March 5, 2026
Dr. Julia Sinclair-Palm explores how children of queer and trans parents understand and represent family through drawings.
As conversations about family diversity continue across Canada, a research initiative co-led by Dr. Julia Sinclair-Palm, Associate Professor of Teaching and Director of the Faculty of Education’s Robert Quartermain Centre for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI)-Inclusive Excellence in Education, and Dr. Hannah Dyer at Brock University, examines how children of queer and trans parents understand family.
Kids aged six to twelve were asked to respond to the prompt: “Will you draw your family?” The results are expansive, joyful and sometimes surprising.
What sparked this project, and what were you hoping to learn?
Dr. Julia Sinclair-Palm: The project was initially a response to Ontario’s All Families Are Equal Act (2017), which expanded legal recognition of diverse family forms. We were curious how 2SLGBTQIA+ parents and families were navigating those shifts.
We so often hear from adults — policymakers, legal experts and parents — about queer and trans families, yet children’s understandings are almost absent from research and policy discussions. We wanted their perspectives to be part of the conversation.
When children with queer and trans parents draw their families, what stands out?
The children in this project have at least one parent who identifies as queer or trans — but that doesn’t necessarily mean they think about their family in terms of gender or sexuality. Most children don’t explicitly “know” their parents’ sexual orientation in the way adults often assume.
Children typically draw those who matter most to them: siblings, parents and grandparents, but also neighbours, close friends, important adult figures and very often, pets. Some even add imagined figures and explain why they belong. Their drawings push beyond narrow, cis-heteronormative assumptions to reveal something adults can overlook: family is defined not solely by blood or legal status, but by connection, care and significance.
How do dominant ideas of family shape children’s everyday experiences?
Progress has been made thanks to decades of activism. Many educators now recognize that children come from diverse family structures. Teachers may offer alternatives to traditional Mother’s Day or Father’s Day activities, for example. But recognition is not the same as celebration.
Conversations about gender and sexuality in elementary classrooms can still feel uncomfortable or avoided. When children ask practical questions like “How were you made?” adults sometimes gloss over them. And it’s not only queer and trans families who feel this. Many people struggle to become parents in the ways they’d hoped. When we avoid inclusive conversations about family-making, we overlook those inequities and reinforce assumptions about what bodies can or should do.
This avoidance can leave children with queer and trans parents educating their peers, and sometimes their teachers. When we assume everyone is cisgender and heterosexual, we quietly exclude some children and place the burden of correction on them. What’s needed is not just acknowledgment, but normalization.
“What often goes unnamed is the value of having queer or trans family members. Building a family as a queer or trans person rarely happens by accident — it often requires deliberate choices and sustained effort, and that intentionality shows.”
What can educators do to normalize diverse and queer family structures — especially when the work feels risky?
Many educators hesitate to engage in SOGI-inclusive practices out of fear: of backlash, complaints, or policy misinterpretation. That’s why building networks of support matters — sharing resources, finding administrative allies and connecting with others doing this work.
It is especially powerful when cisgender and heterosexual educators step into this space. Change often happens through relationship building; when people know and care about someone connected to the work, understanding grows and perspectives shift.
How can families and caregivers support these conversations at home?
There are excellent resources available. Bear Bergman’s Special Topics in Being a Parent, for example, offers thoughtful reflections on diverse family forms.
Parents can speak openly about how families are formed — including the choices involved in building their own. Talking about diversity in a matter-of-fact way helps disrupt the idea that there is one natural or default model.
It’s also important to encourage children’s curiosity. If a child asks why someone is gay or how a family was formed, adults can respond as they would to any other question: by seeking information, reading together and learning. Many reliable resources exist, so families don’t need to rely on someone to explain their personal situation, which can place an unfair burden on them.
What has surprised you in doing this research?
One of the most striking findings was how differently young people spoke about their families. Some were very clear that they wanted their family to be seen as normal. It mattered to them that we understood their family wasn’t unusual or lacking in any way.
Others embraced their family’s differences with excitement and pride. Some have three or more parents and see that as something special — a source of love, support and strength. They shared stories about friends asking, “What do you mean you have two moms?” and responded with confidence and joy.
What often goes unnamed is the value of having queer or trans family members. Building a family as a queer or trans person rarely happens by accident — it often requires deliberate choices and sustained effort, and that intentionality shows.
People who have spent meaningful time understanding their own identity also tend to bring something particular to parenthood: a lived knowledge of what it means to find yourself, to resist narrow expectations, and to feel free to express who you are. There is real richness in that expansiveness, depth and love that is chosen at every turn.
Across the conversations, what stood out most was how profoundly loved these young people feel. At its heart, the research is about that love — and about recognizing both the normalcy and the unique strengths of diverse families.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Helpful Links
- Resources: Creating Safer Schools for Everyone
- Media: SOGI Is Under Attack. Educators Say It’s Never Been More Needed, The Tyee, 2026
- Video: 2025-26 Global Speaker Series on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Inclusion, Featuring Tiq Milan (with remarks from Dr. Sinclair-Palm)
- Journal Articles:
