The Rainbow Parade illustrates the importance of LGBTQ+ children’s books

Dr. Rick Hendrix and Shane Jordan created The Rainbow Parade: A Celebration of LGBTQIA+ Identities and Allies to be the children’s book they never had in their youth. The beautifully illustrated story follows a child and their parent as they witness LGBTQ+ Pride and help another young person struggling with self-love.

“I grew up gay, in the South, a preacher’s kid, with parents that were absolutely closed off to any sort of conversation about sexual identity,” Jordan says. “When I think back, how did they not know when I was sneaking to try on my sister’s cheerleading outfit? In all seriousness, I have always wanted to make sure I was doing all I could to make sure no queer child felt alone.”

Jieting Chen/©Sourcebooks

These LGBTQ+ advocates know the power of visibility — Hendrix, Hillary Clinton’s deputy faith advisor, owns a top-tier music agency that promoted Miley Cyrus and Mariah Carey, while Jordan serves on the advisory board of the Stonewall National Monument Visitors Center. Their friends and colleagues are celebrities, and many of them — Elton John, Billie Jean King, Chelsea Clinton, and Paris Hilton, to name a few — endorsed The Rainbow Parade and its inclusive message.

“Even though they are celebrities, it is so important to have our friends stand with us,” Jordan says. “To that extent, I also think a lot of these celebrities are people kids look up to. And what better encouragement can a kid have than someone they look up to and admire telling them that they support them for who they are?”

Jieting Chen/©Sourcebooks

In a time when conservative forces are seeking to ban LGBTQ-inclusive books for kids, these authors shine a light on the power of diverse storytelling to foster acceptance and empathy. They hope would-be banners read The Rainbow Parade and “see that this notion of indoctrinating children is nonsense,” Jordan says. “As in The Rainbow Parade, we have parents asking kids about how they feel. I also hope that people banning books realize how important it is for kids to see children like them on the pages of a book. We all need someone to relate to. Why would anyone want to take that away from any child?”

The Rainbow Parade was also “a heartfelt journey” for its lesbian illustrator, Jieting Chen, who was excited “to celebrate the inherent power and beauty of every individual, reflecting the diversity and vibrancy of the LGBTQ+ community. With this in mind, I sought to infuse the illustrations with an explosion of color, each hue representing the unique essence of each character.” Chen also “introduced halos around each character, a subtle yet impactful touch that both reinforces the theme of individuality and helps to visually distinguish between characters.”

The artist “found immense joy in the process, knowing that these illustrations may serve as a mirror for young readers, helping them to embrace and celebrate their own identities,” she says.

The Rainbow Parade: A Celebration of LGBTQIA+ Identities and Allies is now available from Sourcebooks, and 20 percent of proceeds benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Jieting Chen/©Sourcebooks

This article is part of Out's July/August issue, which hits newsstands on July 2. Support queer media and subscribe— or download the issue through Apple News, Zinio, Nook, or PressReader starting June 18.