LGBTQ Parenting is Joyful!
A Prism & Pen writing prompt
When my former partner and I agreed to foster an at-risk child, little did we imagine the hard work and moments of sheer terror that awaited us. (OK, maybe terror is over the top, but it’s not like kids come with owner’s manuals, and in all fairness, I did once ride in the back of an ambulance with him as blood poured out of a wound on his scalp. He was fine, but I wasn’t!)
Kitty Whitemore wrote the other day that, “Rearing children isn’t especially hard, but it is a long process, and it can be boring. I didn’t care; I loved every minute.”
I didn’t love literally every minute of parenting, but what I remember most is the sheer joy of it. How about you? Can you tell stories about joyful queer parenting? That’s our writing prompt and challenge on Prism & Pen for the next two weeks:
LGBTQ Parenting is Joyful!
But don’t be afraid to mix it up. If you’re a cis/straight parent who’s raised a queer kid and found joy in that, we want to hear from you. If you’re LGBTQ and have joyful stories to tell about your own parents, send in a story. And since our prompts exist to inspire you rather than restrict you, don’t be shy about counter-narrative. If you have failed to find joy in parenting or in being parented, this is your prompt too.
