2017: A Good News, Bad News Year for LGBTQ Families
Was 2017 a good year for LGBTQ parents and our children? The political situation in the U.S. was grim, but we also saw progress in some areas.
Politics and Law
Zach Wahls, of Two-Mom Video Fame, Announces Iowa Senate Run
Zach Wahls, who shot to fame in 2011 when his speech to the Iowa legislature about growing up with two moms went viral (twice!) has announced he is running for the Iowa Senate.
LGBTQ Parenting Roundup: Solstice Edition
The day may be short, but it’s full of LGBTQ parenting news.
Pull up a cup of something warm and read on.
Two Cool Ways Canada Is Supporting Queer Families
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has made headlines by marching in Pride parades—but here are two ways Canadian provinces are supporting queer families (among others) through actual policies: Ontario now recognizes up to four co-parents, and Quebec will introduce discussion of different family types, including same-sex couples, to its mandatory sex education curriculum.
Hawaii Same-Sex Parent Case Shows Mom Behaving Badly
I’m not sure what angers me more: the many child custody cases in which a biological mom tries to stop a nonbiological mom from seeing their children after a divorce or separation—or a case in which a nonbiological mom claims she’s not a mom so she doesn’t have to pay child support.
Why You Still Need to Do a Second-Parent Adoption
I’ve written many times before about why second-parent adoptions are still a good idea, even if you are married and both parents are on the child’s birth certificate. Another case in the news this past week reminds us why.
This Takes the Cake
The picture here shows a delicious chocolate cake. Here’s the recipe—the recipe is about the cake. The case being heard at the U.S. Supreme Court today, however, despite having cake in its name, is not really about the cake, but about our civil rights.
Let’s Get Judgy
I’m thinking about courts this week, as a few recent court cases have involved same-sex parents and our right to be recognized as parents, as well as the right of same-sex couples (with or without kids) to gain the benefits of marriage. Luckily, things seem to be (mostly) in our favor.
Flour Power
In one of my son’s favorite video games, an artificial intelligence system promises the player cake if she completes various challenges. As the player proceeds through the game, however, she finds graffiti claiming “The cake is a lie,” and it becomes clear that the AI is stringing her along with malicious intent. The Trump administration has similarly revealed the lie of its promised friendship—its “cake”—to the LGBTQ community. (Remember the image of then-candidate Trump holding a rainbow flag at a rally almost exactly a year ago?) Fittingly, the latest confirmation of the administration’s true intent revolves around actual cake.
Queer Parent Candidates Win Big in Election
Yesterday’s election saw big wins for queer candidates—including several who are also parents, and in two cases, grandparents.