This New Web Series Helps Teach Preschoolers About LGBT Issues

Exposure to diverse groups of people is extremely important, whether you’re 5, 15, or 50. And a new web series is making it easier to teach preschool-age kids about LGBT issues in a way that’s accurate, but accessible and age-appropriate.

“Queer Kid Stuff” was created by Lindsey Amer, who has a background in theater and gender studies. She hosts the vlog-style show with the help of her “best stuffed friend Teddy.”

Check out the first episode:

The series is a fun-for-all-ages way to get kids learning about the diversity of identities out there, and why it’s important to respect everyone. Episodes will also feature accompanying activity sheets, where kids can continue thinking about what they’ve learned in creative, interactive ways. In Amer’s words:

Queer representation and content for children is scarce and Queer Kid Stuff aims to eliminate stigma by properly educating future generations through entertaining video content. The pilot episode… tackles the subject; What Does Gay Mean? A simple enough subject, but you would be surprised the amount of young children who might not know the answer to that question.

Teaching kids diversity can be as simple as asking them to think about what their families look like. In the first episode, for example, Amer asks what Teddy’s family looks like (“My parents are two bears!”), and then talks about some other kinds of families:

Some families might have a mom and a dad, but some families might also have a mom and a mom, or a dad and a dad. And some families might even just have one mom or one dad, and some families might have many moms or many dads. These families all look so different from each other, but what matters is that we’re all family.

The first season will have a total of 10 episodes, featuring topics like “non-binary genders and trans* identities, marriage equality, feminism, and queer themes in children’s pop culture.” It’s a welcome addition to a small-but-mighty collection of materials that are teaching kids early on how beautiful diversity is. Stay tuned for future episodes!