I recognize she was immensely important to assert, as she did in her 1961 book The Death and Life of Great American Cities, that urban planning must be approached, at least in part, from the ground up. I say “sort of pilgrimage” because it’s not like I’m an acolyte at Jacobs’ altar. In Chicago, before travelling to New York, I had the idea that it would be fun to spend an afternoon on a sort of pilgrimage to the home at 555 Hudson Street where Jacobs lived for 21 years (1947-1968). My little excursion was incongruous on several levels, but, first, let me set the stage. "We are really proud and happy to be able to tell this important story.555 Hudson Street, New York, the former home of Jane JacobsOn a recent trip to New York City, I went looking for Jane Jacobs and found the Gay Pride Parade.
"This is a momentous first book for us," adds Enderle. Two major LGBT advocacy groups, the Human Rights Campaign and Parents, Families, & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), have endorsed "This Day in June." APA has also sent advance copies to LGBT publications and community organizations and PFLAG chapters throughout the country, as well as to such magazines as the School Library Journal and Publisher's Weekly. Pitman was also motivated by the lack of children's books about LGBT diversity or families. "Many of them don't know what the pink triangle means, the significance of the rainbow flag, they don't know what Stonewall is," says Pitman, who covers each in her detailed reader's guide. Pitman, PhD, a professor of psychology and women's studies at Sacramento City College, wrote the story after noticing students in her psychology of sexual orientation classes knew very little about LGBT history. It's also APA's first children's book to address sexual orientation and gender diversity. With more and more celebrities and athletes coming out and restrictive and discriminatory marriage laws being challenged, parents are eager for ways to talk to their children about the LGBT community," she says.
"The book reflects a climate that is changing and more accepting. The timing is right for a book like this, says Magination Press editor Kristine Enderle, who fast-tracked its production in order to release it in time for June pride celebrations.
The book also includes age-specific advice to parents and caregivers on how to talk to children and even teenagers about sexual orientation and gender identity. Geared toward preschool and school-age children, the book includes a four-page reading guide that describes the historical or cultural significance of each scene. In other spreads, marchers carry banners and signs reading "Love Not Hate" and "Proud Parent," or people ride on elaborate floats followed by cheerleaders and marching bands. The book, out this month, aims to teach children respect and understanding of LGBT people and families by showcasing a pride parade of facts on its pages.Įach vibrant spread of "This Day in June" illustrates part of a parade tied to an event or group pivotal to LGBT history or culture, such as one featuring the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a satirical order of LGBT "nuns" who promote human rights and respect for diversity. Hundreds of towns and cities host gay pride celebrations each June, but do most people know the history of why they are held this month? The timing honors the June 1969 Stonewall riots, when the New York City police raided a gay bar in Greenwich Village, the Stonewall Inn, and the patrons resisted arrest and fought back over three days.Īnswering that and many more questions about lesbian, gay, bisexual and trangender history and culture is "This Day in June," a whimsical new children's book from APA's children's imprint Magination Press.