On March 11, 1973, Jeanne Manford, a teacher, and her husband Jules, a dentist, at the urging of their gay son Morty, held the first meeting of what would become known as PFLAG, an organization—nay, a movement—of allyship and love.
Even though I was out before becoming a parent, having a kid meant being out to people I would never have shared anything with, about my queerness or otherwise. One toddler call of “Mommy and Mama!” in the supermarket, however, and everyone could see our rainbow halo.
Misconceptions and misinformation about LGBTQ families can perpetuate stereotypes and lead to actions and policies that harm our children. Let’s therefore debunk 10 long-running myths and offer some useful facts for countering them.
This ran in my newspaper column in 2007 but I somehow never posted it here. I think it’s still relevant as we LGBTQ parents and our children navigate issues of difference and bias.
A number of years ago, a mainstream journalist asked me, “Are you worried about providing male role models for your son?” Here’s the piece I wrote about my answer, which I’m pulling from the archives and freshening up a bit.
Coming out is often described as an ongoing journey. As parents, it is a journey we take with our children. For National Coming Out Day, here are a few things I’ve learned along the way.
Today is National Coming Out Day, so I thought I’d share some thoughts on coming out as a lesbian mom, along with a few resources for both parents and kids. I posted a version of this a couple of years ago, but I hope it bears repeating.
Pride is a funny concept, with both positive and negative connotations. It goeth before a fall. It makes a combustible pairing with prejudice. The Marines, though few, lay claim to it. Pride can be overweening. It can blind us to the needs of others. But it can also remind us of what is important in life: our children, our families, our identities.
Today is National Coming Out Day. As I mentioned in my coming out resources post yesterday, I came out well before I became a parent. Yet even being out from Day One of parenthood doesn’t mean visibility is easy. Here are a few things my experience has taught me.
Tomorrow, the Boy Scouts of America will be voting on a new policy that would lift the ban on gay scouts, while still banning gay and lesbian leaders. It’s a step in the right direction, but still an insult to gay scouts who will never be able to become leaders, and to those who have lesbian or gay parents, as I wrote when they first proposed it. Take action today to tell the Boy Scouts to allow gay scouts and leaders.
