An Ugly Shade of Pink: Susan G. Komen and the Politicizing of Cancer
As most of you have likely heard by now, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the country’s leading breast cancer charity, is revoking its grant to Planned Parenthood.
Politics and Law
Discrimination Means Children with LGBT Parents May Face Extra Economic Hardships
There’s a myth that LGBT parents are all affluent—a myth perpetuated by many in the media, who tend to focus on upper-middle and upper class families when they do LGBT family stories. The reality is much different. Children being raised by same-sex couples are in fact twice as likely to live in poverty as those being
Seeking Binational Same-Sex Couples Raising Children
Passing along this message from Immigration Equality, a national organization fighting for equality under U.S. immigration law for LGBT and HIV-positive individuals. They are seeking binational same-sex couples with children for an awareness campaign. Please respond to them at the link below if you are interested. Immigration Equality is hoping to find binational couples, who are
Weekly Political Roundup
A weekly summary of LGBT political news highlights for busy parents. Freedom to Marry has launched Mayors for the Freedom to Marry, a bipartisan coalition of over 80 mayors who have pledged to support marriage for same-sex couples. Indiana has begun to issue a license plate designed to raise awareness about LGBT youth issues—the first
Senator and Son of Gay Dad Endorses Marriage Equality in Washington
Washington State Sen. Kevin Ranker (D-Orcas Island), not only endorsed Governor Chris Gregoire’s recent announcement that she would sponsor a marriage equality bill, but spoke from a very personal standpoint. Ranker has a gay dad. He released a statement, saying, in part: Marriage is more than just a collection of rights and protections—it is the commitment
Does Mitt Romney Know He’s Quoting a Lesbian?
Mitt Romney has been frequently quoting “America the Beautiful” in his speeches. What he may not know is that the song was written in 1893 by Wellesley College professor, poet, and social activist Katharine Lee Bates—who lived with and shared her life with another woman, fellow Wellesley professor Katherine Coman. Lynn Sherr (Wellesley ’63) wrote
Lesbian Moms Are Both Parents, Court Rules
In yet another “lesbians behaving badly” case, in which one lesbian mom tries to deny parental rights to a former partner after both have been raising a child together, a Florida court has said both moms are the legal parents of the child. Yes, Florida—which until just over a year ago was perhaps the most
Lesbian Mom Challenges Marriage Inequality
This morning, lesbian mom Karen Golinski and her lawyers will appear in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, arguing a case that began with her seeking health care coverage for her spouse, but is now a direct challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). My interview of Golinski about the case,
Lesbian Moms and Daughters Confront Homophobic Mayor
Lesbian moms Amy and Tina and their two daughters stood up at a meeting of the Troy, Michigan City Council, and addressed Mayor Janice Daniels about her homophobic Facebook comments in as classy a manner as I’ve ever seen. “We wanted to show up today to give you just a look at our family,” Amy said. Definitely
Lesbian Moms: Building Character Since 1979
Last Thursday, I asked, “Does having lesbian moms—or other LGBT parents—affect one’s character?” Lawyer Nancy Polikoff left a comment that I thought was worth promoting up into a post. She mentioned that in the 1979 lawsuit M.P. v. S.P., an appeals court reversed a lower court ruling that had removed custody of children from their