Straight Parent, Gay Kid
Don’t Believe Everything You Read!
Call me gullible but when I read that President Obama had declared June 26, 2016 as National Equality Day, I was thrilled! It made sense. After all, June is Gay Pride Month, according to Obama. The month of June has many LGBT victories: On June 26, The Supreme Court decided in favor of James Obergefell (Obergefell…
Backlash of Gay Rights During Gay Pride Month
President Obama proclaimed on May 31st that June is LGBT month. Said he, “ I call upon the people of the United States to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists and to celebrate the great diversity of the American people. “ Despite his announcement, on the cusp of Gay Pride Month, Omar Marteen, who lives in…
Segregation All Over Again?
A few weeks ago, I was at the welcoming LGBT Community Center on west 13th Street in New York City. I wanted to look at the space at the BGSQD (bookstore/event hall) within this well-known community center. As you might expect, all their restrooms are LGBT-friendly. I eventually had to use the facilities so I…
This Memorial Day, We Remember Those Who Served, Those Who Couldn’t Serve
Today, I am remembering my grandfather, born 1887, who received Belgian’s Croix de Guerre, my great grandfather, a Lieutenant in the Coast Guard Navy during the Spanish American War, who received a Congressional Medal of Honor, and my husband, who received a Purple Heart for his injuries inflicted during operating a helicopter during the Tet…
May Is Mental Health Awareness Month, But Not Every State Honors It
Tennessee and Mississippi Have Discriminatory Laws Last month, Republican Governor Bill Haslam of Tennessee signed into law House Bill 1840 that legalizes discrimination against LGBT people. The law allows counselors to cite religious beliefs for refusing services to LGBT patients. Originally, the terminology of the bill allowed for “sincerely held beliefs,” but the state House…
May Is Mental Health Awareness Month
Are YOUR LGBT Kids Mentally Healthy? Does your child attend class regularly or does he cut class once a month, as GLSEN (Gay Straight Lesbian Education Network) studies show, because he feels unsafe at school? Is she bullied in school, and cyberbullied 24/7? A new study published last January in the American Journal of Public…
Mother’s Role in Supporting Gay Youth Is Vital!
Tomorrow is Mother’s Day. With all the joys and frustrations of motherhood, don’t you sometimes feel as if we mothers should receive a Congressional Medal of Honor? But I’ll compromise with flowers, a card, and a good breakfast. While unconditional love from both parents is important for a gay child to thrive, it was my…
What is STD Awareness Month?
STD Awareness Month is an annual observance in April. National Youth HIV/STD Awareness Day was April 10. (see blogpost http://www.straightparentgaykid.blogspot.com. April-10-is-National-Youth-HIV/STD-Awareness-Day/4/9/16. ) Each year, the U.S. has 19 million new sexually transmitted diseases. It’s an ongoing public health epidemic that costs the health care system 17 billion annually. Talking To Your Kids About Sexually Transmitted…
What is #40toNoneDay?
Today is #40toNoneDay. It serves to raise public awareness about LGBT youth homelessness. LGBT persons face discrimination, social stigma, and often rejection by their families. These consequences of society’s non-acceptance can result in 7.4% more acts of sexual violence to them than their heterosexual peers and LGBT youth are more likely to attempt suicide…