I have great memories of Highlights magazine from my childhood. So when a form came home with my son from school, I was thrilled to get it for him. However, it turns out not much has changed since the 80s—not even their understanding of what constitutes a family.
It’s now 2016, and same-sex marriage is legal across the entire country. Same-sex couples can adopt children in all states. So, when I saw Highlights’ response to a customer asking for LGBTQ family representation, I was nearly floored.
The backlash was immediate and warranted. Highlights quickly realized that suggesting a gay couple needed to figure out how to include their children in their audience was utterly ridiculous. They scrambled to make amends.
They issued a statement on their website: “Recently, we’ve received numerous comments regarding the representation of LGBTQ families in our magazines. Our initial response didn’t reflect our values or intentions, and we sincerely apologize. We assure you we are listening to your feedback.”
That’s a decent starting point.
“Our mission remains unchanged: to help children become curious, creative, confident, and caring. However, we recognize the need to evolve. Some may feel we’re not moving fast enough.” Yes, you’re right—it’s about time.
“We firmly believe all families matter. Love is the key ingredient in every family. This dialogue has helped us understand that we can better reflect the diversity of families in our publications, and we are committed to doing so in future issues.”
Thank you, Highlights. This is how you respond to a lack of inclusivity—by listening and adapting. Their initial reply was laughably tone-deaf. Essentially, they implied, “We know some of our audience may oppose gay marriage, and we don’t want to lose their money.” Okay, maybe that’s a bit of a paraphrase. They claimed they would consider inclusion in ways that are developmentally appropriate for their broad audience.
One mother summed it up perfectly on Highlights’ Facebook page: “I’m sorry to say that we’re used to not seeing families like ours in media, so your omission of LGBTQ families didn’t stand out. But now that I see you’re hesitating because some families don’t want to see ours, I feel dirty sending you money. You have a choice to make, and I hope you choose wisely.”
This is a great chance for you to educate parents on how to discuss diverse family structures with their kids. It’s quite simple. If a child sees a story about a girl with two moms and asks about it, the parent can respond, “That’s right, some families have two moms.” If the child wonders why two women are depicted as partners, the answer is straightforward: “They love each other.” If the parent is married, adding, “… like me and Daddy” works too. Kids are quick to understand unless they’re taught that families unlike theirs are “weird” or “wrong.”
Now, I face a tougher decision: I have to share Highlights’ response with my daughter and see if she wants to continue her subscription. Ultimately, it will be her call. But I dread the thought of explaining that she might have to choose between a magazine she loves and supporting inequality.
Let’s be real, Highlights—if people boycott your brand because they’re bigots, that’s a cross you have to bear for the sake of the many inclusive folks out there. You can’t have it both ways; either you lose my support or theirs. We’ll all be watching closely to see if you genuinely commit to inclusion. Because even if it’s just a thirty-dollar subscription, I won’t support a magazine that chooses not to represent countless families I cherish.
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Summary
Highlights magazine has faced criticism for its lack of representation of LGBTQ families. After backlash, they issued an apology and committed to better reflecting diverse family structures in their publications. The situation prompts a discussion on the importance of inclusivity in children’s media.