“...this is Santa, and this is Santa's husband.”

December 17, 2017 8:15 PM

How a Tweet About a Gay, Black Santa Turned Into a Children's Book [Motherboard] Less than a year after they were first posted, the tweets you see above are now a children’s book. What started as a joke became an idea, then a collaboration, then some concept art, and ultimately a book deal—all contained on that Twitter thread. The plot of Santa’s Husband [Amazon] seems like it’s reverse-engineered from a homophobic racist’s nightmare. The story itself is the very innocent and sweet (and true, according to the book) tale of Santa and his husband and their life together, complimented by detailed and playful watercolor illustrations.

• This Author Is Under Attack for Making Santa Black and Gay [Vice]

“ We see it as an all ages book; in stores it will be in the humor section. But our goal was to write something that any kind of family could theoretically enjoy at Christmas time, on any level. Maybe you're a childless couple who has these politics and thinks the book is charming and funny; maybe you're a new parent who wants to introduce a different kind of holiday tradition into your home, or just reinforce the idea that traditions like these are malleable, living things that every family interprets differently. Our politics are obvious from the title—you know exactly what you're getting into. But we thought of them more as little side jokes, not like a hit-you-over-the-head message. Also, in a world where Santa is in an interracial gay couple, those people might see the world the way that Quach and I see it, and we wanted to have jokes that reflected our philosophies.”

• 'Santa's Husband' Is War-on-Christmas Trolling at Its Finest [Esquire]

“But I'm learning a lot this week. The thing that was really funny to me was that they ran the story about us, and they were talking about us filling Christmas with toxic trash. But they ran it with the cutest picture that I've drawn, of Santa up on one toe, holding a mistletoe over his husband's head. And it's adorable. I'm like, do you know what you're doing? Or is it a white flag, is someone in the editorial department trapped, and we've got to get them out? Santa and his husband are so supportive of each other. And I had so much fun drawing that, and the more I drew the relationship, the more they became real people. They sort of developed little lives of their own. So it was never really with consideration for the people that wouldn't like it would think of it. But I've certainly enjoyed, as the book has come out, seeing the pictures of the people that this book was for: the gay families that have children, where they get to have this Christmas book that's for them. We got this great picture from adult gay men who were having their own story circle. And it just warmed my heart so much. We knew we were going to be poking the—is it a sleeping tiger?”

posted by Fizz (19 comments total)

Is there a Samuel R. Delany tag?
posted by Conrad-Casserole at 8:20 PM on December 17, 2017 [16 favorites]

These people are soldiers, and they defend us, and I love them.
posted by mwhybark at 8:51 PM on December 17, 2017 [6 favorites]

I bought a copy of this as a white elephant gift for the (mostly Mormon) Christmas party we go to every year. I’m sure it’s going to be a hit!
posted by AaronRaphael at 11:26 PM on December 17, 2017 [11 favorites]

I LOVE this. Thanks so much for posting!
posted by Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer at 4:24 AM on December 18, 2017

Now brainstorming a female Santa book. Wondering, legally, how much I can make her look like HRC...
posted by Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer at 4:50 AM on December 18, 2017 [3 favorites]

Yeah, Instant one-click order to my Kindle. Best 11 bucks I spent all month.
posted by mikelieman at 4:59 AM on December 18, 2017

oh my god is there merchandise tho
i really really need a ceramic serving platter with this image because it would be the most adorable holiday cookie tray of literally all time
posted by halation at 6:03 AM on December 18, 2017 [5 favorites]

Fresh Off the Boat riffed on this, and mom Jessica told her youngest son Santa is Chinese and a woman - it was pretty hilarious the way she explained it.
posted by itsamermaid at 7:58 AM on December 18, 2017 [1 favorite]

Now brainstorming a female Santa book.

Can she please be a single cat lady??
posted by Emmy Rae at 8:15 AM on December 18, 2017 [1 favorite]

I would love to see a book that is like, Santa possibilities.

"One kid: Well, I think Santa is So-and-So [picture of a smiling middle aged lady knitting]. She is always knitting "for a friend" and likes to sit by the fire telling her cats about her next project. What people think is Santa's beard is actually her fluffy white crocheted scarf.

Another kid: No, Santa is my uncle So-and-So! [picture of younger man sitting on the porch playing harmonica] He always knows just what to get me for Christmas and when he laughs he says "oh ho ho"."
posted by Emmy Rae at 8:53 AM on December 18, 2017 [12 favorites]

This looks amazing. I ordered a copy before I finished reading the first article.
posted by maurice at 9:24 AM on December 18, 2017 [1 favorite]

Because these people made a lovely piece of art that does good things and stands on its merits regardless of their own age/sex/ethnicity/gender/orientation?
posted by BlueBlueElectricBlue at 1:20 PM on December 18, 2017 [11 favorites]

...it's a children's book about santa claus and a loving relationship. what would 'bona fides' even look like here.
posted by halation at 2:50 PM on December 18, 2017 [5 favorites]

what would 'bona fides' even look like here.

The Bishop of Asia Minor would be the only one allowed to write about Santa Claus?
posted by dannyboybell at 3:01 PM on December 18, 2017 [6 favorites]

TFA may clear that up but I stopped reading after his lack of bona fides became clear.

Metafilter: Only homosexual mythical holiday figures engaged in a biracial monagmous relationship need apply. Authorship a plus.

Because, you know, its a crowded market and children's illustrated holiday books are full of nuance. START THEM WITH FULL VIRTUOSITY SHEEPLE.
posted by Ogre Lawless at 7:09 PM on December 18, 2017 [3 favorites]

The author is a white dude married to a woman so I'm really not understanding why this is getting so much love.

…because it's a sweet story with delightful illustrations that send a positive message?

Seriously, this kind of credential-checking is not helpful.
posted by Lexica at 7:24 PM on December 18, 2017 [4 favorites]

This is funny and sweet and the illustrations are delightful.
posted by Harald74 at 1:44 AM on December 19, 2017 [2 favorites]

This looks amazing & am getting it for baby moon.
posted by n. moon at 9:16 AM on December 19, 2017

I've told about ten people about this so far. I can't believe it hasn't gotten even more well known. It clearly hasn't gotten the attention it deserves yet.
posted by salvia at 3:21 PM on December 24, 2017