My family and I had a truly delightful time at the White House Easter Egg Roll this past Monday. I never thought I’d see anyone do event organizing and crowd management like Disney World, but the White House staff gives them a run for their money.
Last Saturday, during our family trip to Washington, D.C., we visited the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and the Holocaust Museum. Going to the two of them one after the other (a decision originally dictated by geography) made me keenly aware of how injustice and oppression have played out in various ways throughout human history, and how people both famous and unnamed have stepped up to fight it.
The Disney Channel just showed its first same-sex parents, and now comes news that Disney World will be hosting “Family Outfest,” a week of activities for LGBT families, this July.
Ever get annoyed when you return to the U.S. from abroad with your same-sex sweetie and kids and have to fill out two customs forms because your family relationship wasn’t recognized? As of January, that will be no more. U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced today that it is expanding its definition of family to include same-sex couples and their children, even if the couple is not legally married or if the parent is not related by blood or adoption to the children.
Cat Cora, chef, entrepreneur, and lesbian mom, will be on Residence Inn’s Family Travel Talk Forum this Wednesday evening to talk travel, cooking, and more. Everyone’s invited to join in and ask questions!
Miss the Twitter party on travel for LGBT families a few weeks ago? It was an hour of non-stop stories and ideas — so much so that one of the hashtags was trending for some time. The Residence Inn team has recapped it on Facebook; Traveling Mom has culled some of the many responses to each question; and The Advocate has recapped it as well. Check them out for ideas to make your next trip a great one!
It’s tonight! Please join me from 9 to 10 p.m. EST. for a travel-focused Twitter party for LGBT families and friends. Over 600 people have preregistered for the event, and it should be a great evening of stories, tips, and fun.
My 10-year-old son loves to travel. I’m not sure how my spouse and I got so lucky. Perhaps it was that we started early, with a trip from the East to the West Coast to visit in-laws when he was only five weeks old. Perhaps it’s our own love of travel and the excitement we try to convey — or his innate sense of curiosity and adventure. Maybe it’s just that he can jump from one bed to the other in our hotel rooms, or stay up extra late when we go camping.
If you haven’t yet registered for the travel-focused Twitter party for LGBT families on Wednesday, November 6, please do! You can just join in at 9 p.m. ET — but if you register first and then leave a tweet during the party (with the hashtags #TMOM and #RIFamily), you’ll be eligible to win one of two signed copies of Iron Chef and lesbian mom Cat Cora’s Classics with a Twist: Fresh Takes on Favorite Dishes cookbook, or the GRAND PRIZE: a Residence Inn gift card valued at $250.
My spouse and I love to travel with our son, and we’re lucky that he’s adaptable and adventurous. While most of the problems we encounter along the way are things that could happen to any family — delayed flights, lack of convenient rest stops, forgotten teddy bears — we are also very aware that LGBT-headed families may have specific concerns when on the road. I’m therefore excited to invite you to a travel-focused Twitter party for LGBT parents on November 6, sponsored by Residence Inn by Marriott in partnership with Mombian, TravelingMom, and the Family Equality Council.
