No matter how old you are, there is nothing quite like a good YouTube channel that is both educational and entertaining. That's why the Queer Kid Stuff YouTube channel is such a huge hit with LGBTQ youth — and just about anybody who watches it, no matter how old or young they are. While kid's shows can sometimes feel mind-numbing or even annoying, there is something to be said for good quality, smart and funny kid's entertainment. And when you add in an angle of diversity and promote inclusivity, even better. As Queer Kid Stuff creator Lindsay Amer explains to Bustle, "LGBTQ+ content for this age group is incredibly sparse, whether its focus is education or representation. I really just want to reach as many kids as possible from ages 3 to 7, which is a pretty large target. I hope I can give kids who are currently or who grow up to be queer a positive reflection of themselves. And I hope I can give others the ability to become excellent allies."
For Amer, the 25-year-old queer woman who runs Queer Kid Stuff, the project is all about filling a major void in entertainment and outreach for queer kids. Amer's channel targets young children who are curious about sexuality and gender identity, but who may be unsure of how to talk to parents or other trusted people about their questions and feelings. She writes all of the content for the show, getting feedback for each one from a focus group of friends, family, educators, and other queer people before episodes go live. She posts new videos every Wednesday, and her stuff is seriously good.
Interestingly, Amer actually attempted to reach queer youth through other mediums before turning to YouTube. As she explain to Bustle, "When I went to undergrad at Northwestern for theater, I discovered a passion for making art for young children. And from there I started unearthing a handful of plays for kids that depicted LGBTQ+ characters and topics." She continues, "But as I started directing and creating the work myself, I came up against a lot of red tape. The first play I directed which featured a young queer character got cancelled on a local school tour because a teacher complained about 'inappropriate material' and the administration got spooked."
Still, Amer didn't let initial trepidation from others slow her down. "Growing up as a queer person, I didn't have a particularly easy time coming out. It took me most of my adolescent life to be truly comfortable with my identity despite the fact that I come from an accepting family and grew up in an incredibly diverse city," she says to Bustle. "As I've gotten older and more secure, I've been able to mostly chalk it up to a lack of LGBTQ+ education and representation in the media I consumed." For this reason, Amer continued exploring avenues to share her content for queer kids.
"There is an enormous gap in education and representation in our media (honestly in both children's and adult's media) and I believe that is detrimental to the well-being of young people," she explains. "When you have all of these ... movies and fairytales about the prince getting the princess and a happily ever after, then that's the only narrative and model for understanding romance, love, attraction, and partnership. Exposing children to LGBTQ+ content early saves them from one giant mental health headache later."
As of right now, Amer's main goal is to spread her channel so it reaches more kids, parents, and educators. She's currently writing the script for Season 2 and is excited to talk about intersectional issues within the queer community. Amer is also working on how to make queer sex ed videos that are appropriate for the age group.
There's a lot to learn here for adults, too, from terminology you might not be familiar with to how to be an ally to the LGBTQ community. If you're interested in supporting Amer's awesome project, be sure to subscribe to the Queer Kid Stuff YouTube channel, recommend it to people you know, and considering donating to her Patreon so she can continue to create important and diverse content for queer youth.
Image: QueerKidStuff/YouTube
