Straight Parent, Gay Kid
The Unintelligible “Parental Rights in Education” Bill
Does anyone understand this bill dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” Bill #1557 in Florida? According to Education Week, it does NOT mention the term “gay” or “LGBTQ+ community by name. Nor does it prohibit students at any grade level from talking about their LGBTQ+ family members or themselves or acknowledging the existence of gay people.” But…
Growing Up Gay May Give You An Academic Advantage
A new study, Intersecting the Academic Gender Gap: The Education of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual America, published in The American Sociology Review in 2022, purports that growing up gay gives that population an academic advantage. This survey was written by Joel Mittleman, a University of Notre Dame sociologist, and concluded that based on his three…
Just When You Thought You Knew It All….
O.K. you’ve mastered the basics: you know what non-binary means. It means a person who doesn’t identify with being defined as male or female. You know that sex is assigned at birth, but it also can refer to the sex act, short for sexual intercourse. That said, what is gender? It’s social, a personal expression. …
It’s National Nutrition Month. How’s Your Teen’s Eating & Exercise Regimen?
Did you know that: Researchers have found more than 1/2 of young LGBTQ people between 13 and 24 have been diagnosed with an eating disorder. Gay males were 7 x more likely to report binging and 12 x more likely to report purging than heterosexual males. Females who identified as lesbian, bisexual or mostly heterosexual…
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Expected to Sign "Don't Say Gay Bill" passed by The House.
The “Don’t Say Gay Bill” has passed in the House. What does this mean for Parents and LGBTQ+ Students?
The nuclear family has changed in America. LGBTQ+ parents can create their family through surrogacy or adoption. Often, you see brown or persons of color in the same family as Caucasians. Or mixed race children. Sometimes, grandparents or relatives, because their children have mental health conditions, have custody of their grandchildren and are the primary…
What’s In Store for LGBTQ+I Students in Florida Classrooms?
This has been quite a week for education bills proposed re: future of LGBTQ+I students in the classroom. Fueled by Governor DeSantis, the Republican-led majority advanced a bill on February 7 that will have to continue in two more committees before it reaches the Senate floor and the Governor’s pen. If passed in the Senate,…
O Ye of Faith, Why is His Holiness Giving Mixed Messages
This week, His Holiness Pope Francis, 85, urged parents in his weekly General Audience to not “hide behind an attitude of condemnation” but to “accompany” LGBT children. Those children, The Pontiff believes, are children of God, loved by God and therefore deserving of accompaniment by the church. While the 266th Pontiff, aged 85, thanked nuns…
This article was originally published in the NYMetroParents on July 19, 2016. The information contained in the article is still applicable, based on my book When Your Child Is Gay: What You Need To Know, co-authored with psychiatrist Jonathan L. Tobkes, M.D. Luckily, as of July, 2021, there are more than twenty-two U.S. states that…
Coming Out: Preparation is Key
This article was co-written with Nasir Fleming and originally published on the HuffPost Contributor Platform on 10/2/16. The advice is still pertinent. Coming Out: Preparation Is Key (Tips from a Straight Mother & Gay Teen) It’s my favorite time of year again: pumpkin spice flavored beverages, warm clothing, and barely starting to get a hang on…
lgbtq, trans and intersex rights concept - close up of male gay couple hugging over progress pride flag on background
Coming Out as Transgender: How Should A Parent React?
The world seems to be exploding with gender choices. It’s hard to keep up with all the terms, but as a parent, you may want to know the basics such as: Cisgender: sense of a personal identity and gender corresponds to sex assigned at birth. Gender identity: personal sense of one’s own gender – who…