Lesbian moms have been a vital part of the LGBT rights movement since there was an LGBT rights movement. The documentary Mom’s Apple Pie: The Heart of the Lesbian Mothers’ Custody Movement gives us a look at several early custody cases involving lesbian moms—and shows how the activism they spawned has had a direct impact on LGBT people and organizations today.
Despite that whole Prop 8 thing, California continues to be a leader in legal protections for LGBT families.
Russian authorities have halted adoptions of Russian children by Swedish same-sex couples, reports Swedish newspaper The Local. A spokeperson for the Adoptioncentrum agency told Sveriges Television (SVT) “It’s terrible. We have 13 children in Russian orphanages today who have been offered to parents in Sweden who they have actually met.”
A mix of stories about LGBT parents from round and about, including a former Republican president witnessing the wedding of two lesbian moms, a really smart piece on gender, and more moms leading the charge for marriage equality.
I originally wrote this for my Mombian newspaper column last year, but as it’s LGBT History Month once again, I thought I’d rerun it—a look at some of the historical milestones—of laws, visibility, and community—related to LGBT parents.
Last week saw more moves towards marriage equality, and once again, lesbian moms were in the forefront.
Pasta is a parent’s lifesaver. It’s quick and easy to prepare, and even the pickiest kids usually like some version of it. I was disheartened, then, to learn that Guido Barilla, the chair of Barilla Pasta — my go-to brand — told a radio interviewer Wednesday that, “I absolutely don’t respect adoptions in gay families, because that concerns a person who is not the people who decide.” Guess what? We LGBT parents, like most parents, buy lots of pasta for our families. I daresay it won’t be Barilla now.
Michigan legislators on the state House Committee on Families, Children, and Seniors have passed three bills that would give taxpayer-funded adoption agencies the right to deny an adoption placement based on that agency’s moral or religious beliefs. This is an anti-LGBT bill, no doubt about it — but it is the children needing homes who will suffer the most. . Here’s what you can do to help stop these bills from going any further.
A few items worthy of note that I haven’t covered here before, including another sports star coming out about his lesbian moms.
Yesterday, I wrote about Julie Silver, a well-known Jewish singer-songwriter and lesbian mom. As we approach the start of Yom Kippur this evening, it seems only appropriate to post a clip of her singing. The first song, “This Train,” is a beautiful metaphor about social justice that people of all traditions should appreciate. And for extra-special lesbian goodness, it’s the song of hers that Ellen DeGeneres said was her favorite, according to a blurb on Silver’s Web site.
