Join the Moms Next Door June Dispatch — 5 Ways to Organize, Learn, and Celebrate Pride Month

Happy Pride Month! Welcome to the June Dispatch! Thank you for being a part of our growing, powerful Moms Next Door program!

What’s the Moms Next Door Dispatch? Each month, you’ll receive the Moms Next Door Dispatch — a monthly toolkit that will arrive in your inbox to provide you and your community with ideas on how to self-organize and take action, how to process and make sense of all that’s going on, AND how to remain calm, find joy in community, and recharge as we build a brighter future! Want to receive these Dispatches directly in your inbox? Sign up here!

Here’s the June Menu of 5 ways for you to engage this month, on your own — or with your small group near you:

1. June Organizing Zoom Meetup

Join us on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, from 7:30-8:30 PM ET on Zoom for Moms Next Door Session #6 — Building Bridges with 'Living Room Conversations!' This is Part 2 of our workshop series with Living Room Conversations. Stay on Zoom after the session for a special debrief with Moms Next Door organizers. Sign up here.

Missed Part 1? Come anyways! If you’d like to catch up, watch the recording of Building Bridges with 'Living Room Conversations Part 1 here.

2. Action of the Month: Practice Listening Courageously

Want to take your learning from our last workshop: Building Bridges with 'Living Room Conversations’ (Part 1) a step further? Practice listening courageously using this Living Room Conversations guide!

Moms are natural community builders. But in today's divided world, even simple conversations can feel like minefields. Whether it's a heated PTA meeting, neighborhood tensions, or family discussions that spiral, we need better tools. This simple, structured guide will help you and your group explore some listening tactics to better share, learn, and be curious in the future. Check it out!

3. Fun, Joy & Power

• Your Voice is a Superpower: Apply for the RISERS Parent Leadership Program! Are you a parent or a caregiver who is looking to learn more about advocacy, brush up your leadership skills (brush up, because let’s face it, if you’re a mom you’re probably a leader, even if you don’t think so!), and get involved in fighting for family-friendly policies in your local community and in Washington, DC? The MomsRising RISERS Parent Leadership program application period is now open for the 2026-2027 year! Click here to learn more and get started (OR share this post with a friend who you think would make a great advocate for families!). Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the application period will close August 20th, 11:59 PM PT.
• Happy Pride Month! Here are some expert-backed guides to help you or a friend navigate open, age-appropriate conversations about identity with your kiddos with confidence and care:
  • For Younger Children: Learn how to approach early conversations naturally with Planned Parenthood’s guide on How to Talk with Your Preschooler About Identity.
  • For Growing Kids: Find practical advice and communication tools with the Kids Mental Health Foundation's resource on How to Talk to Kids About Gender Identity.
• Share your story! Gas prices are out of control, health care premiums are skyrocketing, and child care and housing are constantly competing for a share of the paycheck. At kitchen tables across the nation, families are making very difficult budget decisions, and the math isn't mathing! How are increased grocery, health care, child care, gas and other costs impacting you and your family? Tell us about it by filling out the form, and we'll share your experience directly with leaders! Personal experiences are powerful and can make a HUGE difference in helping elected leaders understand why taking action to lower costs is so important. Share your story!
• Add your name! This month — on June 24 — marks the fourth anniversary of the historic Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization Supreme Court decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade. Sign on: Urge your Member of Congress to ensure that pregnant people have the power to make medical decisions about their own bodies!

4. What We’re Reading This Month

For people wanting to start book groups for change or just looking for good books, here’s what’s in our June library: *When you meet up to talk about books, take a picture, post it on social media, and tag @MomsRising to show others that they aren’t alone!

Books to accompany our workshop learnings:

• How to Disagree Better by Julia Minson — A research-backed guide by a Harvard behavioral scientist that reveals how displaying receptiveness to opposing views can reduce personal drama and resolve conflicts.
• I Never Thought of It That Way by Monica Guzman — A practical handbook for breaking through political polarization and building meaningful connections by prioritizing curiosity and storytelling over confrontation.

Fiction pick:

• The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong — A novel about an unlikely intergenerational friendship between a troubled young college dropout and an elderly immigrant widow navigating life on the margins of society.

Combat Book Bans:

Of the 34,743 unique titles banned in the 2024-2025 school year, 39% feature LGBTQ+ characters or people, and 19% feature trans or gender-nonconforming characters or people (PEN America). Combat book bans and read these books that affirm LGBTQ+ identities with your kiddos!

• When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff (Ages 4-8) — A young transgender boy navigates his identity and prepares to welcome a new baby into the family.
• Call Me Gray by Andrew Larsen and Bells Larsen (Ages 4-8) — Inspired by the co-author's own experience, this story centers on the joy and comfort a child feels when their family affirms their transgender identity.
• The Broken Heart by Aaron Chan (Ages 4-8) — A young sister tries to heal her brother's broken heart after his boyfriend breaks up with him.
• From Archie to Zack by Vincent X Kirsch (Ages 4-8) — A whimsical and sweet picture book celebrating friendship, vulnerability, and a young boy's first crush on his best friend.
• So Devin Wore a Skirt by Shireen Lalji (Ages 3-5) — An empowering picture book highlighting family acceptance and the joy of expressing your true identity during a big family birthday celebration.
• A Song for Nolan by Rushie Ellenwood (Ages 3-6) — A nonbinary kid advocates for inclusivity when gender-restricted song selections make them feel left out at a roller rink party.
• Robin’s Worlds by Rainie Oet (Ages 4-8) — A nonbinary child is swept away on a dazzling, magical treehouse adventure on their eighth birthday in a story about friendship and self-love.
• My Maddy by Gayle E Pitman (Ages 4-8) — A heartwarming look at the unique bond between a child and their nonbinary parent.
• Marley’s Pride by Joëlle Retener (Ages 3-9) — A nonbinary child with anxiety works to overcome their fear of crowds and loud noises to support their beloved grandparent at a Pride parade.
• The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish by Lil Miss Hot Mess (Ages 4-8) — A joyful, freewheeling twist on a classic nursery rhyme that celebrates self-expression, performing, and being your most fabulous self.
• See more LGBTQ+ books and more great resources from @maiastorybooklibrary!

*Want to support your local bookstore? Use the Bookshop finder to locate bookstores near you and women, Black, AAPI, LGBTQIA+, Latine, and Indigenous-owned bookstores online.

5. Mutual Support Option

What is mutual aid? Different from charity — where resources usually flow in one direction from donors to recipients — mutual aid is community-driven and reciprocal, built on community-based solidarity. And many parents and caregivers are already doing this (think: your local PTA, community gardens, or even kids’ birthday parties). In creating communities of love, we also want to turn them into communities of support, protection, and action to prepare for what’s ahead. Curious how to get started? Here’s how to create a mutual aid pod in your community!

Mutual Support Activity of the Month:

LGBTQIA+ folks have been practicing mutual aid for generations, building mutual aid networks out of necessity — sharing housing, pooling resources, and providing caregiving when institutions excluded or abandoned them. From lesbian volunteers during the AIDS crisis to ballroom house systems to today's digital fundraising, this tradition of collective survival remains both a defining part of queer history and a model for community resilience.

This Pride Month, find a mutual aid fund supporting Trans people near you! Check out this list of 100 Organizations Supporting Trans People in All 50 States.

Thank you for being here. We are looking forward to strengthening connections and community in refreshing, educational, and joyful ways with you in the coming months!

P.S. Missed the May dispatch and looking for more resources? Check it out on our blog.