Parents of trans kids ‘delighted’ to have Christine and the Queens reading CBeebies bedtime story
Christine and the Queens, also known as Redcar, has already drawn positive comments from parents on Twitter for his upcoming Bedtime Stories role. (Credit: BBC)
Christine and the Queens, also known as Redcar, will read a bedtime story to kids across the country via CBeebies on New Year’s Day.
CBeebies’ Bedtime Stories airs every evening on the channel, with each day bringing a different celebrity with a book to read.
But on New Year’s Day 2023, Christine and the Queens, who is genderqueer and uses he/him pronouns, will become the first trans-CBeebies celebrity to read to kids.
The French superstar will sit suspended in a crescent moon at the Royal Festival Hall as he reads The Moon Keeper, written and illustrated by Zosienka, to children across the country.
The book tells the story of a polar bear who has a new job as keeper of the moon and focuses on themes of friendship, and impermanence being OK, just like the phases of the moon.
Sharing the news on Twitter, he said: “BABIES NIGHT! I’m here for it.”
Parents of trans children were also thrilled with the news, highlighting the importance of representation for all kids.
One mother of a trans child told PinkNews: “At a time when LGBT people are being attacked for reading to children in libraries, and with LGBT-inclusive books being criticised and taken out of libraries, it’s more important than ever for children to see LGBT representation.
“More and more children have queer and gender-diverse people in their families and everyday lives, so seeing that represented in the TV programmes they watch and in the books they read is important.”
Another parent, the father of a trans kid, added: “I’m delighted to learn that Redcar (Christine and the Queens) will be reading the bedtime story on New Year’s Day.
“The Moon Keeper by Zosienka is a beautiful story I’ve enjoyed reading with my kids, about a curious polar bear learning about the changes of the moon. Also lovely that Redcar is the reader, he’s had a massive impact on 21st-century pop music and is a French cultural superstar.
“CBeebies have long been at the lead for positive representation including for LGBT people – Will Young reading a story about a kid with two dads a couple of years ago for LGBT history month and Liz Carr, another huge trans ally, is a regular reader.
“I hope Redcar’s reading is a success and he’s only the first of many trans superstars. Our kids hugely benefit from the positive representation.”
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