Happy holidays to all my subjects

BY CHRISTOPHER KATIS

One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing houses decked out for Christmas before Thanksgiving. It’s starting to happen earlier every year. The season really doesn’t start on November 1st, people. That’s All- Saints Day. Rather than decorate your tree now, why not get your shopping done so you can actually enjoy the holiday? Who’s Your Daddy has some great ideas to help get you started.

Stocking Stuffers

How about spending a quiet night curled up by the fire and doing some crossstitch? David Hasting has fun patterns in “Cross-Stitch Like a Queen: 25 Fun and Fabulous Patterns Celebrating Drag and the LGBTQIA+ Community.” Or maybe there’s a refrigerator that needs a magnet with an astronaut declaring “I Love My Mommies” or a “Dad²” from Café Press. They also have coffee cups like the “I HEART My Grandmas” or “I Love My Dapper Dads,” and a wide selection of wall hangings, bumper stickers, hats, tote bags, and even clocks – all specifically for LGBTQ+ families!

Clothing

Speaking of Café Press, they offer a nice selection of clothing items for parents and kids alike. Every baby would dig a bib announcing “You Think You’re Spoiled? I Have Two Dads.” or “My Mommies

Rock.” There are fun shirts declaring “My Moms Are Da Bomb” and “I Love My Daddies Beary Much.” Any father would be styling in an American Family tee-shirt featuring two dads. Just like any mother would make a statement in the “I’m Mom, She’s Mama” tee. Redbubble also has some cute items for adults and kids alike. Little Gus and Penny Buttigieg would look adorable in onesies emblazoned with “Let’s Get One Thing Straight, My Dads Aren’t.” And Secretary Pete and Chasten would rock tees announcing, “Who’s the Daddy? We Both Are!”

Books

I’ve always loved giving and receiving books. For the adults, a great new choice is “Queer As All Get Out: 10 People Who’ve Inspired Me” by Shelby Criswell. It touches on the author’s struggles for acceptance and the historical LGBTQ+ people who served as inspirations.

“Schoolbooks & Sorcery,” edited by Michael Jones, is an enchanting collection of young adult tales of LGBTQ+ protagonists juggling school and magic. And Carly Heath’s debut YA novel, “The Reckless Kind,” tells a historical tale of three queer friends in 1904 Norway determined to live their lives on their terms. For little kids, “They’re So Flamboyant” by Michael Genhart tells the story of some very pink, very proud flamingoes who move into a drab neighborhood and make it fabulous! While “Sharice’s Big Voice: A Native Kid Becomes a Congresswoman” by Sharice Davids and Nancy Mays tells the story of the first Native American elected to Congress who’s also the first LGBTQ Congressperson from Kansas.

For those folks celebrating Hanukkah, PJ Library has several nice selections including “Havdalah Sky” by Chris Barash about a little girl marking the end of Shabbat with her two moms and grandparents. In “The Purim Superhero” by Elizabeth Kushner, all of Nate’s friends are going as superheroes for Purim, but he wants to go as an alien. His dads help him find the perfect solution.

You should be able to get most of these titles at The King’s English Bookshop — if it’s not on the shelves, they’re happy to order it for you if they can.

My dislike of Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving is no secret. Whenever I express my opinion about the topic on social media, my cousin Craig calls me the King of Everything. I like that title. Now if my loyal subjects would just obey my edicts and wait until after Thanksgiving to deck the halls!

Happy Holidays to all my subjects!