I received an e-mail today from the the Mothers Ought to Have Equal Rights (MOTHERS) coalition. They are looking for parents in the D.C. area to testify for a Senate committee next week “on how FMLA [the Family and Medical Leave Act] has helped them or why they were unable to take FMLA.”
I thought some of you out there might be interested in participating, especially since non-biological parents are often unable to take leave under FMLA. (They can if they adopt, but adoption is not always an option and not always timed to best suit the family.) Regardless, I think it is important that LGBT parents be a voice for general parenting rights as well as LGBT-specific ones. (The same goes for non-LGBT parents-rights advocates, as I’ve said in a previous post. We have many common goals.) Below is the MOTHERS letter in full. If you do contact them to testify and would be willing to share your experience with others here, please leave a comment.
Dear MOTHERS Supporter,
The U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee is conducting a hearing on the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) on Wednesday, February 13th at 3 PM.
They have asked for assistance in finding parents in the D.C. area who are available to testify on how FMLA has helped them or why they were unable to take FMLA.
If you, or someone you know, would like to testify at the hearing, please contact us and we will connect you with the appropriate parties.
I am so bummed this opportunity has come and gone. My partner found out today she has been denied leave to care for our son when I go back to work in 5 weeks. I feel so marginalized and wish I had a platform from which to speak out. We are left saying “Now what?”