Lesbian Mom Running for President
In a move that may shake up this year’s presidential race, suburban lesbian mom Jess Jo King has announced her intention to run for president on the 2012 ballot.
Advocating
LGBT Parenting Roundup
Here are a few of the stories that caught my eye this week—some lovely family profiles and a few legal and political items, both good and bad:
White House Features Photo of Lesbian Mom with First Lady
The White House photostream now includes a photo of First Lady Michelle Obama with Andrea and Logan Smith (10 months). Andrea is the executive director of Green Florida and wife of Equality Florida executive director Nadine Smith—and their son is absolutely adorable. (It’s all about the cheeks. Or maybe the eyes. Total cuteness either way.)
U.S. Customs to Allow Same-Sex Couples to File Joint Customs Declarations
Many of us have been in this situation: Returning to the U.S. from a family vacation abroad, we stand in the customs line with partner and kid(s), only to be separated when it is our turn and the customs agent only allows “one family at a time”—meaning “only one federally recognized family.” Suddenly, all of our vacation relaxation is gone.
That will soon change.
Families of Many Colors Respond to Trayvon Martin Tragedy
Like many of you, I have been reading extensively—and sadly—about the tragic shooting of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old African American student. Some of the most insightful pieces I’ve found have come from parents—whose families cover a range of color.
LGBT Parenting Roundup
Some of the LGBT parenting stories I haven’t otherwise mentioned this week—coincidentally, all with an international flavor:
Weekly Political Roundup
This week’s roundup is brought to you by the letter “N,” with happenings in Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Nigeria (as well as a few non-N places).
Campaign Aims to End Exclusion of Same-Sex Parents from Forms
Scratching out “Father” and writing in “Mother” is an all-too common experience for coupled lesbian moms (vice versa for gay dads). Now, the Family Equality Council (FEC) hopes to draw attention to the many forms that still exclude our families. Their “Snap It & Send It” campaign asks people to take photos or scans of non-inclusive forms and send them to fo***@************ty.org, along with notes about how the forms are impacting their family.
“Hate Is Not an Expert Opinion”: New Project Holds Anti-LGBT Commentators Accountable
Many of us have seen them: anti-LGBT “experts” who appear on the news spouting supposed “facts” about LGBT people—”facts” that are nothing more than fabrications or distortions wrapped in bias. Many of their arguments center around the supposed unsuitability of LGBT people to be parents. We might expect such people on certain conservative-leaning news channels, but when they appear even on more moderate ones, it can be infuriating.
GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, today announced the launch of its Commentator Accountability Project, which aims “to educate the media about the extreme rhetoric of over three dozen activists who are often given a platform to speak in opposition to LGBT people and the issues that affect their lives.”
LGBT Parenting Roundup
Some of the parenting-related stories that caught my eye this week, including a few items showing that more countries are protecting the legal relationships between children and their parents in a variety of family forms—but that many jurisdictions are still grappling with the issues raised by assisted reproduction and same-sex couples: