New Stonewall National Monument: Using our Past to Strengthen our Future
Just after the Orlando massacre shook our sense of safety and security in LGBTQ bars, the designation of the Stonewall National Monument shows that we will not be cowed.
Politics and Law
New York Non-Bio Mom Fights to Parent her Child
A non-biological mother in New York—generally considered an LGBTQ-friendly state—is fighting for the right to parent her child. Lambda Legal is representing Brooke S.B. as she seeks to continue parenting and financially supporting the six-year-old son she and her former partner, Elizabeth C.C., had planned and were raising together. The two women met in 2006, and settled in upstate New York
Nebraska Still Not Issuing Proper Birth Certificates for Kids of Same-Sex Parents
It’s been almost a year since marriage equality has been law across the U.S.—but Nebraska still isn’t issuing proper birth certificates to the children of same-sex couples.
Progress and Problems: Same-Sex Parents in China and Italy
Italy has just approved civil unions for same-sex couples—but without adoption rights. And in China, one of the first lesbian couples to start a family through in vitro fertilization tells their story.
Massachusetts Senate Passes Transgender Protections Bill
Allow me a moment of hometown pride. The Massachusetts Senate has just passed a transgender protections bill—and while it is not yet law, it is a breath of fresh air after the awful anti-trans bill passed in North Carolina.
“Let us Write a Different Story this Time”
Sometimes there are moments that give me hope about our country. One of them was yesterday, when Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced a federal civil rights lawsuit against North Carolina’s HB 2 “bathroom bill.”
“Meet My Child” Say Moms of Trans Kids
A new transgender advocacy organization has released a touching video sharing the stories of transgender kids and their parents. It just might be the best strategy to counter fearful and fearsome “bathroom bills.”
President’s Foster Care Proclamation Includes LGBTQ Parents, Kids, Marriage Equality
President Obama’s proclamation of National Foster Care Month has once again included parents and children of all sexual orientations and gender identities. It also mentions marriage equality as a factor in giving more kids the chance to find loving homes.
Italy Approves Two-Mom Second-Parent Adoption
An Italian court has said a two-mom couple can adopt the other’s biological children—the second time in recent months such a case hasn’t been appealed. The ruling has limits, however.
Inequality in North Carolina: Think of the Children
Ask any parent of a young child, and they’ll tell you that access to public restrooms is a big deal. Our tots seem to have a sixth sense about the most inconvenient time to get the urge (halfway across the mall from the restroom, say). The idea of having my access to a restroom questioned—both for me personally and as a parent—is repellant. I’ve tried to keep that in mind as a cisgender woman thinking about what’s happening in North Carolina.