Raising

Back-to-School Resources for LGBT Parents

Back-to-school time is here, which means it’s time for my annual back-to-school resource post, a tradition I first started way back in 2006. My own son wasn’t even in school then. He’s grown and changed, and so has this list. I originally wrote a version of the below as part of one of my newspaper columns last year. I’ve revised it somewhat and hope it remains useful, whether your children are just entering school, starting a new school, or encountering new issues along their educational journey.

American Flag

Military Same-Sex Parents Write About Ongoing Inequalities

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” may be gone, but the inequalities linger for married and partnered servicemembers, including those with children. Several of these families are telling their stories through letters they have written to Congress, as part of a new campaign from the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) and OutServe.

Hospital Denies Rights to Lesbian Couple with Pregnancy Complications

Spring Valley Hospital in Clark County, Nevada, has denied a lesbian the right to make medical decisions for her pregnant domestic partner. When Brittney Leon and Terri-Ann Simonelli went to the hospital in July after Leon began experiencing complications with her pregnancy, an admissions officer told them that Simonelli could not make medical decisions for Leon without a power of attorney—despite the fact that they are legal domestic partners in the state, which should give them the same rights as married couples to make medical decisions for each other. Leon ended up losing the pregnancy.

Speech Bubble

Mommy, Mama, Mutti, MaPa: What Do Your Kids Call You?

I first posted this anonymous survey about parenting names a year ago, and over 130 of you responded. Many of you use the classic “Mommy” and “Mama,” but some use “Baba,” “Eema,” “Lala,” “Maman,” “MaPa,” “Mutti,” “Big Mommy,” “Mimo,” “Cita,” “Anya,” and others. I wanted to post the survey again to encourage others to contribute, and to urge those of you who already have to take a look at all the glorious ways we structure and name our families.

Parenting Beyond Our Genders

One of the most common arguments against same-sex parents is that “all children need a mother and a father.” But some LGBT parents are making the argument that being a mother or a father is not necessarily correlated to being female or male—regardless of one’s gender identity.

Post of the Week: “Lessons from Infertility”

Aleia Mims’ “Lessons from Infertility,” part of her “Authentically Me” series at her blog l.i.b.e.r.a.t.i.o.n. theory, is this week’s Post of the Week. She writes about her journey from comfort with not being a bio mom, to wanting to conceive with her wife, to her disappointment at not being able to do so.

Beautiful LGBT Families — and S’Mores

For your viewing pleasure today, please enjoy this slideshow of beautiful LGBT families (and tasty s’mores) at the Family Equality Council’s annual Family Week in Provincetown. (And by “beautiful,” I mean “beautiful because they’re having fun and being themselves.”)

The New Amtrak Ads Through a Racial Lens

In my post yesterday about the new Amtrak ads, I mentioned that it was good to see same-sex parents of color in the media. In discussing the ads with a friend and educator who is Black and a lesbian, however, I came to realize my White perspective was only giving me part of the story.

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