Two foster care and adoption agencies were violating Michigan’s nondiscrimination laws by refusing to work with same-sex couples, per the settlement of a case announced today by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.
Connecticut’s newest “Kid Governor”—chosen by fifth graders last November as part of a statewide civics program—is 11-year-old Ella Briggs, who’s proudly lesbian and ran on a platform of LGBTQ Youth Safety. The Connecticut Mirror just did a nice profile and video of her, so have a look and meet one of the young LGBTQ leaders making change today.
It’s legal to discriminate against LGBTQ parents, Jewish parents, and others in adoption and foster care, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Just claim that serving them goes against your religious beliefs. A coalition of LGBTQ, civil rights, child welfare, and faith organizations is fighting this, however—but they need your stories to help change hearts and minds at an upcoming Congressional hearing.
A slew of bills in the Tennessee Legislature target LGBTQ individuals and their children, as well as children in need of homes, in an onslaught of hate and discrimination.
A federal judge in Los Angeles ruled yesterday that the son of two married men, one a U.S. citizen and one an Israeli citizen, must be recognized as a U.S. citizen like his twin brother. But the ruling does not change a State Department policy that will allow continued discrimination against same-sex couples and their children.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D) yesterday signed a bill expanding the state’s paid family leave law in a number of ways—notably, by expanding the definition of “family” under the law to include chosen families and by expanding the definition of “parent” to include foster parents and those who become parents via gestational surrogacy.
France’s National Assembly has passed legislation that will require schools to use “Parent 1” and “Parent 2” on all school forms, instead of “Mother” and “Father,” in order to recognize the variety of families today.
Sharon Mattes, known as Sharon Bottoms when she fought to overcome anti-LGBTQ bias in a legal battle for custody of her son in the 1990s—a headline case for queer parents—has died at age 48.
President Trump last week told attendees at the National Prayer Breakfast that adoption agencies can discriminate against LGBTQ people or others and still be able to get federal funding. A plan to make that happen is already in motion—but there’s action you can take against it.
Army Captain Jennifer Peace will be a guest of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) at tonight’s State of the Union address. Capt. Peace, an active-duty officer who was profiled in the documentary Transmilitary, is also the parent of three children whom she is raising with her spouse Deborah. Â
