Thanks for the info, Koan

Mary Tsao — Tue, 09 May 2006 15:17:35 -0500

I've got it on my calendar. Looking forward to reading other people's posts, too.

Mary
BlogHer Contributing Editor, Mommy & Family
Mom Writes

Blogging for LGBT Families Day - June 1 2006

Koan — Tue, 09 May 2006 05:03:45 -0500

Contributing Editor Koan Bremner also blogs at Multidimensional.Me

Here's another day of blog activism for those who appreciate such things - "Blogging for LGBT Families Day". As the organiser, Dana Rudolph of the blog "Mombian: Sustenance for Lesbian Mums" says, "Blogging for LGBT Families Day is a time for bloggers to write about LGBT family issues and collectively raise awareness of LGBT families, our diverse nature, and how current prejudices and laws negatively affect our lives and children."

As Dana goes on to explain:

Why June 1st? This date falls exactly between Mother's Day and Father's Day. As such, it honors mothers and fathers equally, but also conveys that not all families fit into the traditional structure of one mother and one father. June 1st is also the start of Gay Pride Month.

Some food for thought:

The Human Rights Campaign estimates that same-sex couples are raising children in at least 96% of all counties in the U. S. At least one out of three lesbian couples and one out of five gay male couples are raising children nationwide.

And:

At the same time, in most states, same-sex couples with children cannot legally establish a joint relationship to the children they are raising together. Furthermore, no same-sex parents or their children have access to the 1,138 federal protections of marriage. Most (with the exception of those in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont) also do not have access to the hundreds of state marital benefits. This can impact children's quality of life in many ways, including:

A reduced chance of having family health insurance through an employer, or, at best, higher insurance costs than for the families of married heterosexual workers.

Loss of Social Security benefits when one parent dies.

Additional federal income tax for a same-sex family where one parent stays at home with the children.

Which are all, of themselves, good reasons for raising awareness of the existence, realities and concerns of LGBT families.

For those who picked up on the family dimension of the case of Krystal Heskin, which I blogged about here, I would point you to a recent post on "Transcending Gender", wherein Krystal's mum, Jennie Heskin, writes, including the following heartbreaking words:

I wish everybody could have known my Krystal the way her family and friends knew her. She was generous, kind, beautiful and loved by all of her friends and family. She did not have a life of woe. My last conversation with my daughter was filled with love and laughter. I will miss her every day for the rest of my life. I bless the day she was born and I cherish every moment of her life.

Here's hoping for a good turnout of bloggers and posts!

Blog: Multidimensional.Me

BlogHer - Blogging for LGBT Families Day - June 1 2006 - Comments

Thanks for the info, Koan

Blogging for LGBT Families Day - June 1 2006