"I have a Queery about...Talking to Kids About Queerness" ft. Lindz Amer

"How do you talk to kids about queerness?" "How can a kid know how they identify gender or sexuality-wise?" "How do you deal with backlash from those who think kids shouldn't know about 'these things'?" “Why is it important for kids to see queerness represented in media?”

On this episode, I interview Lindz Amer (they/them), the creator of Queer Kid Stuff: a web series and media outlet that imagines a kinder and more equal future through highly-accessible education and entertainment for kids ages 3+.  Lindz launched QKS in 2015 with their best stuffed friend Teddy as a way to make seemingly complex subjects like Queerness, Pronouns, Racism, Religion, Homophobia, and many others easy for kids to understand. Lindz says how they did it as a way to not only help kids understand but parents as well. They, ultimately, wanted to create something that they would have loved to have seen when they were a kid. Representation and support from family and friends can make a tremendous impact on a young queer kid. Aside from this show, we also discuss the evolution of representation in kid's media and why the representation needs to be explicitly visible and not just hinted at. As Lindz and I discuss their journey as an activist and creator of QKS, we also talk about the backlash they've faced from those who don't understand the work they do. We talk about why Queerness and LGBTQ+ topics seem to be deemed too sexual or too hard for kids to understand.

Follow Lindz and Queer Kid Stuff:
Lindz on Instagram
Queer Kid Stuff
Queer Kid Stuff Instagram
Queer Kid Stuff YouTube

Organization of the Week: PFLAG
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Resources for Further Learning:
Activist, You! Podcast
Lindz's TED Talk

Show Produced by Nick Eibler

Co-Produced/Edited by Addison McKissack

Theme Song written by Matt Gregory, Colin Egan, and Mike Hubbard 
Produced by Colin Egan and Mike Hubbard

Logo Design by David Pavón