Every color of the rainbow: a framework for analyzing LGBTQIA + representation in children’s picture books

Abstract

This pilot project analyzed 185 children’s picture books, published 2018–2020, that feature members of the LGBTQIA + community as primary, secondary, or background characters. In developing a framework that builds upon classifications from Diverse BookFinder, the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, and the Rainbow Book List, the purpose of the study was to determine which members within the LGBTQIA + community are most frequently represented in picture books and what types of stories are being shared about this community. Additionally, this content analysis explored the representation of intersecting social identities by tracking how often LGBTQIA + characters were also depicted as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) or as having a disability. While the analysis revealed a surprising breadth of representation, it also highlighted the prevalence of biographies and stories of resilience in picture books featuring LGBTQIA + characters as well as the continued erasure of some LGBTQIA + identities and orientations, including nonbinary, bisexual, intersex, two-spirit, and pansexual representation. Although more than 60% of the sample included LGBTQIA + BIPOC characters, there was limited representation of LGBTQIA + characters who were depicted as having a disability. This study also revealed some challenges and inconsistencies in labeling LGBTQIA + content and characters, particularly in respect to gender nonconformity.