Owning our "own voices"

The Artdog Quote(s) of the Week

Who owns our voices? If you run in the circles I do, you're aware of the "own voices" movement, which has been growing since 2015. It started in children's books, but it's reaching far beyond that now, because it's a sound idea.

In simplest terms, as Blue Crow Publishing lays it out, "'Own voices' means that if you are writing a main character who is part of marginalized group, you are part of that marginalized group."

(image quote courtesy of a tumblr that no longer exists, via Pinterest)

It's a simple, elegant, empowering idea

For so many, many years, marginalized voices went unheard. Drawing on Blue Crow's explanation above, if, for example, you were a trans* person writing about a trans* main character in the past, you wouldn't even be able to get published at all.  The gatekeepers were all white cis folk who didn't have a clue about the issues, drama, and authentic visions of trans* persons.

Heck, most of the traditional media still have a problem letting more marginalized voices speak up. Remember #Oscarssowhite? That was a few years ago (2015), but it seems the lessons keep on having to be re-learned.

Sorry to all the wishful thinkers. No, we are not yet "post-racial." We have a long, long, long way to go, before we get there.

I remain convinced that until the rise of indie publishing, and the success of niche markets such as gay erotica (which doesn't even seem so "niche" any more), we would have seen the "own voices" movement rise even more slowly.

(Photo from the Huffington Post)

Why are authentic "own voices" needed?

Environmental science, biology, history, business experience, and common sense all teach us the same lesson. A diverse community brings a variety of strengths to the table. More approaches. More interesting meetings of minds and cultures and perspectives. Diverse communities are stronger and more adaptable. Yet humans' instinct for tribalism fights this truth.

Likewise, intellectual communities are more adaptable, versatile, and robust when they accept many inputs. Our own individual world-views are deepened and enhanced by knowledge of wider ranges of possibility. When we pay attention to writers who tell their own stories and speak in their own voices, our understandings expand.

I recently blogged on my publisher's website about the book American Dirt, and the need to read works by people who really know what they're writing about. Such accounts tend (when well-written) to be more powerful and more realistic. And interesting.

(Photo from the Huffington Post).

IMAGE CREDITS:

Many thanks to a tumblr that no longer appears to exist, via Pinterest, for the Rosario Dawson image-quote. I also thank The Huffington Post, which published the features that provided two of these posts. They are "18 Times Black Actors Nailed Why We Need Representation in Film," and its sidebar slide show (scroll to the bottom), "16 Times Latinos Were Brutally Honest about Hollywood's Lack of Diversity." 

The best part of writing

The Artdog Quote(s) of the Week

Last week's quote(s) addressed my need (parallel with those who participated in NaNoWriMo) to revise the manuscript for A Bone to Pick, the second book (still very much in progress) of the XK9 "Bones" Trilogy. And I'm trying to cultivate Mabel Wetherbee's attitude that "the best part of writing is editing."

The beta-reading review
I've been reading through comments from my beta-readers who've read my first "finished" draft. I'm preparing notes and girding up my loins, because clearly, "finished" badly needed those quote-marks. I get it. No first draft is perfect (EVER). Every writer knows that, going in. And while writing a first draft is exciting and interesting and it definitely has its thrilling moments, I'm not sure I'd call it "the best part."

Reviewing betas' comments about where they connected and where it fell flat is both helpful and a little daunting. More helpful than daunting, because I'm an optimist with a high opinion of myself, and I like a writing challenge. But I would definitely say reading a critique is not "the best part of writing," either.

The best part of writing
No, the best part of writing, for me, is the feeling that "okay, this time I really nailed it" in the finished draft. This is the one that passes muster with the editor, and comes out on the other end of the long process of rewrites, reviews, corrections, and more rewrites. The refining process can be tedious and humbling, but it's worth it.

I'm still a fair stretch down the road from that goal, at present. There are still a lot of dead-wrongs, ho-hums, near-misses, and partial hits to work through. But I must go through all of them, no matter how challenging they are, to get to the best part of writing.

Fuel for the future 
As with any creative project, there are parallels between this editing project with how we live our lives. Unlike writing a story, it's not possible to go back and change the things we've done in real life. They're in the past. They're done. But we can learn from them. We can look back and think, "if I had done this one thing differently, what would have changed? How could I have inspired a better outcome?"

I think if we are self-reflective, we (a) are prepared to confront life "ahead of the game," and (b) are in a better position to learn from the past. It's not exactly "editing the past to suit ourselves," but more like interrogating the past to learn as much as possible from it.

In life, as in writing, the best part is how we mine the past for the materials with which to build a new and better future.

IMAGE CREDITS: Many thanks to Authors Publish, for the quote from Mabel E. Wetherbee (whom I can't track down online! She's allegedly the author of Whisper of the Hare and The Illusionist's Pin, but I can't find a primary source); to AZ Quotes, for the quote from Marion Dane Bauer, and to QuotesGram, via Pinterest (note QuotesWarehouse no longer seems to exist), for the unattributed quote about not getting stuck in the past.

Into the homestretch for NaNoWriMo

The Artdog Quote(s) of the Week

We're closing in on the end of November, and also the end of NaNoWriMo (National Novel-Writing Month). All month I've posted things to encourage writers, whether or not they're specifically participating. But for all who are participating, this week you go into the homestretch.

The toll that project fatigue exacts

You're so close! But sometimes, as we near the end of a long project, exhaustion sets in. Especially if you've been extending yourself to make your goals, you may be short of sleep or creaky from bending over your keyboard too long (Take time to stretch!).

Remember, the most important thing you'll get out of NaNoWriMo or any sustained effort is not necessarily the draft you write (although acclaimed published works have originated from NaNoWriMo first-drafts).

The most important thing

No, the most important thing is developing the habit of persistence. And here in the homestretch is where it comes most fully into play.

More important than talent. More essential than a genius idea. More crucial than the classiest style. The secret to writing success is persistence. Keep trying. You've come into the homestretch for NaNoWriMo. Last-minute brain glitch and can't think what to write? Write anyway.

Formula for success

Create the habits that put your butt in the chair (or wherever you write) and your hands on the keyboard (or however you interface with your word processor) and the words being written.

Create and sustain those habits. Eventually, you'll succeed. Going into the homestretch and beyond, you'll have developed the most essential requirement for any successful writer. Simply don't let anything stop you.

IMAGE CREDITS: Many thanks to BrainyQuotes, for the illustrated Dale Carnegie quote on fatigue. And my deepest gratitude to Early Bird Books and their feature "15 Inspiring Writing Quotes for NaNoWriMo." Their article is my source for the quotes by Octavia Butler, Philip Pullman, and Timothy Zahn.

Playing a long game

The Artdog Quote(s) of the Week 

This post is for everyone who hasn't yet dropped out of NaNoWriMo. And really for everyone who's pursuing a long, hard effort they believe in. Whatever your struggle, you're playing a long game. Persistence is the key.

If you're still hanging in there for NaNoWriMo, you're entering Week Three, today. By now you're probably tired. You may have missed a few days, or fallen short of a few benchmarks you'd set for yourself.

You may have begun to wonder if this is really worth it. Take heart. It is. In any long game, persistence is the key.

Doubts are natural. But doubt is poison.

All writers have doubts. And if you're trying to pile up thousands and thousands of words in a very short period of time time, you're probably having double and triple doubts.

You know what you're writing isn't polished. You hope what you're writing is good. You fear what you're writing is garbage.

It doesn't matter. Not at this point. You're playing a long game, so the key thing you need is persistence.

The road to quality starts here.

Save the heartburn over polish for rewrites. What you're doing right now is simply getting it down in an editable format. It's the essential first step to a finished draft you can be proud of.

Even if much of what you write this month has to be trashed or overhauled, it's a start. It's more than you had written before. It's always easier to rewrite than to write it the first time through.

You're doing hard work, essential work. And you're honoring the long game, where persistence is key. So hang in there.

The long game

If NaNoWriMo is like story structure, then you're entering the crucial third quarter. The second half of Act Two, if that's how you prefer to think of it. You're closing in on the rising action--which means you might be facing a Dark Night of the Soul.

Keep writing, anyway. At the chosen time each day, park yourself in the chair at your desk, in the coffehouse booth, poised over your pad, or wherever you write. Make words happen. Keep writing.

You're playing a long game. Persistence is the key.

NOTE: This post is one of several I've published during this month and last, in honor of National Novel-Writing Month (NaNoWriMo, for short). Others in this series so far include "It's getting on toward time. Are you ready?" "Will you or won't you Na-No-Wri-Mo?" and "An ideal writing space." Stay tuned for more!

IMAGE CREDITS: Many thanks to The Diary Store, for the Vince Lombardi quote; to good ol' BrainyQuote, for the Napoleon Hill graphic; to Life11-Scribble and Scrawl's "10 Quotes on Nurturing Talent," for the quote from the rather elusive Thomas Foxwell Burton (It's possible the name is actually Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton. He was a British Baronet and an abolitionist active in the 18th century); and to Everyday Power, for the illustrated quotes from Avijeet Das and Jim Rohn. I am deeply grateful to all!

Halloween is for the adults?

A Halloween Quote of the Week

It's not quite Halloween yet, but many people I know have been preparing for weeks already. Making or reserving rental costumes, planning parties, and putting up sometimes elaborate decorations takes time. That's just for the adults. It really does seem that, more and more in recent years, Halloween is for the adults.

Adults rule the night at the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade in New York. This photo is from the 2011 event. Photo by Emmanuel Dunand, AFP/Getty Images.

No, Halloween's not for kids anymore--if it ever was. I guess there may have been a brief period when it was mostly all for the kiddos. But that's hard to imagine, these days.

Today, grownups are definitely out in large numbers for this holiday. And all across the land, police forces have to be ready. Most lay on extra officers. Some do outreach beforehand to connect with the community and take the opportunity to spread safety tips. An article on Halloween policing gave us our Quote of the Week.

Halloween definitely involves our companion animals, too. A few years ago on this blog, The Artdog did a Countdown to Halloween Pet Safety. It included: #1 Food Safety; #2 Lost Pets; #3 Pet Costumes (if ever there was a sure sign that Halloween is for the adults these days, it's the proliferation of pet costumes, especially in childless homes); #4 Pet Fire Safety (especially including cats in Jack-O-Lanterns); and #5 Electrical Safety.

Even when we involve the kids, dress up the pets, or do any of the other fun things available to do on Halloween, it's still up to the adults in the room to keep everyone safe. So don't go crazy, out there!

IMAGE CREDITS: Many thanks to Emmanuel Dunand, AFP/Getty Images, via USA Today, for the photo from Greenwich Village. Deepest gratitude to Tithi Luadthong and 123RF for the image that brings the Wyllie quote to life.

Transitions

The Artdog Quote(s) of the Week

It's back! Did you miss the Quote of the Week? A series of Monday holidays and other timing-related posts (as well as Convention-travel schedule-disruptions) have pre-empted this feature recently. But anyway, it's back today to introduce some thoughts on transitions.

Transitions as metaphors 
Why do we so often think of summer and winter as "destinations," but spring and fall as transitions? Probably because spring and fall each manifest more of a progression. In just a few short weeks of spring, we move from freezing temperatures and snow through a greening and warming of the world. We progress through a riot of flowers, fluctuating sunshine and rain.

But then we settle down into summer. Yes, summer has its phases, too. But they're more subtle. The wild swings of temperature and plant behavior start up again in autumn.

If it seems that just a week or so ago I had a window air conditioner in my upstairs office and periodically needed it, that's because I did. Now the AC unit is in storage. I won't need it again until May. Meanwhile, my window is available to open for an autumn zephyr or close against a frosty night.

The cycle of seasons in a temperate climate speak to us in metaphors (123RF/Martin Malchev)

Comparing the seasons of a temperate climate zone to passages in life is nothing new--but in the realm of lived experiences autumn and spring also mark transitions. The cycle of seasons and holidays, the patterns of academic semesters, and the business cycles most industries go through in a year are part of everyone's life.

Importance of transitions
Transitions are fraught moments. Important moments. Defining moments. Consider the transitions from child to adult, from midlife to old age, from single to married, from childless to parenthood. Transitions are arguably the most important experiences we have.

Some of us resist change, even when refusing to change harms us. Some of us fling ourselves wholeheartedly into change, even when doing so is foolish. Our attitudes toward change are hardwired in by genetics, researchers currently think--which is not to say that a habitual conservative may never become optimistic about certain things, or vice-versa.

We are, thank goodness, more than the sum of our genetic parts (or our environment growing up). We can shoot the rapids of even dramatic changes when we find ourselves dealing with new lives.

What it takes is respect for transitions.

IMAGE CREDITS: Many thanks to YourDictionary for the "October" illustrated quote from the poet Nova Schubert Bair, to Martin Malchev of 123RF for the cycle-of-the-seasons illustration, and to Success.com for the illustrated quote from Anatole France.

Seeking purpose in life

The Artdog Quote(s) of the Week

In Friday's post I made the point that people won't fare very well if they have no purpose in life. But where and how can they find such purpose? For your consideration, I offer a very short discussion, in the form of somewhat-dueling quotes.

Pardon, Your Holiness, but that seems a bit short on practical details. Could you please elaborate? How do we get to happiness as the purpose in our lives from where we are today?

That's a bit clearer, thanks. But not everyone agrees with His Holiness's original point that "The purpose of our lives is to be happy." Here's a counterargument from Leo Rosten:

Rosten, a noted writer, humorist, and observer of the world, had an outlook very much in tune with many of the creative people I've known. For him and for many others of us, our purpose in life consists of more than just being happy. It's even more than just making others happy. We want "to have made some difference" that we lived at all. How future generations will realize that purpose in life remains to be seen.

IMAGE CREDITS: Many thanks to PictureQuotes for the first Dalai Lama quote, and for turning me on to the second one, although their coverup of the credit line irked me (the image originated from an entity called One Voice, whose online presence apparently has ended. It was reposted by "Raya" on Forsti's Soup and has since spread from there). 

Finally, I want to thank Pass it On and Values.com for the Leo Rosten quote image. Please note that the background image for the Pass it On/Rosten quote conveys a message of its own, if you recognize it.

Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog (1818), Caspar David Friedrich

Art history buffs among my readers will have recognized it as one of the masterpieces of 19th Century European Romanticism. The painting is Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog (1818) by Caspar David Friedrich - The photographic reproduction was done by Cybershot800i. (Diff), Public Domain, and is available courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. 

From unbalanced to balanced

The Artdog Quote(s) of the Week

Why is it so difficult for some people to believe that feminism and gender equality isn't a one-way street that only favors women? But the shift from unbalanced to balanced is proving to be harder to achieve than it should be.

It would be so excellent, if everyone could accept that a balanced society works better. Peace can only come with justice, and even such a cold-edged discipline as economics agrees there's more stability in a more egalitarian system.

Centuries of tradition have brought us to this off-kilter moment. Throughout those centuries we most definitely did not have balanced societies. They almost invariably were, in fact, radically unbalanced.

In the West, we've had a lopsided social structure that oppressed essentially everyone except for certain privileged, white cisgender men. In nearly every society, women have historically been an underclass.

My Quotes of the Week this month are inspired by Women's Equality Day. In each post I have tried to bring up a different angle on the equality equation. Last week I brought you daddies bonding with babies. Unfortunately, this week's post is a lot more grim.

That's the only "joke" you'll get from me in this post.  In any unequal relationship, violence is implied--but that violence all too often becomes explicit and bloody. We can see it in civil unrest, fraught racial tensions, in violent crime, and most definitely in relationships between men and women. We're still a long way from making a shift from unbalanced to balanced.

According to the latest statistics I've been able to find, considerably more than 1 in 3 U.S. women (35.6%) are raped or physically harmed by men they know, in their lifetimes. Women are overwhelmingly the victims in domestic violence cases. 

Just under half of the women murdered in a given year are the victims of men they know (Women kill men they know at a quarter of that rate).

Perhaps most chilling of all, the leading cause of death among pregnant women isn't obstetrical complications--it's murder. Usually at the hands of their husbands, partners or lovers--that is, their babies' fathers.

The likelihood triples when the father doesn't want the pregnancy. Think about that, in the contemporary climate of more and more limits being placed on the availability of abortions. We can't make the shift from unbalanced to balanced soon enough, for all too many women alive today.

IMAGE CREDITS: Many thanks to Tigress and Butterfly Files, for the aspirational but unattributed quote at the start of this post, to Coolnsmart, for the (again, unattributed) "kitchen" quote, and to AZ Quotes for the image-quote from Margaret Atwood, which all too aptly sums up one of the most unbalanced aspects of our society.

Sharing the childcare

The Artdog Quote(s) of the Week

Once again, Ruth Bader Ginsburg is onto something. Ginsburg's whole career has been a struggle for gender equality, probably since well before the Dean of the Harvard Law School asked her and eight female classmates, "Why are you at Harvard Law School, taking the place of a man?" It's no surprise she advocates sharing the childcare.

My Quotes of the Week this month are inspired by Women's Equality Day, but of course, true feminism isn't only focused on women's rights. Gender equality benefits both sexes. And sharing the childcare is one of those areas where all sides benefit richly.

It may at first seem odd to claim that sharing child care responsibilities benefits men, but that's mainly because of the cultural programming most of us have been receiving since birth. The benefits to both men and the children they nurture are clear from many studies.

Yet fractured families and cultural norms too often unhelpfully keep men out of children's lives. Few men become professionals in early childhood education, and when they do they may be looked upon with suspicion. Yet studies have shown that men who are involved in the intimate details of caring for small children are less likely to be abusers than men who are less involved.

But males sharing the childcare (and doing household chores) can bring other benefits, too. A 2014 study revealed that couples who split household chores equally tend to have sex more often, and report satisfaction with their sexual experiences, than couples in less egalitarian arrangements.

The feminist ideal would have neither gender constrained to an arbitrary gender role. That would be better for mothers, better for fathers, and most certainly better for the next generation.

When fathers and mothers share the childcare everyone benefits. (uncredited photo from Aviva)

IMAGE CREDIT: Many thanks to DesiBucket and Lifehack Quotes, for the quote from the Notorious, and to AZ Quotes for the thought from Gloria Steinem. The photo of the parents and child enjoying a playful moment is courtesy of Aviva UK.

Oppression

The Artdog Quote of the Week

My Quotes of the Week this month are inspired by Women's Equality Day, which this year  happens to fall on a Monday (when I try to make sure my Quotes of the Week go live).

When I went looking for appropriate quotes for the rest of the Mondays, I found this little gem from Letty Cottin Pogrebin. She's the writer and social activist who founded Ms. Magazine (full confession: Ms. was massively influential in my early life).

This is one of those quotes that makes me nod and say, "Oh, she got that right!" So it was a natural for me to include in this women's equality-themed month.

But although the place where I found this quote is full of lots of cool quotes and images, I didn't particularly groove with the way this one had been visually realized. I had a different thought about how it should be presented. I hope you like it.

SHARING IMAGE CREDIT: The visualization of this women's equality quote was all mine, but I couldn't have done what I wanted with it, if I hadn't had a little help. My help in this case came from Wikimedia Commons and a photographer named Andreas F. Borchert, who photographed the perfect pediment for me to make my point. 

Part of this image is an adapted detail from Borchert's Dublin Roman Catholic St. Audoen's Church Pediment. In order to fulfill the creative commons usage requirements, it's important for me to credit this source (though you know me: I would have anyway). And I certainly did take Mr. Borchert's license to "remix" his image pretty far. I cropped the section I needed, then applied the Sketch: Reticulation filter in Photoshop. I finished the work in Adobe Illustrator, where I created the typography and reduced the opacity of the pediment photo. 

Now it's your turn: if you like this women's equality-themed quote-image realization and want to use it, please credit both Jan S. Gephardt and Andreas F. Borchert, with links back to his license page and this blog post. Thanks!

Still time to create a better world

The Artdog Quote-Pairing of the Week 

Enough naysayers persist in positions of power to dangerously impede efforts to mitigate climate change. Most insist nothing is wrong with the world. Others claim it's impossible to do anything. 

But "impossible" is what the unimaginative tend to call the problem we haven't yet solved.

One of the most useful things we can do for our future is work hard to vote all of the former out of office. The other thing we must figure out is how to ensure that the second group (the "impossibles") were too pessimistic. God help us all if they're right, but meanwhile it's our responsibility to build a better world.

I kicked off last month with a video about climate change refugees. It featured a call to proactive action. This month, I've been pairing quotes about being proactive in one's life with quotes about climate change. If we resolve there's still time to create a better world, then we also must resolve to try!

IMAGE CREDITS: Many thanks to Faster-To-Master's "Growth-mindset quotes" page, for the quote from Audrey Hepburn. I also appreciate the two sources I accessed to create the Phil Harding quote-image. They are Phil Harding's own website, which provided the quote (Ref. 91f), and AliExpress, which provided the cool view of a bamboo forest looking straight up.

We have to try

The Artdog Quote-Pairing of the Week

The task is immense. The stakes couldn't be higher. Our rainforests have often been called the "lungs of the Earth." But they're disappearing in literal clouds of smoke. Or in caravans of logging trucks. Or they're being mined, unsustainably replaced, dried out, and otherwise destroyed at a truly devastating rate. It won't be easy to reverse that trend, but we have to try.

Rainforests, like coral reefs, are extremely valuable to our planet's survival. There are things we can do to help save them. But we must do them now!

I kicked off last month with a video about climate change refugees. It featured a call to proactive action. This month, I'm pairing quotes about being proactive in one's life with quotes about climate change. It's not too late to mitigate the effects--we must resolve to try!

IMAGE CREDITS: Many thanks to Faster-To-Master's "Growth-mindset quotes" page, for the quote from Theodore Roosevelt, and to The World Counts, for the informational graphic about rainforest loss. 

Ailing coral reefs matter

The Artdog  Quote-Pairing of the Week 

If we're not worried about the world's ailing coral reefs, we're fooling ourselves. Coral reefs are not only vital to our oceans, but there are important things we can do to help them.

I kicked off last month with a video about climate change refugees. It featured a call to proactive action. This month, I'm pairing quotes about being proactive in one's life with quotes about climate change. It's not too late to mitigate the effects--including helping bring our world's ailing coral reefs back to health.

Let's do what matters--and coral reefs matter. We must act now.

IMAGE CREDITS: Many thanks to Quotabulary's "Quotes about being proactive" page and Buzzle for the illustrated quote from Leo Babauta, and to The World Counts for  the informational image about the decline of the world's coral reefs.

What's holding you back?

The Artdog Quote-Pairing of the Week

While we're creating our future, why not take pains to create the best one possible? Who would choose more and worse asthma and allergies? We still can do many things to mitigate the effects of climate change. What's holding you back?

I kicked off last month with a video about climate change refugees. It featured a call to proactive action. This month, I'm pairing quotes about being proactive in one's life with quotes about climate change. It's not too late to mitigate the effects, but we must act now.

IMAGE CREDITS: Many thanks to Kirk Weisler for the Stephen Covey quote, and to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America for the facts on our breathing future if we don't act now!

The moment is now

The Artdog Quote-Pairing of the Week

When must we do something about climate change? The moment is now.

I kicked off last month with a video about climate change refugees. It featured a call to proactive action. This month, I'm pairing quotes about being proactive in one's life with quotes about climate change. It's not too late to mitigate the effects--but the moment is now.

IMAGE CREDITS: Many thanks to Hal Elrod for the quote about taking responsibility, and to Tunza Eco-Generation for the quote about not being powerless.

Is your school safe for all students?

The Artdog Quote(s) of the Week

This has been a very "full" month, but the teacher in me just couldn't let Pride Month pass without at least one post! Also, I did an analysis recently, and realized I haven't been writing about this topic nearly often enough! So I'm brushing off my "teacher hat" to ask: is your school safe for ALL students?

No, gun violence, frightening as it is, isn't my "safe schools" topic for today. That's because it's not the only--or at all the most prevalent--life-threatening hazard lurking in today's schools. Yes, life-threatening. Have you seen the suicide numbers? 

Even when they aren't killing themselves in despair, LGBTQIA+ Youth too often face a drumbeat of hatred, denigration and even outright violence every day, in school, at home, or on the street. That'll wear a person down real fast. Especially when they're still just beginning to figure out who they are.

An ongoing battle

Creating safe spaces for these kids is an ongoing and age-old battle. My art teacher mother fought to protect her LGBT students back when I was a kid. I did all I could to make my classrooms safe zones. But as long as there's ignorance, intolerance, and hatred being taught, teachers who are allies are the first, and absolutely critical, line of defense.

I hate to admit that not all educators feel this way. Not all classrooms are safe. very few schools are safe. All too few bathrooms are safe, for pity's sake! Couldn't they at least relax in the bathroom?? But no. Between the bigots, the fearmongers, and the misguided, bathrooms are certainly not safe.

I long for a time when every student, regardless of gender identity, can receive this message (I love that it's inside a color wheel, one of the art teacher's most important tools). I'm not alone in wanting this kind of respect for all students. But the other allies and I need a lot more company to make this message completely ring true.

IMAGE CREDITS: Many thanks to Instazu and #transgenderpride's Instagram feed for the Explanation-of-Gay-Pride image (totally nailed it); to GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network) via Autostraddle, for the infographic image on verbal and psychological harassment in schools; to NCTE, the National Council of Teachers of English, for the quote from their advisory committee; and to TeachersPayTeachers, for the classroom poster design offering words of hope and encouragement.