Republican legislators in Ohio want to designate the time between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day as “Natural Family Month,” an attempt to exclude LGBTQ and other families that don’t fit a one-mom, one-dad structure. For 20 years, however, LGBTQ Families Day has sat between the two holidays with a message of inclusion, not exclusion.
When I created LGBTQ Families Day back in 2006, I specifically chose the first weekday of June not only because it was the start of Pride Month, but because it sat almost evenly between the two major parenting holidays, honoring both, but also recognizing that not all families fit neatly into those two boxes.
The Ohio bill, currently sitting in a House committee, does not itself define “family,” but Cleveland.com reports that “The idea appears to have originated from the Natural Family Foundation, a Westerville-based advocacy group that promotes what it calls a return to the ‘natural family’ as the foundation of American culture.” Indeed, the NFF website includes “Natural Family Month” as a key component of their vision, and defines a “natural family” as “one biological born man and woman in a lifelong, committed, monogamous relationship with their biological and/or adopted children.” (I won’t grace them with a link, but you can find them with a quick Web search, if you’re so inclined.) Their mission is “To return the Natural Family to its rightful place as the Foundation of our American culture,” and say that anything outside of their definition “causes undue stress on the marriage, children and society.”
That of course excludes LGBTQ families, single-parent families, poly families, families (queer or not) who have used egg or sperm donation, families with stepparents, families headed by grandparents or others, and any other type of family that doesn’t fit very narrow parameters.
All of this, however, does reinforce my belief that there is something special about the time between the two major parental holidays, a “season” when we as a society pay particular attention to honoring parents and parenting (even as parental holidays are expanding to specifically honor trans parents, nonbinary parents, and others at different times). But I would much rather add a holiday that helps everyone to feel included rather than try to claim the season exclusively for families like my own. We celebrate LGBTQ families on LGBTQ Families Day, yes—but we don’t say that ours is the best type of family or the only kind that should be.
Please join me, then, on June 2, 2025, to celebrate and uplift all families with LGBTQ people in them and show that the parental holiday season is about inclusion. Anyone is welcome to participate by:
- Posting or sharing on any social media channel on June 2, 2025, in celebration and support of LGBTQ families, and including the hashtag #LGBTQFamiliesDay. Suggested content: a family photo/video, family anecdote, image of an LGBTQ-inclusive kids’ book, or simple message of support.
- Following the hashtag #LGBTQFamiliesDay throughout the day and sharing the stories, images, and thoughts from other participants.
- Celebrating in your community in whatever way uplifts the voices and experiences of LGBTQ families.
Thanks to the sponsors of this year’s event, who work year-round for LGBTQ families: nonprofits Family Equality, PFLAG National, GLAAD, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law), the Human Rights Campaign, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, COLAGE, and GWK Academy, and businesses Gays With Kids, PregnantTogether, the Queer Family Podcast, Gay Moms Club, babyREADY, and OurShelves.