A new children’s book, coming out for Christmas this year, will depict Santa Claus as a gay black man in an interracial relationship.
Harper Design, a member of the HarperCollins publishing group, confirmed the book — titled “Santa’s Husband” — to Time earlier this week. The book goes on sale Oct. 10 and will tell the story of a black Santa and his white husband, both of whom live in the North Pole.
Here's a higher res of @alperryman's original concept art. Really excited to be working with her and everyone at @harperdesignbks. pic.twitter.com/JTeqAUP8EG
— Daniel "Kibblesmith" (@kibblesmith) March 28, 2017
Santa’s husband, according to the description of the book, frequently fills in for Old St. Nick at shopping malls.
The picture book was penned by Daniel Kibblesmith, a staff writer for CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and the co-auther of the book “How to Win at Everything.” The inspiration for the book came from a tweet he sent out in December.
Over the holidays, Kibblesmith posted to Twitter that he would tell his future children that Santa was black. If his kids see a white Santa, which is very likely to happen, the writer said he’ll simply tell them, “That’s his husband.”
Me & @JenAshleyWright have decided our future child will only know about Black Santa. If they see a white one we'll say "That's his husband"
— Daniel "Kibblesmith" (@kibblesmith) December 3, 2016
Harper Design said the book is intended for people of all ages.
Denny Burk, a professor of biblical studies at Boyce College, the undergraduate school of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, concluded that no area is “off-limits” in today’s increasingly secular society.
“I guess we already knew that no area would be off-limits in the cultural revolution before us, but this one is still quite sad,” he wrote.
Others chimed in on social media, too.
@people This is so unnecessary. Sometimes you can go where is just unnecessary. We get it.
— Christine Williams (@s25701122) March 30, 2017
https://twitter.com/funnyman69420/status/847376080730169348
@people Why? Seriously why? There is absolutly no need for this, none. Why do people have to alter traditional images? Why?
— Joseph Greenlay (@PfenTwo) March 30, 2017
near my name?