Sharing Stories on "Blogging for LGBT Families Day"

Along with being the first day of Pride Month, today marks the 6^th annual Blogging for LGBT Families Day hosted by the blog Mombian. As mentioned yesterday, the event invites all supporters of LGBT families – both LGBT-identified and allies, parents and non-parents – to blog about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender parents, children and households, and the issues pertaining to these communities. Mombian has been tracking posts throughout the day, exhibiting the wide range of perspectives and experiences to be found among LGBT and LGBT-supportive bloggers around the world, including GLAAD's very own Jarrett Barrios. Below are some highlights from the day’s activity thus far. Out lesbian mom Shannon Ralph draws attention to the struggles she foresees in talking to her three children about the recently proposed bill in her home state of Minnesota. The bill would put a constitutional amendment banning marriage equality on the 2012 ballot. On her blog Chronicles of a Clueless Mom, Shannon’s honesty is heartfelt and deeply moving. She writes, “How do I explain something like this to my children? How do I explain that there are people who do not know their moms, but still do not like us? People who have never even met us—people who have not taken the time to get to know us—who think we are less worthy of basic human rights than they are.” Despite these prospective realities, Shannon ends on a hopeful note, calling her children, “The generation that will one day overcome the barriers of inequality and prejudice and make this world a better place for us all.” On her blog Gender and Schooling, part of the Psychology Today website, Elizabeth Meyer, Ph. D., offers a thorough discussion about appropriate gender education in schools. Meyer has written books on gender issues and the effects of bullying, and is an advocate for LGBT inclusivity. She notes that, “If the school is silent about certain kinds of families, certain types of relationships - such as families that are parented by or include bisexual, gay, lesbian, queer and transgender people - then children quickly learn that their families are not valued or welcomed at school. This message subjects children to discrimination from the school and their peers that can include bullying, harassment, exclusion, and discomfort at school.” Jeanine at Dressing My Truth shares her experience with finding a church that embraces LGBT people and their families. Referring to her church, Jeanine says, “After a while, I began to get the idea that it was safe to bring my son, that he would not be getting the message here that there was anything wrong with his family…We are just as worthy of love, welcome and support. Just like any other family.” In a similar vein of acceptance, Safari Dad writes about helping his son embrace his love for dancing in spite of homophobia and gender stereotypes, saying, “If it turns out that he’s gay, that’s fine. Luckily, he already knows that that’s okay.” Tertia at So Close, a blog about dealing with infertility, emphasizes what is truly important about families, writing, “Being a good parent is not about sexual orientation. It is not about one's marital status.  Once you take everything away, it is about love.  About love for the children, about love for each other.  About love for one's self. And about love for your fellow humans - gay, straight or anything in between. I am proud to be a supporter of the rights of ALL people to become parents.” GLAAD supports Mombian and Blogging for LGBT Families Day, and we encourage people to continue sharing their stories of loving LGBT families and their search for acceptance and equality, every day.