We can talk about academic studies of how LGBT people are good parents—but such studies don’t replace personal stories like the one about the preschool son of Gabriel Blau and Dylan Stein, two gay dads in New York. The preschooler wanted to give the money in his piggy bank to those affected by Hurricane Sandy.
His dads set up an Indigogo account in case others wanted to help him—and others did, to the tune of over $4000. As Blau explains in a post at HuffPo, though, the dollar amount is not the point:
Your Papa and I have many hopes and dreams for you. But the one around which all others are built is that you will be an adult that cares for others, rights wrongs, makes the world a better place in whatever ways you can. . . . Your heritage is that of people who have faced great inequity, challenge, and pain. Our Jewish heritage has a lot to say about charity and responsibility for community. And our LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) heritage too has taught us about the need to be aware of the other, to protect, fight for, and support those in need. For our family, especially at a time when our legitimacy as a legal family is so cruelly questioned and challenged, we embrace our heritage and traditions. And you do it with the simple purity of a four year old who knows what’s right.
Teaching our children to care for others. Supporting them in doing so. That’s a model for all parents.
