Heather Has Two Mommies
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| Author | Lesléa Newman |
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| Publisher | Alyson Books |
| Released | 1989 |
| ISBN | ISBN 1-55583-543-0 |
Heather Has Two Mommies is a children's book written by Lesléa Newman with Diana Souza's illustrations, first published in 1989. It is about a child, Heather, raised by lesbian women: her biological mother, Jane, who gave birth to her after artificial insemination, and her biological mother's same-sex partner, Kate. At Heather's playgroup, her family situation is discussed simply and positively, as are those of other children in non-traditional family units.[1]
Lesléa Newman related:
| “ | The idea for Heather came about one day when I was walking down Main Street in Northampton, Mass., a town known for its liberalism, tolerance of difference, and large lesbian population. On this particular day I ran into a woman who, along with her female partner, had recently welcomed a child into their home. "We have no books to read our daughter that show our type of family," the woman said. "Somebody should write one." | ” |
Because the book provides a positive portrayal of gays to children, it is the frequent target of some American Protestants (especially Christian fundamentalists) and Catholics. The American Library Association ranked it the 11th most frequently banned book in the United States in the 1990s; a similar phenomenon can be seen in the Sugar Time! episode of the American television series Postcards from Buster. In the 1980s, comparable political controversy erupted in the UK over the book Jenny lives with Eric and Martin.
The book and the controversy over it was recently parodied in the Dav Pilkey book Captain Underpants and the Preposterous Plight of the Purple Potty People. In it, the parallel-universe Miss Singerbrains (the school librarian) invites the two main characters, George and Harold, to read the banned book Mommy Has Two Heathers.
The book was also mentioned in a routine by American stand-up comedian, Bill Hicks.
