Raising Archives - Page 128 of 313

Lack of Male Role Models Has No Negative Impact on Teens of Lesbian Moms

June 20, 2012

New results from the National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study (NLLFS), the longest-running and largest study of American lesbian families, have shown that the lack of male role models “did not adversely affect the psychological adjustment of 17-year-old teens raised in lesbian-headed households.” The findings directly address one of the key criticisms leveled at same-sex parents: that the lack of role models of both genders will somehow hurt children’s well-being and development.

Children’s Health Care Facilities Named “Leaders in LGBT Healthcare Equality”

June 20, 2012

Several children’s health care facilities, including one of the top children’s hospitals in the country, were named “Leaders in LGBT Healthcare Equality” in HRC’s 2012 Healthcare Equality Index (HEI).

The Snake in the Boy Scouts’ Tent

June 18, 2012

The Boy Scouts may be shining a flashlight into a tent they would prefer remains dark. In April they ejected Ohio mother Jennifer Tyrrell from her position as leader of her son’s Cub Scout den, simply because she is a lesbian. In doing so, however, they turned a light on the impact of their policy, and helped show that the real victims are children like Tyrrell’s seven-year-old.

New Resource for Mormon Parents of LGBT Youth

June 15, 2012

The Latter-day Saints (Mormons) as a group are not known for being particularly accepting of LGBT people. What happens, then, when a young person in a Mormon family comes out as LGBT? The Family Acceptance Project (FAP) at San Francisco State University, which has long studied and addressed the impact of family acceptance and rejection on the health and mental health of LGBT youth, has just released a new faith-based family education resource to help guide Mormon families in supporting their LGBT children.

What Are You Looking Forward to This Summer?

June 13, 2012

It’s my son’s last week of school before vacation, and I’m thinking about our summer plans, so I thought I’d ask the rest of you what you’re looking forward to this summer. Anyone taking any trips? Starting (or finishing) any home improvement projects? Sending the kids to camp?

Lesbian Moms with Critically Ill Children

June 11, 2012

At least two of the entries to Blogging for LGBT Families Day were from lesbian moms whose children have serious illnesses. Jaime and Laura of Team Shimmy have a son with cardiomyopathy (whom I’ve mentioned before); Brooke and Liz of Lenox Slays the Leukemiasaurus have a daughter with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). I want to offer a special thanks to them for sharing their stories, not just on Blogging for LGBT Families Day, but on all the other days when they write about the good and the bad, the ordinary and the extraordinary, of their lives. They offer a gift to other families facing similar situations.

Because Brooke asked directly, “Hello? Any other lesbian moms going through this now? What is your experience like?” I also wanted to offer this post as an attempt to facilitate such connections.

Oprah’s “A-ha” Moment About Gay Parents

June 3, 2012

It’s nice to know that even as accomplished a person as Oprah Winfrey is still open to learning a thing or two. In her interview with actor Neil Patrick Harris and his fiancé David Burtka, which airs tonight, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” the three of them have this exchange

CampOUT for Kids with LGBT Parents

May 25, 2012

Emmy Howe, my boss at my day job with the SEED Project on Inclusive Curriculum, also runs CampOUT, a summer camp for children and youth with LGBT parents. (And I thought I had a lot of projects going.) The camp is held at her farm in Conway, Mass., and Emmy says they have about 10 spots left. If you’re interested, pop over to their Web site and check them out.

Post of the Week: “Flip Flop”

May 24, 2012

In “Flip Flop,” Kathryn at Recovering Straight Girl gives us her thoughts on why changing one’s perspective is not necessarily a bad thing. She says people are wrong to criticize President Obama for “flip-flopping” on the issue of marriage equality.

EBONY Magazine Features Lesbian Moms

May 21, 2012

The common media image of lesbian and gay parents leaves one with the impression that we’re all white and middle class—even though the data tell us otherwise. And while a few media channels (like the New York Times) have tried to correct that, there is definitely a lack of representation of LGBT parents of color in the media. EBONY magazine is helping to change that, however.