Grammy-winning artist Scott Hoying and his husband, Mark, are ushering in the holiday season with Fa La La Family, their joyful new children’s book celebrating love, and the many beautiful ways families come to be. Fresh off his run on Dancing with the Stars following this week’s elimination, Hoying is embracing his next big role, preparing to become a dad alongside his longtime partner, Mark.
The GLAAD Ambassadors joined GLAAD’s Communications Associate Yolanda Lenge to talk about the inspiration behind their new release, the importance of visibility, and the impact they hope their book will have on readers of all ages.
“We wanted to spread the message that family can look any type of way,” Hoying shared. “It doesn’t have to be the conventional family. It could be a mom and you, a dad or two, a furry friend, family is just community, your chosen family. Family is love.”
The book’s charming illustrations, created by artist Steph Lew, were inspired by real-life moments and family photos. “There’s a spread in the book of my childhood home,” Mark said. “You can see my couches, the paintings, and even the Filipino dishes we’d have at Christmas. It brings me right back to that warm, fuzzy feeling of the holidays.”
Adding to the festive spirit, Fa La La Family is also a track on the Hoying’s holiday album M.Y. F.A.M.I.L.Y., complete with a heartwarming sing-along music video that brings the story to life. “Writing a children’s book is a lot like writing a pop song,” Hoying laughed. “It rhymes, it’s simple, and it comes from the heart.”
Beyond its festive glow, Fa La La Family carries a powerful message of inclusion and representation. “It’s so sad what’s going on with the banning of books and the hateful acts towards queer people,” Hoying said. “We feel helpless at times, and this is our way of spreading light and showing kids their story deserves to be told.”
Mark added, “Growing up, we didn’t have books that represented us. Every story was about a prince and a princess. We want kids with queer parents or queer kids themselves to see that their families belong in these stories too.”
Their message resonates with GLAAD’s Book Bans: A Guide for Community Response and Action, which notes:
“Book bans threaten to silence already marginalized voices. Book ban campaigns foster unsafe environments for vulnerable youth, who see their stories and themselves falsely described and stigmatized. This diminishes a view of a future where all youth can be themselves and be accepted.”
Still, the Hoying’s remain hopeful. “Lawmakers can try to stop these stories,” Mark said, “but that’s never going to happen. Kids and families will find them and they’ll keep being celebrated.”
Fa La La Family is available now, wherever books are sold.
