Daddy's Roommate
 | |
| Author | Michael Willhoite |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Alyson Books |
Publication date | 1991 |
| Pages | 30 |
| ISBN | 1-55583-118-4 |
| OCLC | 26563465 |
Daddy's Roommate is a children's book written by Michael Willhoite and published by Alyson Books in 1991 (ISBN 1555831184). The book, about a young boy whose divorced father now lives with his life partner, deals with the subject of homosexual parents.
Daddy's Roommate was one of the first children's books to portray homosexuality in a positive light; the two men in the book do the same things heterosexual couples do: Take care of the house, argue, and spend time with their child. Consequently, the book has become one of the most challenged books in recent years with the American Library Association listing it at number 2 in their list of the 100 most challenged books from 1990-1999.[1] Lon Mabon launched an anti-gay campaign attempting to amend the Oregon state constitution to allow discrimination against lesbians and gay men. He used Heather Has Two Mommies and Daddy's Roommate as evidence of a militant homosexual agenda. However, citizens of Oregon voted on November 3, 1992, and the measure was defeated. Despite its challenges, this book won a lamda Literary analysis Award for Gay men's small press book award.
Daddy's Roommate became a point of discussion in the 2008 US Presidential Election when it was alleged that, in 1995, Sarah Palin, then a councilwoman in Wasilla, Alaska, complained that the book did not belong in the public library.[2]
See also
- Heather Has Two Mommies, by Lesléa Newman, portrays a lesbian couple in a similar fashion
- Homosexuality in children's literature
References
- ↑ "100 most frequently challenged books: 1990–1999". American Library Association. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
- ↑ Stein, Sam (September 13, 2008). "Author Of Book Palin Targeted Lashes Back: She's My Mortal Enemy". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2011-02-14.