Meet Alessandra Requena, author of The Boy Who Cried Poop!

What does LGBTQ+ Pride mean to you?
Feeling good about yourself and who you are, and sharing that with others who maybe don't feel that way yet. 

What’s your favorite queer space?
Bookstagram, the bookstagram community is shockingly queer and so supportive of one another. It's a life saver for a lot of people who's real world community is much less welcoming.

Who in the queer community inspires you right now? 
My best friend, creator, educator, writer, and raging lesbian Corrie Locke-Hardy @thetinyactivists who reminds me everyday that it's better to be yourself and live your life the way you want-and have to argue about it, than blend in just to make other people comfortable. 

What do you hope readers will get from your book?
My book isn't about being queer, I mean there's a giant statue of a lesbian plopped right in the middle of it, because everything I do is going to be incidentally pretty gay. But this story, like most of my everyday life, isn't about being queer. It's just a funny story that kids will relate to. Our identities are always there, like the statue in the background, that doesn't change or go away, but it doesn't always have to be the focus of every story we tell, we contain multitudes.

What’s your favorite thing about being an author/creative?
Getting to write the ending. 

Alessandra Requena is a writer and content creator based in Toronto, Canada. You can find her on your favourite social-media platform talking about books @readwithriver or cooking up a storm with her grandmother @nonna.elda.cooks. She is also one of the hosts on the Picture Bookstagang podcast, dedicated to that discussing all things to do with picture books!

Read about more Authors With PRIDE here!