Queer Parent Paralympians All Earn Medals
All three queer parents who competed at the Paralympics this year won medals, including gold!
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Remembering 9/11, 20 Years Later
It is not coincidental that shortly after September 11, 2001, my spouse and I began to talk seriously about having a child, after more than eight years together. Many of us have a 9/11 story. Here’s mine.
What the Buttigiegs’ Parenthood Means for All of Us
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and his husband Chasten have become parents. This puts them among the highest-visibility LGBTQ parents in the country, and that visibility has the potential to help further the acceptance of LGBTQ parents as a whole. They cannot, however, do this alone.
7 Olympic Medals (4 Gold!) Earned by Queer Parents at Tokyo Olympics
Being a world-class athlete is hard. Being a parent at the same time is even harder. Yet of the 11 queer parents I know of who were competing in the Tokyo Olympics, six medaled (one twice!) and four came away with gold. That’s better than average odds, which I’d like to think means that being an LGBTQ parent increases your chances of getting an Olympic medal. (Well, maybe not—but read on for some fun if dubious statistics and a lot of appreciation for these athletes.)
Lesbian Moms Picked for Federal Posts
President Joe Biden has recently nominated Charlotte Sweeney, a Colorado employee rights attorney, to the federal judiciary, and reappointed Sharon Kleinbaum, a New York rabbi, to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. Both are also lesbian moms.
Queer Parent Athletes (and Athletes with Queer Parents) to Watch in the Olympics
It’s time for the Tokyo Olympics! As a fan and athlete, I will watch any event at any time—but I’ll be keeping a special eye on the queer parent athletes (and athletes with queer parents). Balancing parenting and high-level training, not to mention possible queerphobias—it’s a lot to handle, and they deserve our respect and admiration.
France Extends Assisted Reproduction to Single Women and Two-Woman Couples
The French Parliament has approved a bill that will allow single women and two-woman couples to use assisted reproductive technologies.
Maine Becomes 10th State to Allow LGBTQ Parents to Establish Legal Parentage with Simple Form
Maine has become the 10th state to allow LGBTQ couples, regardless of gender or genetic connection to their children, to establish legal parentage with an easy, free form that can be completed at the hospital right after a child’s birth. This form, unlike a birth certificate, is equivalent to a court decree.
Connecticut Senate Unanimously Approves Bill Updating Parentage Laws to Protect Children of All Families
The Connecticut Senate last night unanimously passed the Connecticut Parentage Act (CPA), landmark legislation to update the state’s laws and better protect all children, regardless of the circumstances of their birth or the marital status, gender, or sexual orientation of their parents. Among other things, it gives nonbiological/nongestational parents a simpler way to establish a legal parent-child relationship, without a home study or court hearing. The bill passed the House last month and now goes to Governor Ned Lamont (D) for signing.
State Department Ends Policy that Denied Citizenship to Children of Married Same-Sex Parents
In a significant victory for equality this week, the U.S. State Department has ended a policy that had denied birthright citizenship to children born abroad to married same-sex parents born abroad if the U.S. citizen parent was not biologically related. This also ends years of uncertainty for at least one two-mom couple who have been fighting for their child’s citizenship.
