What’s In a Lesbian Super PAC?
A lesbian Super PAC? Sounds like a flannel-wrapped emergency kit consisting of hummus, dental dams, and a cheat sheet of Indigo Girls’ lyrics.
Advocating
California Bill Would Allow 3 Parents, but Canadian Province Leading the Way
A new California bill would allow a child to have more than two legal parents, including two lesbian moms and their sperm donor. This may be new for the U.S., but one Canadian province is already leading here.
Gay Dads and Toddler Denied Pool Access
Two gay dads in Virginia wanted to take their son swimming during the summer, so they signed up for a family membership at the Roanoke Athletic Club. The club initially granted the membership, then denied it upon realizing the dads were gay. This is only one of several disturbing recent actions allegedly taken by the club, which is owned by regional medical provider Carilion Clinic.
Pentagon Officials Speak of Progress, Gaps for Gay Servicemembers with Kids
Two senior Defense Department officials spoke at the Department’s first-ever Pride month event. One noted the positive impact of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal on the children of gay servicemembers—but the other observed that there are still obstacles to full equality for them.
The Snake in the Boy Scouts’ Tent
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
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.
New Federal Case for Second-Parent Adoptions Could Affect Families in Many States
The ACLU has filed a new federal case in North Carolina, seeking to overturn the state’s ban on second-parent adoption. A win would mean that kids being raised by same-sex couples could have “legally protected relationships with both of the parents who are raising them.” Because the case was brought under the federal constitution, a win could have an impact on other states as well.
LGBT Parenting: 40 Years of a “Quieter Revolution”
President Obama has said that same-sex parents and their children influenced his decision to support marriage equality. And in the Washington Post recently, Janice D’Arcy asked, “Has gay parenting ‘normalized’ the perception of gay relationships?” The interaction between LGBT parenting rights and relationship rights is indeed a fascinating and important question—and one charted in part by law professor Carlos Ball, whose new book also gives us a compelling history of the expansion of LGBT parenting rights. Here’s my review of his work, originally published as my Mombian newspaper column.
LGBT Parenting Roundup: Brought to You By the Letter “P”
I was focused on Blogging for LGBT Families Day all last week (and I encourage you to go read everyone’s wonderful posts, if you haven’t), but the world of LGBT parenting didn’t stop going on around us. Here are some of the top stories from the past week.