Covid-19

Dr. Rachel Levine

Biden Nominates Pennsylvania Secretary of Health, a Transgender Parent, as Assistant Secretary for Health

President-elect Joe Biden has nominated Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine, who has led the state’s COVID-19 response, as assistant secretary for health in the Department of Health and Human Services. Levine, a transgender woman, is also the parent of two grown children. Her nomination comes days after President Trump’s HHS finalized a rule that would allow schools to misgender and discriminate against transgender students. Do you sense change?

LGBTQ Parenting Roundup

LGBTQ Parenting Roundup

As summer winds down this Labor Day, let’s take a look at some of the stories of LGBTQ parents and our children that have been making headlines lately.

Phil Bildner

School Cancels Virtual Author Visit Because of Book’s Gay Character: But What Response Best Helps LGBTQ Youth During Pandemic?

Award-winning author Phil Bildner was set to do a virtual visit with a group of fourth graders this month, when the school’s parents’ association suddenly informed him that he couldn’t talk about his latest book—a middle-grade novel about a boy coming out as gay. They then canceled his event. Bildner’s response, in which he chooses not to publicly name the school, reminds us that there are many factors to consider in keeping LGBTQ youth safe—especially in a time of pandemic.

Post of the Week

Post of the Week: “homeschool”

Many of us have had the joy/challenge of homeschooling our kids, at least in part, over the past few months. That’s why “homeschool,” a post from Magdalen Dale at her blog overallmagic, is my pick for a Post of the Week.

Coronavirus - rainbow overlay

Coping and Caring: LGBTQ Families in the Time of COVID-19

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic that is shaking our world, I spoke with several different LGBTQ families recently to see how they’re handling the crisis, what their challenges are, and where they’re finding strength.

Egg and sperm

COVID-19 Pauses Family Building for Many LGBTQ People

Nina Willbach and her wife, a Philadelphia couple, have been trying to get pregnant since last June via assisted insemination. On March 13th, they were told that their most recent attempt didn’t work—and they couldn’t try again because COVID-19 had put a stop to “elective procedures” in Pennsylvania. “I know a lot of folks are going through much worse right now, but it feels like a big blow when every month counts and we’ve had this many no’s,” Willbach told me in an online message. They’re not the only ones to have family-making plans halted during the pandemic.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) - CDC/ Alissa Eckert, MS; Dan Higgins, MAMS

How to Educate Yourself and Your Kids About Coronavirus

Kids are full of questions. And with Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the news and impacting our lives via closures, cancellations, and shortages (and more rarely, by the disease itself), they’re bound to have questions about it, whether expressed or not. I’m not an expert on the disease or on child psychology, but I’ve rounded up some articles with information from those who are, so that we parents can educate ourselves and better support our children in age-appropriate ways. I’ve also included some resources aimed directly at young kids themselves.

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