LGBTQ Parenting Roundup
It’s time for another roundup of LGBTQ parenting news I haven’t covered elsewhere, with stories on family creation, politics, censorship—and penguins!
Advocating
Crowdfunding Campaign Launched After Mayor Withholds Library Funds Over LGBTQ Books
A Mississippi Friends of the Library group has launched a crowdfunding campaign after their town’s mayor said he is withholding $110,000 in library funds unless LGBTQ books are removed from the shelves.
Meet the Queer Parent Winter Olympians
As always, I have my eye on the queer parent athletes at the Olympics! Come meet them and see photos of their families! One met her future spouse when they were both 10 years old; the other is fighting for marriage equality in her home country.
8 New Year’s Resolutions for LGBTQ Parents
The end of January is here, which to me means a last day for New Year’s resolutions. The middle of a global pandemic is perhaps not the best time to commit to any big life changes (though if you can pull them off, more power to you), so here are a few small, suggested resolutions for us LGBTQ parents as we start the new year. I hope that one or more of them speak to you.
Tennessee School Board Bans Pulitzer Prize-Winning Holocaust Novel from Curriculum
Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It is deeply ironic, then, that news broke this week of a Tennessee school board removing a Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel about the Holocaust from its curriculum—one of many recent attempts across the U.S. to ban or restrict books about marginalized groups.
Michigan Reaffirms Support for LGBTQ Families Even as Legal Settlement Allows Discrimination in Foster Care and Adoption
The state of Michigan must continue contracting with child service agencies that discriminate against same-sex couples, according to the settlement this week of a long-running case whose outcome rested on a 2021 U.S. Supreme Court decision. The state’s Children’s Services Agency nevertheless reaffirmed its commitment to supporting LGBTQ people who want to foster or adopt or are already doing so.
Jewish Couple Sues Tennessee for Discrimination in Adoption (and Why All Queer People Should Care)
A husband and wife in Tennessee are suing the state, saying that a state-funded foster care and adoption program turned them away because they are Jewish. To the best of my knowledge, neither is queer, so why am I writing about this on a queer website? Because discrimination in foster care and adoption is a very queer issue, and there is federal legislation pending that could end it for everyone, queer and otherwise.
“A World Perspective”: Wise Words from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Once again, let’s give Dr. King the floor today:
Fighting Back Against the Attacks on Diverse and Inclusive Books
Preschooler Heather is no stranger to opposition. Lesléa Newman’s 1989 Heather Has Two Mommies, the first picture book to depict happily coupled same-sex parents and their child, faced opprobrium from conservatives since shortly after it was published. Now, it is one of a record number of books for children and teens, largely about people with marginalized identities, that are under attack across the country.
“You Are Not Alone” Is a Kid-Friendly Ode to Self-Love, Allyship, and Social Justice
A new picture book by hip-hop group the Alphabet Rockers, based on a song from their latest Grammy-nominated album, reminds kids that they always belong and encourages them to celebrate themselves, support each other across differences, and speak out against injustice.