LGBT Parenting Roundup

Politics and Law

• The Massachusetts legislature held a hearing on an anti-bullying bill that would include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected categories. Sirdeaner Walker of Springfield, Mass., whose 11-year-old son, Carl J. Walker-Hoover, committed suicide in April after being subject to extensive anti-gay taunts, was among those who spoke at the hearing.
• Lawyer Julie Shapiro offers some advice for lesbian couples who have used a sperm donor (known or unknown), but who wish that only the two women are the legal parents. (Via Gay Couples Law Blog. As always, seek the advice of a lawyer who knows your personal circumstances and the laws in your state.)

Personal Stories

• Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, an openly gay 19-year-old, was found murdered by the side of the road in Cayey, Puerto Rico in what seems to be a hate crime. Kate Kendell of the National Center for Lesbian Rights discusses the tragedy, along with the news of 10-year-old Will Phillips, who is refusing to say the Pledge of Allegiance at his school until there is “liberty and justice for all,” including LGBT Americans. With more students like Phillips, Kendell says, maybe there will be no more tragedies like that of Mercado.
• We’re not quite there yet, however. Gay Baltimore teen Jason Mattison Jr. was found last week raped, stabbed, and gagged in the closet of an aunt. The reason behind his death remains unclear. One of his teachers, however, has written a touching portrait of his life.
• HRC is continuing its series of blog posts for National Adoption Month, with entries from LGBT foster/adoptive parents, adults who were adopted by LGBT parents, and child welfare professionals. They are also holding a Web chat today at 3 p.m. ET.
• Amie Klempnauer Miller, a non-bio mom, tells her story of second-parent adoption.
• The Boston Globe’s Child Caring section addresses the letter of a mom with a seemingly gender-variant child. The Globe “experts,” while sympathetic, refer the mom to the work of Dr. Kenneth Zucker, whose approach (not letting children express the gender they wish to express) has been shunned by many in the transgender and allied community. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has even issued an official statement questioning his appointment as chair of the Committee on Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders for the revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). Kim Pearson, head of Trans Youth Family Allies, has left a very diplomatic comment on the Globe article, urging the parents to join the parental chat group at the TYFA site. If you see articles like this in the future, I would likewise recommend leaving a comment referring people to TYFA. They’re good folks.
• On a related note, Father Tony at Bilerico replies very sensibly to a gay dad who is afraid of dressing up too flamboyantly now that he has a son.
• Brett Hartinger at After Elton reviews Fatherhood Dreams, a documentary about three gay families. (I haven’t seen it, myself, but will also mention again the new documentary Preacher’s Sons, which is excellent. I reviewed it here.)

Resources

• If you are an LGBTQ parent or prospective parent in the New York City area, you may want to check out the Family Q workshop series, run by the Institute for Human Identity. I reported on them for 365gay.com.
• The National Youth Advocacy Coalition has released a self-guided, video training module and resource bank for creating safe spaces for LGBTQ youth. They say, “If you are looking for a place to learn how to make your organization or community space more friendly and welcoming to LGBTQ youth, this is one way that we can help.” The Safe Spaces Training Module is a series of six videos that can be accessed at any time.

Science?

• “Gay Uncle” Brett Berk reports on a study that claims that phthalates, chemicals used in a variety of common household products, may cause women to give birth to boys who exhibit “less masculine” play behaviors. Berk sensibly asks, “So what?” (I hasten to add that he’s not really endorsing the use of questionable chemicals on children, just taking aim at stereotyped gender roles. It’s a very funny article, though, so go read.)