that families come in all shapes and sizes. . . .
“I think one of the most important [factors] with regard to education is the varied types of families in the classroom. Teachers are forced to address these issues, and not to assume that every kid has a mom and a dad. I guarantee that in every classroom across the country there will be a kid who does not have that family.”
----Ryan Crowe
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