June is nationally recognized in the United States as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month. For 30 days, we come together to honor and celebrate the community, while acknowledging the history of oppression and discrimination they have faced (and continue to face).
For parents, Pride Month is an important time to teach children the true meaning of self-love and acceptance, as well as what it means to be an ally.
“This is the month when your children of all ages will ask you questions about ‘what is LGBTQ?’ and ‘why the rainbows?,’” Eliza Byard, executive director of GLSEN — a national organization supporting K-12 LGBTQ students — told the Washington Post. “Be ready with a succinct and supportive answer for whatever level of development your child is at.”
Partaking in Pride activities, particularly making a Pride craft together, is a great age-appropriate way to begin these conversations and reinforce the positivity of the movement.
What Is Pride Month?
The reason why we celebrate Pride Month in June is because of an event that occurred on June 28, 1969.
In the early hours of that day, New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a bar that had become a place of refuge for the LGBTQ community. The raid led to five days of protests where thousands of people gathered on the streets of Greenwich Village.
According to History.com, "Though the Stonewall uprising didn’t start the gay rights movement, it was a galvanizing force for LGBT political activism, leading to numerous gay rights organizations."
One year later, on June 28, 1970, the first gay pride parade commenced on those same streets and it is a time — and movement — we continue to celebrate each year.
How To Celebrate Pride with Kids
When you think of Pride Month, the iconic rainbow flag is likely the first symbol that springs to mind. That rainbow flag was first designed in 1978 by Gilbert Baker, who was inspired to create it by Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to political office. We're not sure if he knew just how important this flag would come to be, but it is now one of the best ways to symbolize allyship.
For children, the friendly flag is a great visual introduction to the gay rights movement. In the simplest of terms, Pride Month is about accepting people for who they are and celebrating the differences and similarities that make us all unique. Children are instinctually accepting of others, it is only until society and external factors influence their perception of the world that they become intolerant of others. This is why it's so important to have these conversations early and expand on them frequently.
Mom of two Amy Congdon, who identifies as Chinese American and bisexual, shared her plans for Pride Month. “This year we’re focusing more on talking about some history of Pride. [My children are] starting to draw connections between these different and intersecting marginalized groups of people," Congdon told Mom.eom.
"It’s really important to me that they understand that no identity exists in a bubble and we’re all made up of lots of different parts."
Kid-Friendly Pride Crafts
To more easily facilitate having conversations about Pride Month, there are lots of age-appropriate ways to introduce these ideas to children, including crafts and activities. Here are a few to get you started:
1. Make Your Own Pride Month Flags
Introduce your children to the rainbow flag and encourage them to create their own with whatever materials you have handy. Whether it's with acrylic paint, watercolors, crayons, or papier-mâché, you're sure to have lots of fun creating and displaying your flag with honor.
"We posted an invitation on our neighborhood Facebook page inviting families to make their own Pride flags," mom of three Melissa K. tod Mom.com, "We're making some with watercolors and acrylic paints to place in our windows. The goal is to get kids out on a Pride flag scavenger hunt around the neighborhood like we did when we first went on lockdown."
2. Create Your Own DIY Pride Bracelets
Creating a DIY Pride bracelet is a wonderful way for your family to display their allyship. With just a simple piece of string and an assortment of colorful beads, you can design a piece of homemade jewlery that signifies love and acceptance to all who meet you.
3. Paint Rainbow Flag Hands
For parents of little ones, painted hands are an arts-and-crafts staple! Forget that Thanksgiving turkey, with just a bit of paint and a piece of paper, their little hands can transform into a beacon of support.
4. Make a rainbow balloon arch
Although everyone loves a ballon arch, they can seem intimidating to make. But scale it down to just a small one that goes above your door; with an inexpensive balloon pump (under $4 from Target!), a template made from a cardboard box and these easy instructions from MarthaStewart.com, you can create this welcoming entryway into your home.
5. Rainbow Window Art
Display your pride by making a rainbow sun-catcher on your window. All you'll need is clear contact paper and tissue paper in various colors for this craft that is perfect for little hands.
Remember, how you celebrate Pride Month in your home is far less important than the fact that you do. Your children are looking to you to set an example, and should they come out to you in the years to come, you want them to know that you are a safe space and will love them unconditionally.
Happy Pride!
At Wild Sky Media, we recognize that not all pregnancies and parenting journeys look the same. That’s why across all our sites — CafeMom, LittleThings, Mom.com, and MamásLatinas — we are committed to using inclusive language as much as possible, recognizing that all forms of parenting are valid and celebrating the shared experiences and unique differences among moms, dads, nonbinary and noncisgender parents, and all forms of caregivers.
