Michael Willhoite is an artist and writer who is best known for his children's books depicting families with gay parents.
He was raised in part by an aunt, in a household where books were widely read and discussed.
Many of them were collected and published by Alyson Publications in two books: Members of the Tribe (1993) and Willhoite's Hollywood (1994).
It was one of many titles included in a reading list for New York City's "Children of the Rainbow" curriculum, where it was widely attacked.
In 2021 Willhoite published another children’s book, Calvin and the Girls, a story about a shy young dairy farmer, timid around women, and whose cows help him find a wife.