Our Impact

For five years, Pride and Less Prejudice has been helping educators create inclusive learning environments.

Over $265,000 raised from donations and grants

Over 17,000 LGBTQ-inclusive books sent to over 8,500 PreK - 3rd grade classrooms

86 teaching guides created to accompany books we donate

15 professional development workshops held with over 600 educators

Over 54 author interviews published

Over 93 blog posts published

21 read-alouds by authors made available to students

12 interactive read-alouds guides made available to students

Last updated January 19, 2024

Video Testimonials

From Our Team and Supporters

Educators

Authors

LGBTQ Celebrities

We have sent books to classrooms in all 50 U.S. states.

Quotes from Educators

“I’ve been wanting to get Pink Is for Boys for awhile. I have a student in my first grade class who LOVES to wear pink, purple…colors the girls would typically like, but I am teaching my class that there is no such thing as girl colors or boy colors. I am so excited to read this story to my class!”

1st Grade Teacher, North Carolina, USA

 

“I am Jazz was donated to us by Pride and Less Prejudice. I am so excited to read this book with a student whose sibling is in the process of transitioning. The book explores the subject in a casual, but informative way, and I think it will truly help this student understand what her sibling is going through. Thank you SO much for providing these valuable resources.”

Support Staff, Washington, USA

 

"These books, especially This Day in June, were a great fit for my grade 1s, but I was also able to share them around the school because they can be read on so many levels in older grades as well! I am the SOGI School Lead so it is nice to have tangible resources to share with colleagues who want to incorporate more into their classroom but don't know where to start."

1st Grade Teacher, British Columbia, Canada

We partner with local bookstores to ship book bundles to educators.

Charis Books and More Logo

Charis Books & More is the South’s oldest independent feminist bookstore, specializing in diverse and unique children's books, feminist, and cultural studies books, books on anti-racism and ending white supremacy, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer fiction and non-fiction. Charis Books & More is located in Decatur, Georgia, USA.

 

Glad Day Bookshop is the first queer-focused Canadian bookstore, and the oldest queer bookstore worldwide. Serving the LGBTQ community since 1970, Glad Day Bookshop offers the widest possible selection of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, two-spirit, and queer literature. The bookstore is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

  • "As a teacher and a parent of an LGBT adult child, I am so excited we are striving to create a more inclusive world for our kids where they feel safe to be their authentic selves."

    Special Education Teacher, Missouri, USA

  • "In my kindergarten room, we were able to discuss the topic of appreciating everyone for who they are and who they want to be (after reading 'Introducing Teddy')."

    Kindergarten Teacher, Ontario, Canada

  • “I have integrated the books I received from Pride and Less Prejudice in my curriculum for [college] students becoming early education teachers. My students enjoyed learning [how] to enhance the presence of social justice themes in their future classroom libraries and to connect with students coming from a variety of families. These books certainly sparked some great class discussions! Thank you so much for your generosity and please know you made an incredible impact on future teachers!”

    College Professor, Massachusetts, USA

  • “Thanks for helping ALL our children feel they have a ‘VOICE’... and a ‘FACE.’ So proud to see this happening for the next generation!”

    K-3 Librarian, California, USA

  • “Thank you so much for providing [these books]!! My goal is to create a safe environment for my students and show them they can make the world a better place than the one they grew up in.”

    2nd Grade Teacher, Iowa, USA

  • “Thank you for all that you do to bring resources to educators to begin or continue the conversations about human rights into the classroom. It is so important and books are such a wonderful way to open conversations.”

    2nd Grade Teacher, Illinois, USA

We are able to provide free LGBTQ-inclusive books due to the generous support of grants and individual donors.

Happy Hippie Foundation

The Happy Hippie Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded by Miley Cyrus. Their mission is to rally young people to fight injustice facing homeless youth, LGBTQ youth and other vulnerable populations.

After Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton’s song “Rainbowland” was banned in a first grade class in Wisconsin (Spring 2023), she reached out to donate to PLP so we can continue to send LGBTQ-inclusive books throughout the US and Canada. Her generosity and support means the world to us.

Straightaway Cocktails

Straightaway Cocktails is a bottled and canned cocktail brand located in Portland, Oregon. In solidarity with the Portland Teachers' Strike, a portion of their sales in November 2023 were donated to PLP.

Their support helped us send 60 LGBTQ-inclusive books to schools across the United States.

New Harvest Foundation

New Harvest Foundation’s grants are given to organizations that help improve the LGBTQ communities in Wisconsin.

In the past few years, we have received two community grants totalling $13,000 to send 1038 books to 519 teachers from 52 different Wisconsin cities.

Mugglenet

Mugglenet, the internet's oldest Harry Potter fansite, hosted a virtual Harry Potter-themed game of Fandom Feud in order to raise money for PLP. 

Their generous donation allowed us to send 60 LGBTQ-inclusive books to PreK-3rd grade classrooms. 

Stream For A Cause

Stream for a Cause is a nonprofit that is reinventing the way content creators give back. They look for streamers with community-centered values to raise money, which they then turn into grants for smaller, more grassroots and community nonprofits around the world that are doing amazing work everyday.

We are so lucky they chose to support PLP in sending LGBTQ-inclusive books throughout the US and Canada!

Tegan and Sara Foundation Community Grants

These grants are given to grassroots Canadian LGBTQ2S+ organizations making real change at the community level.

In the past few years, we have received a few Community Grants as well as the Trans Youth Grant for a total of $10,000, to send 588 books to 294 classrooms across the United States and Canada.

Only Human

Only Human is a community organization that donates 10% of its net profits to support a cause that makes humans better every month. Their All For Love Campaign promotes the idea that all humans are worthy and deserving of love regardless of labels.

As part of the Campaign together we created a writing contest that challenged humans to rewrite a portion of their favorite novel, but with an LGBTQ+ twist.

Ritual Chocolate

Only Human also partnered with and connected us to Ritual Chocolate, a value based chocolate shop that believes in Only Human’s mission and core values.

Whether it’s the cacao they source, the sugar they use, their compostable chocolate pouches, or the recyclable box—they are all about sustainable products from bean to bar. Only Human and Ritual Chocolate co-designed a PRIDE 🏳️‍🌈 BAR for June 2022 and with every purchase 25% of the profits went to us.

Together Only Human and Ritual Chocolate donated $4,000 for PLP and we were able to send 320 books to 160 teachers.

#AerieREAL Changemakers

Aerie’s changemaker grants are given to advocates who are changing the world and pushing humanity forward.

We received $20,000 to provide free books and support for educators.

The Pollination Project

The Pollination Project gives grant money to grassroots projects that seek to create a more compassionate world.

We received a $1,000 grant to send 34 book bundles to PreK- 3rd grade Title I schools in Washington, D.C.

  • “We have several gender non-conforming students at school, as well as a couple same-sex couple families. I know that to see themselves represented is very powerful.”

    Educator, British Columbia, Canada

  • “This is my fifth year teaching and the first year that I came out to my students. Representation is so important. This year, we read the book Stonewall and then I shared the importance of Pride parades in my life and told my students that I am marrying a woman this summer. The students were so supportive. More books like this will only help with the message of inclusivity.”

    3rd Grade Teacher, Illinois, USA

  • “I was so thrilled to receive a donation from PLP to read with my preschool students. I am so happy to teach children about being inclusive and having LGBT people as part of our culture’s fabric from a young age. In this way, we are not really just teaching, we are exposing them to another normal part of life.”

    Preschool Teacher, Massachusetts, USA

  • "I read many books that were inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community this year with my grade 3 class in a small Bible belt city in British Columbia and wow. The kids were so receptive and accepting and curious! Thank you for adding 2 beautiful books to my collection. It is greatly appreciated!"

    3rd Grade Teacher, British Columbia, Canada

  • “Thank you for helping to bring queer representation to our classrooms. I can only imagine how different the trajectory of my life would have been if I’d had solid, positive representation of my identity in first grade. Now I get to be that and provide that for my students. Thank you for giving me, and so many teachers like me, the opportunity to make sure that our students grow up accepted, celebrated, and proud.”

    1st Grade Teacher, Virginia, USA

  • “Thank you so much! I am the Co-Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at our school, and I'm working with our teachers to build more gender-inclusive classrooms, especially for our youngest students. This is a huge help!”

    K-3 Librarian, Maryland, USA

Through our outreach efforts, we have also partnered with organizations to raise awareness of the importance of LGBTQ representation in schools.

Be a Better Ally

Our founders have been featured on two episodes of the Be a Better Ally podcast (episode #53 and episode #19), hosted by Tricia Friedman. The podcast hosts leading thinkers and educators who inspire listeners to rethink classroom practice, classroom libraries, and policies that make schools welcoming to their entire communities.

The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey

Students belonging to the Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) at the Lawrenceville School hosted a fundraiser for Pride and Less Prejudice during their pride week.

Luanda International School in Angola

Our founders presented virtually to Year 12 students at the Luanda International School’s Second Core Retreat. Our presentation about the work that Pride and Less Prejudice is doing to foster inclusive classrooms was supportive of the school’s service learning curriculum.

Pride and Joy Foundation

One of our founders, Lisa Forman, is a contributor of the best-selling book, “Thriving in Business: Strategies for the LGBTQ+ Entrepreneur.” This book brings together queer business leaders from around the world to share their best strategies for thriving in business.

Shifting Our Schools

We have partnered with Shifting Our Schools to create an episode for their podcast. Take a listen of “Episode 212: Gather a passionate team of people…”

We were also featured in a webinar for educators, discussing the importance of LGBTQ-friendly classrooms.