No matter who we are or where we come from, we all play on the same playground. There are certain collective societal messages we hear growing up that we either consciously or subconsciously believe. As a result, we develop certain belief systems from which we operate our lives. How to Raise LGBTQ+ Allies sheds light on the deeper, multi-faceted layers of homophobia and transphobia. It opens up a conversation with parents around the possibility they may have an LGBTQ+ child, and shows how heteronormativity can be harmful if not addressed clearly and early. Although not every parent will have an LGBTQ+ child, their child will jump rope or play tag with a child who is LGBTQ+. By showing the importance of having open and authentic conversations with children at a young age, Chris Tompkins guides parents through the many ways they can prevent new generations from adopting homophobic and transphobic beliefs, while helping them explore their own subconscious biases. Offering specific actions parents, family members, and youth-serving professionals can take to help navigate conversations, address heteronormativity, and challenge societal beliefs, How to Raise LGBTQ+ Allies serves as a guide to help normalize being LGBTQ+ from a young age. Creating allies and a world where closets don't exist happens one child at a time. And it begins with each of us and what we say, as much as what we choose not to say. Inspired by a question his 6-year-old nephew asked him, How to Raise LGBTQ+ Allies began as a letter Chris wrote his family to address a conversation he realized they weren't having. That letter became an article first published on HuffPost, a TEDx talk called, “What Children Learn from the Things They Aren’t Told,” and a presentation that led to his working at Los Angeles Central Juvenile Hall for two years to help support LGBTQ incarcerated youth. And now, Chris' letter has become the best-selling parenting book, Raising LGBTQ Allies: A Parent’s Guide to Changing the Messages from the Playground. The purpose of his book is to prevent homophobia, transphobia, and bullying before they begin. With the rise of anti-LGBTQ legislation and book bans popping up across the U.S. and around the world, How to Raise LGBTQ+ Allies the presentation is a timely and relevant resource for parents, family members, and youth-serving professionals today.