LGBTQ Parenting Roundup
Let’s end the week with a roundup of a few things I haven’t covered yet—family stories, some political bits, and school-related news!
Advocating
Watch: Reps. Angie Craig and Jackie Speier Read Kids’ Books on Gender Identity — from the U.S. House Floor
Yesterday was the annual Jazz & Friends National Day of School and Community Readings, organized by HRC’s Welcoming Schools program. Watch Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN), the first lesbian mom elected to Congress, and Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA), a strong LGBTQ ally, read two great children’s books on gender identity on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives!
U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Case on Allowing Foster Care Agencies to Discriminate Against Same-Sex Parents
The U.S. Supreme Court today said that it will hear a case on whether taxpayer-funded foster care agencies may discriminate against same-sex couples, thus reducing the number of homes available to children in foster care.
In Memoriam: Mary Griffith, Mom and Advocate, Who Showed that Change Is Possible
Mary Griffith, a conservative Christian who came to champion LGBTQ equality after the death of her gay son in 1983, died last Friday at her home in California. Her journey inspired a book and the award-winning movie based on it, Prayers for Bobby.
In Memoriam: Deborah Batts, First Out Gay Federal Judge
Deborah Batts, the first out LGBTQ federal judge–and also a mom—died this past Monday at the age of 72, after complications from knee replacement surgery.
South Dakota House Passes Bill to Take Medical Decisions from Trans Youth and Their Parents; Criminalize Doctors Who Help
The South Dakota House yesterday passed a bill that would ban transgender youth and their parents from making decisions regarding their medical care. Doctors who prescribe treatment related to gender affirmation could face jail time.
Federal Appeals Court: Same-Sex Spouses in Indiana May Both Be on Children’s Birth Certificates
It’s hard to believe that nearly five years after federal marriage equality, we’re still seeing courts having to determine if same-sex married parents may both be on their children’s birth certificates. At least this recent decision in Indiana was a positive one.
Kids, Race, and Racism: Readings and Resources for MLK Day and All Year
Once again, for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I’m posting a revised list of resources for talking with kids about the holiday and about race and racism in general all year ’round. Here are some sites and articles I’ve found thought provoking, from a variety of perspectives.
Under New Bill, Missouri Librarians Could Be Fined, Jailed for Lending “Inappropriate” Books to Kids
The Show Me State could become the “Don’t Show Me” state, as a proposed Missouri bill would fine or even jail librarians who lend books to children that a local five-person “parental library review board” thinks are inappropriate. And yes, books that discuss or represent “sexuality” are among the categories that may be deemed inappropriate.