Remembering (LGBTQ History)

Lesbian and Gay History for Teens

(This is a slightly revised version of a piece I wrote for my Mombian newspaper column several years ago, but which seemed worth reposting in honor of LGBT History Month.)

Gay AmericaLGBT History Month is the perfect time to write about Linas Alsenas’ Gay America: Struggle for Equality (Amulet: 2008), a history of gay men and lesbians in the U.S. from the mid-nineteenth century through 2005. It fills a much needed gap, not because of the subject (there are a small but a growing number of LGBT-specific histories), but because of its audience: teens.

Milestones in LGBT Parenting History

I originally wrote this for my Mombian newspaper column last year, but as it’s LGBT History Month once again, I thought I’d rerun it—a look at some of the historical milestones—of laws, visibility, and community—related to LGBT parents.

“Science Led to Gay Families”? Not Exactly

An article for CNN yesterday ran the headline “Science led to gay families: Law should follow.” I’m the last person to argue that our families shouldn’t have equal legal rights—but the headline is overstating science’s role and inadvertently perpetuating a dangerous myth about same-sex parents. The article’s author, Debora L. Spar, is president of Barnard

An Answer for Justice Alito: Look to the Past

At yesterday’s U. S. Supreme Court hearing on marriage equality, Justice Samuel Alito asked, “But you want us to step in and render a decision based on an assessment of the effects of this institution [same-sex marriage] which is newer than cell phones or the Internet? I mean we—we are not—we do not have the ability to see the future.” I have an answer for him.

Milestones in LGBT Parenting History

October is LGBT History Month, so I want to celebrate with a look at some of the historical milestones—of laws, visibility, and community—related to LGBT parents. This is not meant to be a comprehensive look at the 40-year history of out LGBT parents, but simply a brief list of a few LGBT parenting “firsts.” These items may show only part of the story, but I hope they will give readers a sense of the rich history of which we are part.

Another Lesbian Mom for LGBT History Month

We lesbian moms sure have made our mark. The day after I posted about Roberta Achtenberg being selected as an LGBT History Month Icon, lawyer Mary Bonauto was named one as well. Bonauto is best known as the lead counsel in the historic case that won same-sex couples the right to marry in Massachusetts.

Lesbian Mom Is LGBT History Month Icon

It’s LGBT History Month, and one of the icons being celebrated by the Equality Forum is lesbian mom Roberta Achtenberg, a commissioner of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, the first openly gay presidential appointee confirmed by the Senate, and cofounder of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Here’s a short clip Equality Forum did about her;

Lesbian Moms: Building Character Since 1979

Last Thursday, I asked, “Does having lesbian moms—or other LGBT parents—affect one’s character?” Lawyer Nancy Polikoff left a comment that I thought was worth promoting up into a post. She mentioned that in the 1979 lawsuit M.P. v. S.P., an appeals court reversed a lower court ruling that had removed custody of children from their

Debra Chasnoff and Kim Klausner, directors of Choosing Children, in the editing room in the early 1980’s. (Source: GroundSpark.)

25 Years of Choosing Children

(Here’s another column I originally published last year, but which I think bears repeating as part of my parenting-related contribution to LGBT History Month. A few bits revised slightly to bring them up to date.) With Eric Stonestreet winning an Emmy last year for his portrayal of a gay dad in ABC’s Modern Family, and the

A Bit of Lesbian Mom History

I posted this newspaper column of mine last year, but I think it bears repeating as part of LGBT History Month. Enjoy this look back at how lesbian moms have been a central part of the LGBT rights movement since the beginning—while simultaneously waging some intensely personal battles to maintain contact with their children.

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