Skip to content

Republish This Story

* Please read before republishing *

We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives Creative Commons license as long as you follow our republishing guidelines, which require that you credit The 19th and retain our pixel. See our full guidelines for more information.

To republish, simply copy the HTML at right, which includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to The 19th. Have questions? Please email [email protected].

— The Editors

Loading...

Modal Gallery

/

Menu

  • Our Mission
  • Our Team
  • Latest Stories
  • Upcoming Events
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletter
  • Donate
  • Work With Us
  • Fellowships
    • From the Collection

      Changing Child Care

      Illustration of a woman feeding a baby a bottle
      • As climate change worsens hurricane season in Louisiana, doulas are ensuring parents can safely feed their babies

        Jessica Kutz · May 5
      • Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito argued abortion isn’t an economic issue. But is that true?

        Chabeli Carrazana · May 4
      • Pregnant people are at 'greater risk' in states hit hard by wildfire smoke, air pollution, new report shows

        Jessica Kutz · April 20
    • From the Collection

      Next-Gen GOP

      Illustration of a woman riding an elephant
      • Mayra Flores’ victory set a record for women in Congress. It also reflects the growing visibility of Republican Latinas

        Candice Norwood · June 21
      • A banner year for Republican women

        Amanda Becker · November 11
      • Republican women could double representation in the U.S. House

        Amanda Becker · November 4
    • From the Collection

      On The Rise

      Illustration of three women marching
      • Biden’s new environmental justice office aims to tackle the health impacts disproportionately faced by people of color

        Jessica Kutz · June 2
      • Jessica Cisneros takes on the last anti-abortion U.S. House Democrat

        Amanda Becker · February 25
      • Meet J. Michelle Childs, South Carolina judge and possible Supreme Court contender

        Candice Norwood · February 18
    • From the Collection

      Pandemic Within a Pandemic

      Illustration of four people marching for Black Lives Matter with coronavirus as the backdrop
      • Some LGBTQ+ people worry that the COVID-19 vaccine will affect HIV medication. It won’t.

        Orion Rummler · November 23
      • Why are more men dying from COVID? It’s a complicated story of nature vs. nurture, researchers say

        Mariel Padilla · September 22
      • Few incarcerated women were released during COVID. The ones who remain have struggled.

        Candice Norwood · August 17
    • From the Collection

      Portraits of a Pandemic

      Illustration of a woman wearing a mask and holding up the coronavirus
      • For family caregivers, COVID is a mental health crisis in the making

        Shefali Luthra · October 8
      • A new database tracks COVID-19’s effects on sex and gender

        Shefali Luthra · September 15
      • Pregnant in a pandemic: The 'perfect storm for a crisis'

        Shefali Luthra · August 25
    • From the Collection

      The 19th Explains

      People walking from many articles to one article where they can get the context they need on an issue.
      • The 19th Explains: How pregnant people can prepare for a summer of heat waves

        Jessica Kutz · June 17
      • The 19th Explains: How new Title IX guidelines on sexual misconduct may give more help to survivors

        Nadra Nittle · June 14
      • The 19th Explains: How would overturning Roe v. Wade affect IVF?

        Jennifer Gerson · May 27
    • From the Collection

      The Electability Myth

      Illustration of three women speaking at podiums
      • Mayra Flores’ victory set a record for women in Congress. It also reflects the growing visibility of Republican Latinas

        Candice Norwood · June 21
      • Stepping in after tragedy: How political wives became widow lawmakers

        Mariel Padilla · May 24
      • Do term limits help women candidates? New York could be a new testing ground

        Barbara Rodriguez · January 11
    • From the Collection

      The Impact of Aging

      A number of older people walking down a path of information.
      • 'I'm planning on working until the day I die': Older women voters are worried about the future

        Mariel Padilla · June 3
      • Climate change is forcing care workers to act as first responders

        Jessica Kutz · May 31
      • Woman alleges that an assisted living facility denied her admission because she is transgender

        Sara Luterman · November 8
    • From the Collection

      Voting Rights

      A series of hands reaching for ballots.
      • Florida’s redistricting fight continues. The head of the state League of Women Voters talks about what’s at stake.

        Barbara Rodriguez · April 19
      • Women have been sounding the alarm ahead of Texas’ first-in-the-nation primary

        Barbara Rodriguez · February 28
      • LGBTQ+ people of color are at risk from rising voter restrictions as federal protections falter in the Senate, advocates say

        Orion Rummler · January 19

    View all collections

  • Explore by Topic

    • Abortion
    • Business & Economy
    • Caregiving
    • Coronavirus
    • Education
    • Election 2020
    • Elections 2022
    • Environment & Climate
    • Health
    • Immigration
    • Inside The 19th
    • Justice
    • LGBTQ+
    • Politics
    • Race
    • Sports
    • Technology

    View All Topics

Home
  • Our Mission
  • Our Team
  • Latest Stories
  • Upcoming Events
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletter
  • Donate
  • Work With Us
  • Fellowships

We’re an independent, nonprofit newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy. Read our story.

Support The 19th

As a nonprofit newsroom, members are critical to our sustainability. Your financial support helps make our journalism possible.

Become a member

Donate to support our mission

The 19th thanks our sponsors. Become one.

An image of Rep. Sharice David's Children's Book
(Photo composite Clarice Bajkowski/Cover courtesy of HarperCollins)

LGBTQ+

Rep. Sharice Davids new children’s book aims to reflect Native, LGBTQ+ kids

"Sharice’s Big Voice" is a joyful exploration of Davids’ experience growing up Native in Kansas and a love letter to the single mother who raised her.

Kate Sosin

LGBTQ+ reporter

Kate Sosin portrait

Published

2021-06-02 11:07
11:07
June 2, 2021
am

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email

Rep. Sharice Davids didn’t intend to release a Pride Month book: The fact that “Sharice’s Big Voice: A Native Kid Becomes a Congresswoman,” her first children’s book, came out on June 1 was a “happy coincidence,” she said. And yet, at a moment when anti-LGBTQ+ bills — most targeting kids — are speeding through state legislatures, the Kansas representative’s timing seems spot on.

“Sharice’s Big Voice” is a joyful exploration of Davids’ experience growing up Native in Kansas and a love letter to the single mother who raised her. Readers follow Davids as she learns that her unremitting desire to be heard had a purpose (beyond getting her kicked out of her elementary school classroom). The fact that Davids, the first out LGBTQ+ member of Congress from Kansas, is a lesbian is not discussed in depth — mostly because for Davids, coming out was unremarkable. 

The 19th caught up with Davids to talk about why she wanted to write a children’s book, what she hopes young people take from hers, and the anti-trans legislation rattling queer communities across the nation.

The 19th thanks our sponsors. Become one.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The 19th: Why was this a project you wanted to do? 

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids: I had the idea about writing a kids’ book, and then I found out that there were so few books with any kind of Native representation — I think it’s like 1 percent of kids’ books have any kind of Native representation. Staggering is the only way I can think to describe it. I was thinking that when you’re a kid … I think a lot of us feel invisible or small not seeing that sort of thing. And I feel like this book can in some ways help people see that their journey might be unique, but it’s really important.

Did you feel like you had books growing up that reflected who you were?

I don’t have one of those experiences that is like, ‘Oh, I read this book, and I just really connected with it,’ or ‘I was really inspired by this book’ or anything like that. It wasn’t until I was thinking about just how low the numbers are of books that are reflective of what our society is actually like that it made sense: I didn’t feel that because there wasn’t really anything that probably spoke to me in that way. 

What was the creative process like for you?

It was strange, because since it’s a children’s book, literally every single word is super important because it’s not super long. When trying to decide which stories to share … I guess I haven’t had to think about fitting that into how I talk to people about my experience, because so often, as adults, we were talking about the business of the day or something. 

The cover of "Sharice's Big Voice."

I hope that when children and parents are seeing this book, what they’re seeing are all these experiences that we’re having that are part of this journey that twists and turns and has obstacles and sometimes really awesome parts, but that the entire path or journey is really important. That can really shape how we see the world and also what we see as success, because we’re the ones that get to decide what success means.

That’s interesting that you talk about what you see as success, because you are someone that most people would consider successful as a congresswoman. But it seems like what you’re saying is that there’s a different lesson here about what success is. What would you say that success is for young people?

I think it’s kind of funny that the name of the book is  ‘Sharice’s Big Voice: A Native Kid Becomes a Congresswoman.’ I think folks might look at that title and think this will inspire kids to run for Congress, but this is more a book about embracing your own unique path, and I hope that when people read the book what they see is that the message is that you get to decide what success means for you and not anybody else. 

This book is a reflection for a lot of queer young people of color, especially at a time when a lot of state legislatures are pushing a lot of anti-trans bills. And I’m wondering where you’re sitting with what’s happening in the country and what you hope the book might do for those kids.

It’s, of course, really concerning to see the anti-LGBT bills that have seen coming out across the country. It’s heartbreaking because I know that especially our LGBTQ+ youth often hear messages that are not affirming or validating of their experience. One of the things that I hope that people can get from this book, or books like this, is that you are important, your voice deserves to be heard. 

You write a lot about being Native and being asked uncomfortable questions as a kid. You write less about being a lesbian. Was that a conscious decision? 

Well, it was definitely a conscious decision to make sure that that aspect of my experience, or who I am, is included because it’s an important part of my lived experience. 

I feel very fortunate: My mom was an amazing mom. I feel like half the book is actually about her. I didn’t have a coming out story to share in that way, mostly because it was never a question in my home or with my family that I didn’t come out to my mom or my family. I had a girlfriend in high school. I also feel like it’s important to acknowledge that’s not the experience that so many other people have, which is why I say I feel really fortunate.

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email

Support The 19th

As a nonprofit newsroom, members are critical to our sustainability. Your financial support helps make our journalism possible.

Become a member

Donate to support our mission

Up Next

A headshot of Severiano Christian.

LGBTQ+

Meet Seve Christian, who helped put California at the forefront of LGBTQ+ legislation

At just 25, Christian is helping Sen. Scott Wiener craft some of the most progressive LGBTQ+ legislation in the country. 

Read the Story

The 19th
The 19th is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Our stories are free to republish in accordance with these guidelines.

  • Donate
  • Subscribe to the Newsletter
  • Attend an Event
  • Jobs
  • Fellowships
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Community Guidelines
  • Membership
  • Membership FAQ
  • Major Gifts
  • Sponsorship
  • Privacy
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram