Supporting Our Children’s Gender Expression: Two Good Reads
Two thoughtful pieces this week reflect on supporting our children’s gender expression, and both are worth a read.
Selves and Identities
LGBT Young People and Those with LGBT Parents Wanted for Survey on Media and Identity
I’m posting this for a colleague at my employer, the Wellesley Centers for Women. She’s part of a team doing research on how young people’s use of media influences their developing self-identity. She told me the team is particularly interested in “reaching out to young people whose voices are not always incorporated into developing new knowledge,” including those who are LGBT, are in LGBT-parent families, and/or are people of color.
Poet and Lesbian Mom Staceyann Chin Has Advice for Us
Author, poet, performer, and lesbian mom Staceyann Chin spoke recently with Glennisha Morgan at HuffPo about her memoir of growing up in Jamaica; the intersection of poverty, homophobia, and race; her writing process; and her advice for prospective lesbian moms.
Happy Birthday, Audre Lorde: “Black, Lesbian, Mother, Warrior, Poet”
As we move forward to create a world of equality and justice for our families, I believe it is equally important to remember those in whose footsteps we tread. Audre Lorde, a self-described “black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet” who was born on this date in 1934, is certainly one of them. Here’s a passage from her about defining family that I’ve always liked.
New Book by Lesbian Moms Looks at Racial Justice and LGBT Equality
In his second inaugural speech, President Obama linked “Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall”—the birthplaces of the women’s, Black, and LGBT equality movements—and reminded us of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s words that (as Obama paraphrased) “our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth.” A new book about two lesbian moms and their children reminds us that LGBT equality is indeed bound to the need for racial justice.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’s Letter to Bullied Youth
Dear Children:
It gets better. I know from experience. When I was but a wee foal, the other young reindeer bullied me mercilessly about my nose. It was not the coal black of theirs, but waxed and waned from a dull red to a glowing, vibrant crimson, depending on my mood.
Privilege and Parenting
Sometimes, a piece of writing just makes me think. Chase Strangio’s “Making Room for More Impossible Decisions: Reflections on Being a Trans Parent” at HuffPo is one of them. Strangio gives much food for thought to parents across the LGBT spectrum and beyond, and calling for a greater understanding among parents of all types.
“Do You Miss Not Having a Father?”
Australian filmmaker Maya Newell gave one of the best responses I’ve ever seen to the mistaken assertion that all kids need a mother and a father.
New Video (and More) on Gender Identity and Expression in Children
There have been several great items this week on children and gender identity and expression, including a terrific new 15-minute video from TransActive Education & Advocacy. Have a look.
Transgender Day of Remembrance: 51 Too Many
Today marks the 14th International Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. My thoughts are with all of the transgender community today, their parents, and their children. In 2012 alone, 51 people have been killed around the world based on their real or perceived transgender