Yes, same-sex couples can marry in Iowa—but a state district court heard arguments last week in a case to determine whether the child born to a married lesbian couple has the right to have the names of both her parents on her birth certificate, as do children of same-sex couples legally married (and civil unioned) […]
Just a few articles this week, but they’re juicy, so enjoy! Denise Balkissoon writes in Toronto’s Globe and Mail about “The seven habits of highly effective lesbian families.” “A series of studies in Canada and elsewhere over the past decade has found that the children of lesbians aren’t just well-adjusted—they excel.”It’s a good article for explaining some of the
First, a happy Veterans Day to all of you, including my spouse, who have served or are serving in our country’s armed forces. The observance this year is, of course, the first one at which gay and lesbian servicemembers can celebrate openly with their families. Over at the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, Col. E. A.
Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and 132 other Democrats filed an amicus brief in Massachusetts v. Dept. of Health and Human Services and Gill vs. Office of Personnel Management, asking the First Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a lower court ruling that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional. Seventy Massachusetts and national employers
Schools The Sydney Morning Herald looks at what parents and teachers are doing in Australia to address hetero-centrism in elementary schools. The Buffalo News reports on gay and lesbian teachers—why it can be hard to be out, and why many nevertheless feel it is important. Family Portraits Mark Daniel Snyder at HuffPo talks about the true diversity
I’ve posted a few longish pieces recently, How to Help Aging LGBT Parents and Are Boys in Princess Dresses the Scariest Thing on Halloween?, along with information about a couple of major new reports on LGBT families, “Expanding Resources for Children III: Research-Based Best Practices in Adoption by Gays and Lesbians” and “All Children Matter:
This morning, eight current and former members of the U.S. armed services filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and “seeking equal recognition, benefits and family support for equal sacrifice and service in the U.S. Armed Forces.” Three of the plaintiffs are lesbian moms, including lead plaintiff, Major Shannon L.
A major new report, “All Children Matter: How Legal and Social Inequalities Hurt LGBT Families” (PDF), was released today by the Center for American Progress, the Family Equality Council, and the Movement Advancement Project, in partnership with COLAGE, The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, and the National Association of Social Workers (with a foreword by the Child Welfare League of
Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) became a co-sponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal the anti-LGBT Defense of Marriage Act. Levin was one of the leaders in repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Michigan state Rep. Thomas McMillin (R-Rochester) introduced a bill that would eliminate LGBT people as a protected class under all local
Frank Kameny, one of the founders of the LGBT rights movement, died at the age of 86. The U.S. Senate confirmed Alison Nathan to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, making her the second lesbian federal judge—and (fun Mombian fact!) the second lesbian mom to hold such a position. (Deborah
