Newman Encourages UAH Students to Celebrate Diversity -- 12-04-2012

7/29/2019 Newman Encourages UAH Students to Celebrate Diversity -- 12-04-2012

1/6

Set your local edition

Sign in |

Search

Author Leslea Newman arranges her own class ic children's book,"Heather Has Two Mommies," alongside other children's books thattells the stories of characters with nontraditional ways of beingthemselves. Newman was the honors lecturer at the University ofAlabama in Huntsville on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012. (Kay Campbell /[email protected])

Print (http://blog.al.com/living_impact/print.html?

entry=/2012/12/heather_has_two_mommies_author.html)

(http://connect.al.com/user/klcampbel/index.html) By Kay Campbell | [email protected]

(http://connect.al.com/user/klcampbel/posts.html)

on December 04, 2012 at 2:30 PM, updated December 05, 2012 at 7:26 AM

HUNTSVILLE,Alabama

(http://www.al.com/huntsville/) Blue is for boys and pink is for girls, right?

Wrong, author Leslea Newman (http://www.lesleanewman.com/) told honor

students at the University of Alabama in Huntsville during a presentation Thursday,

Nov. 29, 2012.

Sponsored By:

(http://ads.al.com/RealM

Movies Music Dining Arts Mardi Gras Travel Living Food Fashion Health Good Deals Celebrations

5-day | Satellite

NEWS BUSINESS SPORTS H.S. SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT LIVINGbrought to

you by:

YOUR COMMUNITY: JOBS AUTOS REAL ESTATE RENTALS CLASSIFIEDS OBITUARIES FIND N SAVE

OCAL BUSINESSES

PLACE A

Search
http://www.al.com/huntsville/http://www.al.com/movies/http://www.al.com/music/http://www.al.com/dining/http://www.al.com/events/http://www.al.com/mardigras/http://www.al.com/travel/http://www.al.com/living/http://www.al.com/food/http://www.al.com/fashion/http://www.al.com/health-fitness/http://www.al.com/news/http://www.al.com/business/http://www.al.com/sports/http://www.al.com/hssports/http://www.al.com/huntsville/http://www.al.com/huntsville/http://www.al.com/huntsville/http://www.al.com/huntsville/http://www.al.com/huntsville/http://www.al.com/http://www.al.com/placead/http://businessfinder.al.com/http://birminghamfindnsave.al.com/http://www.al.com/deathnotices/http://www.al.com/classifieds/http://www.al.com/rentals/http://www.al.com/realestate/http://www.al.com/autos/http://www.al.com/jobs/http://ads.al.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.al.com/living/2012/12/heather_has_two_mommies_author.html/L17/1004806716/SiteSponsor/ALABAMALIVE/Methodist01_AL_RoS_SiteSpon/cw010548.html/515646547331442b327a55414262324bhttp://www.al.com/living/http://www.al.com/entertainment/http://www.al.com/hssports/http://www.al.com/sports/http://www.al.com/business/http://www.al.com/news/http://www.al.com/weather/?zipcode=35233http://www.al.com/weather/?zipcode=35233http://www.al.com/celebrations/http://www.al.com/good-deals/http://www.al.com/health-fitness/http://www.al.com/fashion/http://www.al.com/food/http://www.al.com/living/http://www.al.com/travel/http://www.al.com/mardigras/http://www.al.com/events/http://www.al.com/dining/http://www.al.com/music/http://www.al.com/movies/http://ads.al.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.al.com/living/2012/12/heather_has_two_mommies_author.html/L17/1998058170/SecSponsor/ALABAMALIVE/USSAla33_AL_Living_SecSpon/CM05064.html/515646547331442b327a55414262324bhttp://www.lesleanewman.com/http://www.al.com/huntsville/http://connect.al.com/user/klcampbel/posts.htmlhttp://connect.al.com/user/klcampbel/index.htmlhttp://blog.al.com/living_impact/print.html?entry=/2012/12/heather_has_two_mommies_author.htmlhttp://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2012/12/heather_has_two_mommies_author.html#sign-inhttp://www.al.com/rss/http://www.facebook.com/aldotcom/http://twitter.com/aldotcom/http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2012/12/heather_has_two_mommies_author.html#


2/6

"Heather Has TwoMommies" by LesleaNewman.

Author Leslea Newman stands next to the log fence where Matthew

Shepard was tied the night he was beaten into a coma. (Courtesy ofPlynn Gutman)

Newman showed historic photographs illustrating how the markings of gender have

changed over the last 100 years.

There was Franklin Delano Roosevelt's portrait as a child with long curly hair wearing a

dress. There were the department store advertisements from just 70 years ago advising

new mothers to buy pink for their boys because it was a more powerful color than blue.

The symbolism and costumes may have changed, but societys concern over how gender

s performed can still show up in adamant ways, Newman said.

The message children get is that there is only one way to be

me', said Newman, whose most famous childrens book,

1989s Heather Has Two Mommies, was the first to depict a

esbian couple. But there is more than one way to be, and

thats something to be celebrated. The diversity of humanity is

a wonderful thing.

Even tolerating, rather than fearing, that diversity could have

saved the life of Matthew Shepard. He was the 21-year-oldUniversity of Wyoming student beaten into a coma in 1998 and

eft tied to a wooden fence on the prairie by two other 21-year-

old men who wanted to punish him for being gay.

Newman arrived on the campus of the University of Wyoming the day that Matthew

Shepard (http://www.matthewshepard.org/)died. She was the keynote speaker

for Gay Awareness Week.

How can we end such hatred? Newman asked. How can we make the world a better

place?

Newman is convinced that art can help. By gently unfolding a world in which characters

explore unusual ways of being and relating, childrens picture books can teach early on

that its safe to embrace diversity and creative expression.

Books can also help children and adults consider events from different viewpoints.

That is the tack Newman takes

n her latest book, a collection of

poems for teens and adults.

Provoked by the death of

Matthew Shepard, October

Mourning: A Song for

Matthew Shepard

Alabama Nationa

With a big afterno

(http://al.com/ala

comments)

Scarbinsky: Gus

Auburn class, bu

Nick Saban

(http://al.com/spo

comments)

Live Updates: Na

(http://al.com/spo

comments)

Auburn Signing D

Gus Malzahn's Si

conference

(http://al.com/aub

comments)

Five-star Carl Law
http://al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2013/02/five-star_carl_lawson_feels_at.html#comments#incart_most-commentshttp://al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2013/02/five-star_carl_lawson_feels_at.html#incart_most-commentshttp://al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2013/02/live_updates_comments_its_sign.html#comments#incart_most-commentshttp://al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2013/02/live_updates_comments_its_sign.html#incart_most-commentshttp://al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/02/live_updates_national_signing.html#comments#incart_most-commentshttp://al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/02/live_updates_national_signing.html#incart_most-commentshttp://al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/02/scarbinsky_9.html#comments#incart_most-commentshttp://al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/02/scarbinsky_9.html#incart_most-commentshttp://al.com/alabamafootball/index.ssf/2013/02/live_updates_all_day_from_alab.html#comments#incart_most-commentshttp://al.com/alabamafootball/index.ssf/2013/02/live_updates_all_day_from_alab.html#incart_most-commentshttp://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2012/12/heather_has_two_mommies_author.html#most-commentshttp://www.lesleakids.com/octobermourning.htmlhttp://www.matthewshepard.org/http://al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2013/02/five-star_carl_lawson_feels_at.html#comments#incart_most-commentshttp://al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2013/02/five-star_carl_lawson_feels_at.html#incart_most-comments


3/6

(

Auburn; Not worr

(http://al.com/aub

star_carl_lawson

comments)
http://al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2013/02/five-star_carl_lawson_feels_at.html#comments#incart_most-commentshttp://al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2013/02/five-star_carl_lawson_feels_at.html#incart_most-commentshttp://www.al.com/interact/


4/6


5/6

About Alabama Media Group

http://www.alabamamediagroup.com/about/)

Jobs at Alabama Media

Group

http://jobs.al.com/careers/company/detail/id/840717/page/jobs)

Advertise with us

About al.com

(http://www.al.com/aboutus/)

Contact Us

(http://www.al.com/contactus/)

News

(http://www.al.com/news/)

Business

(http://www.al.com/business/)

Sports

(http://www.al.com/sports/)

High School Sports

(http://highschoolsports.al.com/)

Entertainment

Obituaries

(http://www.al.com/deathnotices/)

Jobs

(http://www.al.com/jobs/)

Autos

(http://autos.al.com/)

Real Estate

(http://realestate.al.com/)

Apartment Rentals

Forums

(http://www.al.com/forums/)

Videos

(http://videos.al.com/)

Photos

(http://photos.al.com/photogallery/)

Interact with us

(http://www.al.com/interact/)

Weather

Post a job

(http://www.al.com/

Post a free classifie

ad

(http://www.al.com

Sell your car

(http://www.al.com/

Sell/rent your home

(http://www.al.com/

Sign in with your a

return_to=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.al.com%2Fliving%2Findex.ssf%2F2012%2F12%2Fheathe

Sort By:Most Recent

Pause Live Updates

Type your comment here...

There are no comments on this story yet.

POST
http://void%280%29/https://signup.al.com/sign-in/?return_to=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.al.com%2Fliving%2Findex.ssf%2F2012%2F12%2Fheather_has_two_mommies_author.html%23incart_flyout_livinghttp://blog.al.com/wire/2013/02/americas_most_trusted_tv_news.html#incart_hbx#incart_best-ofhttp://blog.al.com/wire/2013/02/americas_most_trusted_tv_news.html#incart_hbx#incart_best-ofhttp://blog.al.com/jkennedy/2013/02/lets_hope_something_positive_i.html#incart_hbx#incart_best-ofhttp://blog.al.com/jkennedy/2013/02/lets_hope_something_positive_i.html#incart_hbx#incart_best-ofhttp://blog.al.com/spotnews/2013/02/southern_diet_may_raise_your_r.html#incart_hbx#incart_best-ofhttp://blog.al.com/spotnews/2013/02/southern_diet_may_raise_your_r.html#incart_hbx#incart_best-ofhttp://www.al.com/placead/http://www.al.com/placead/http://www.al.com/classifieds/free/http://www.al.com/jobs/http://www.al.com/weather/http://www.al.com/interact/http://photos.al.com/photogallery/http://videos.al.com/http://www.al.com/forums/http://realestate.al.com/for-renthttp://realestate.al.com/http://autos.al.com/http://www.al.com/jobs/http://www.al.com/deathnotices/http://www.al.com/entertainment/http://highschoolsports.al.com/http://www.al.com/sports/http://www.al.com/business/http://www.al.com/news/http://www.al.com/contactus/http://www.al.com/aboutus/http://www.alabamamediagroup.com/services/http://jobs.al.com/careers/company/detail/id/840717/page/jobshttp://www.alabamamediagroup.com/about/http://www.al.com/weather/http://realestate.al.com/for-renthttp://www.al.com/entertainment/http://www.alabamamediagroup.com/services/


6/6

(http://www.advancedigital.com/)

Regis tration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of ourUser Agreement (http://www.al.com/useragreement/)

Privacy Policy (http://www.al.com/privacypolicy/) (Revised November 1, 2011)

2013 Alabam a Live LLC. All rights reserved (About Us (http://www.al.com/aboutus/)).

The material on this site m ay not be reproduced, dis tributed, transm itted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prio

written permission of Alabama Live LLC.

Community Rules (http://www.al.com/forums/index.ssf?rules.html) apply to all content you upload or otherwise subm

this site. Contact interactivity management. (http://www.al.com/forums/index.ssf?rules.html)

Ad Choices (http://www.advance.net/advancedigitalUserAgreementPP/#opt_out)

http://www.alabamamediagroup.com/services/)

The Birmingham News (https://subscribe.bhamnews.com/autostart/)

The Huntsville Times (https://subscribe.acsal.com/Huntsville/)

Mobile's Press-Register (https://subscribe.press-register.com/AutoStart/Default.aspx?CC=PRALCOM&LOC=AL)

Free newsletters (http://www.al.com/newsletters/)

(http://www.al.com/entertainment/)

Living

(http://www.al.com/living/)

Travel

(http://www.al.com/travel/)

Opinion

(http://www.al.com/opinion/)

(http://realestate.al.com/for-

rent)

Classifieds

(http://classifieds.al.com/)

Shopping Good Deals

(http://www.al.com/shopping/)

Local Businesses

(http://businessfinder.al.com/)

Birmingham

(http://www.al.com/birmingham/)

Huntsville

(http://www.al.com/huntsville/)

Mobile

(http://www.al.com/mobile/)

Montgomery

(http://www.al.com/montgomery/)

Tuscaloosa

(http://www.al.com/tuscaloosa/)

Gulf Coast Beaches

(http://www.al.com/beaches/)

Mobile View (http://mobile.al.com/) | Mobile

Apps (http://www.al.com/mobile-device/) |

Tablet Apps (http://www.al.com/mobile-

device/)

(http://www.al.com/weather/)Site Map & search

(http://search.al.co

Twitter

(http://www.twitter.com/aldotcom/)

|

Facebook

(http://www.facebook.com/aldotcom/)

|

Google+

(https://plus.google.com/10930984554
https://plus.google.com/109309845541768500709/http://www.facebook.com/aldotcom/http://www.twitter.com/aldotcom/http://search.al.com/http://www.al.com/weather/http://www.al.com/mobile-device/http://www.al.com/mobile-device/http://mobile.al.com/http://www.al.com/beaches/http://www.al.com/tuscaloosa/http://www.al.com/montgomery/http://www.al.com/mobile/http://www.al.com/huntsville/http://www.al.com/birmingham/http://businessfinder.al.com/http://www.al.com/shopping/http://classifieds.al.com/http://realestate.al.com/for-renthttp://www.al.com/opinion/http://www.al.com/travel/http://www.al.com/living/http://www.al.com/entertainment/http://www.al.com/newsletters/https://subscribe.press-register.com/AutoStart/Default.aspx?CC=PRALCOM&LOC=ALhttps://subscribe.acsal.com/Huntsville/https://subscribe.bhamnews.com/autostart/http://www.alabamamediagroup.com/services/http://www.advance.net/advancedigitalUserAgreementPP/#opt_outhttp://www.al.com/forums/index.ssf?rules.htmlhttp://www.al.com/forums/index.ssf?rules.htmlhttp://www.al.com/aboutus/http://www.al.com/privacypolicy/http://www.al.com/useragreement/http://www.advancedigital.com/

Documents

Newman Encourages UAH Students to Celebrate Diversity -- 12-04-2012