Daily Dose: The life and ‘Tales’ of a gay writing giant

Daily Dose: The life and ‘Tales’ of a gay writing giant

Welcome to Queerty’s latest entry in our series, Queerantined: Daily Dose. Every weekday as long as the COVID-19 pandemic has us under quarantine, we’ll release a suggested bit of gloriously queer entertainment designed to keep you from getting stir crazy in the house. Each weekend, we will also suggest a binge-able title to keep you extra engaged.

The Birthday Candle: The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin

In honor of Tales of the City author Armistead Maupin turning 76 today, we offer up the documentary biopic of the man himself. The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin includes extensive interviews with Maupin, his husband Christopher Turner, family, friends and collaborators like Laura Linney, Ian McKellen, Olympia Dukakis and Amy Tan.

Fans of Tales of the City will no doubt notice conspicuous parallels between Maupin’s own life and those of his characters. More intriguing, however, are Maupin’s recollections of the controversies he endured as a writer, including the right-wing backlash to the Tales of the City miniseries, which almost got PBS defunded. The author also remembers the decimation of AIDS, how the crisis shaped his life and relationships, as well as how the epidemic only boosted his activism and drove home the need to tell LGBTQ stories.  Who’d have thought that one of Maupin’s most touching stories, would be his own?

Streams on Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube.

www.queerty.com/daily-dose-life-tales-gay-writing-giant-20200513?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

GLAAD & Little Bee Books release new LGBTQ-inclusive children’s book, “Uncle Bobby’s Wedding”

GLAAD & Little Bee Books release new LGBTQ-inclusive children’s book, “Uncle Bobby’s Wedding”

Little Bee Books

This week, GLAAD released its newest LGBTQ-inclusive children’s book, titled Uncle Bobby’s Wedding. In partnership with children’s book publisher, Little Bee Books, Uncle Bobby’s Wedding is the latest release in an ongoing series of LGBTQ-inclusive children’s books.

Written by Sarah Brannen and illustrated by Lucia Soto, Uncle Bobby’s Wedding follows the story of Chloe, a young girl whose favorite uncle, Uncle Bobby, is getting married. However, Chloe is not happy about it. Chloe just wants to keep having fun with her Uncle Bobby, but she’s afraid everything is going to change. However, after a magical day with Uncle Bobby and his boyfriend, Jamie, Chloe realizes she’s not losing an uncle, but gaining one. This adorable picture book is a positive example of same-sex marriage and a celebration of family.

When Chloe’s uncle announces he’s getting married, everyone is excited. Everyone except Chloe. Can Uncle Bobby and his boyfriend show Chloe that, when it comes to family, the more the merrier? Our latest book in partnership with @littlebeebooks is out: t.co/vDqe6TBedX pic.twitter.com/Ft943zsrFb

— GLAAD (@glaad) May 13, 2020

Uncle Bobby’s Wedding continues as part of GLAAD’s initiative to further LGBTQ images in Kids & Family Entertainment. As part of this initiative, the “Outstanding Kids & Family” category was added to the GLAAD Media Awards in 2018. For the 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards in 2020, the Outstanding Kids & Family Programming category expanded to ten nominees as a result of an increase in LGBTQ images across kids and family television programming and an increase in GLAAD’s work to advocate for inclusion in this genre.

Uncle Bobby’s Wedding follows the release of other LGBTQ-inclusive titles released by GLAAD & Little Bee Books, including Prince & Knight, Jack (Not Jackie), Maiden & Princess, and Ellen DeGeneres (People of Pride Series). Last month, Prince & Knight, written by Daniel Haack and illustrated by Stevie Lewis, was named the 5th most challenged book of 2019, according to the American Library Association’s Top 10 Most Challenged Books list.

Uncle Bobby’s Wedding can be purchased on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at various other book retailers.

About the author and illustrator:

Sarah Brannen is an award-winning author and illustrator of more than twenty books for children, including Bear Needs Help, Madame Martine, Seashells: More Than a Home, and Feathers: Not Just for Flying. She also illustrated the 40th-anniversary edition of All Kinds of Families by Norma Simon. Sarah lives in Sudbury, Massachusetts. Learn more at sarahbrannen.com.

Lucia Soto is an illustrator and graphic designer who loves Julie London and Art Deco, and is afraid of pigeons. After working as an art director in advertising, Lucia decided to set up her own studio and make beautiful art. Uncle Bobby’s Wedding is her debut picture book. She lives with her husband and their tiny apple tree in London, England. Learn more at luciasoto.com

About Little Bee Books:

Little Bee Books is a children’s book publisher dedicated to making high-quality, creative, and fun books for busy little bees ages 0 through 14. Through three imprints dedicated to children’s, middle grade and licensed titles, Little Bee Books offers an inspired selection of early learning concept books, board books, novelty books, activity books, picture books, chapter books, nonfiction, gift sets, and more. For more information, please visit littlebeebooks.com.

May 13, 2020

www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-little-bee-books-release-new-lgbtq-inclusive-children%E2%80%99s-book-%E2%80%9Cuncle-bobby%E2%80%99s-wedding%E2%80%9D