Katie Isn’t Her Real Name by Shanna Heath

Two months ago, a mom-friend called me around 8 PM and I almost didn’t pick up. Everyone knows I’m in bed by 9 PM (don’t judge…my kids wake up at 6 AM like nefarious cuckoo birds cawing from a clock), so a call at 8 PM must be an emergency.

And it was.

“Shanna,” she said, “Katie just told me she’s gay.”

Katie was ten years old and an elementary school student in Florida, the state where teaching about the existence of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) people in elementary schools is being debated. 

The mom continued. “Her brother asked her how she knew she was gay. She answered, ‘Well, I just know that when I grow up, I want to marry a girl.’” 

Questions like this are commonly posed to LGBT people of all ages. I defend and educate others on my sexuality every day. If you want insight into how zany this feels to LGBT people, check out The Heterosexual Questionaire and see the questions reversed (note: this piece is from 1977 and not all language is up-to-date, but it’s the gold standard for this activity).

“Shanna, how do we support her? What do I do?” she asked.

There is one word that solves every problem in my world: BOOKS. I went to my local Kalamazoo indie bookstore Bookbug and built Katie a care package. Contents included: an inclusive LGBT pride flag, a rainbow bookmark,  THIS IS OUR RAINBOW (edited by Katherine Locke and Nicole Melleby), and HURRICANE CHILD by Kacen Callendar. I wrote a note that told Katie how much I admired her strong sense of self and that she could be free to be who she wanted and love who she wanted, no matter what that looked like throughout her life. 

I also sent my mom-friend a laundry list of local and national organizations that support LGBT youth, like GLSEN and The Trevor Project. 

Fast-forward two weeks and there’s a package at my doorstep from Katie. I cut the tape and dug through copious amounts of crinkly packing paper. I sniffled. Whatever was inside this package was going to make me cry. Ugly cry.

There was a small canvas underneath all the wrapping. It was a colorful rendition of the Lesbian and Inclusive Pride flags painted with great care. 

I held that painting and cried. A lot. It wasn’t for Katie, though. Katie was solid. Katie had support from so many places. I cried for ten-year-old me, who had none of those things. And then, as tears so often do, my cheeks perked into wet, shiny apples and the sobs transformed into chuckles. The laughter release valve lifted my spirit and reminded me that one gay kid in Florida knows that her family and friends have her back.

That’s a success.

As children’s authors and illustrators, our profession is sacred. Our books have the potential to make lifelong impacts on our readers, and if we’re lucky, the children of our readers. Books for and about gay kids and families can have an even larger impact: they can save a life. 

June is Pride Month across the world. Take a moment to click on any of the links in this post and explore more about the lives of LGBT youth. They exist, and they deserve to live with honesty and dignity. If you’re a member of the gay community, take a deep breath. You’re doing great.

You might have guessed that this ten-year-old kid’s name isn’t really Katie. I’ve also covered up her signature on her painting above. She’s not ready to “come out of the closet” yet. It’s safe in her family, but not in her school.

While Katie is waiting, so many children’s book authors and illustrators will be providing her with new worlds to explore with kids who are like her. When she’s ready to be known for who she fully is, we’ll be here still, sustaining her spirit with stories.

Isn’t that the essence of what we do, after all?

Shanna Heath is a member of the SCBWI MI Equity and Inclusion Team. She’s the author of scary stories for all ages. Read her newest story for adults in the upcoming OTHER TERRORS: AN INCLUSIVE ANTHOLOGY (July 2022 HarperCollins). Her next spooky read for kids will represent Ohio in SCBWI’s forthcoming HAUNTED STATES OF AMERICA. She lives happily in Kalamazoo with her wife and two kiddos. Get in touch with her on Instagram @mother_marrow or Twitter @shannalheath or on her website shannaheath.com.