Parental role in Anti-Bullying
LGBTQIA: What Does the A Stand For? No, It’s Not Ally!
The correct answer is Asexual. In our sexually-charged society and social media, it is possible to be asexual. In fact, 1% or nearly three million people refer to themselves as asexual or “aces,” according to Lisa Zhang at TED X Gunn High School Talk on YouTube (3-26-2014). What Is Asexuality? Asexuality is a term for…
State of The Union Before 2021: How’s the LGBT Community Doing?
It has been a tough year for many people: unemployment, isolation, escalation in drug abuse, a world-wide pandemic taking so many lives, schools shut. Yet despite all the social problems of this year, there have been some bright spots in this trying time. The LGBT community made some strides and should continue to do so…
National Homelessness Youth Awareness Month: November
Did you know that: LGBT Youth are 120% more likely to experience homelessness. LGBTQ youth are over represented in the foster care system. They are more likely to become homeless, according to http://pflag.com. One in three transgender Americans have been homeless at some point in their lives. According to Covenant House, LGBT youth comprise 40%…
Why We Need Transgender Awareness Week November 13-19
Yearly, you can count on the third week in November being celebrated as National Transgender Awareness Week. Between November 13-19, people and organizations in the U.S. help raise visibility about transgender people. As allies of the trans community, we need to address the issues members of that community face such as social stigma, discrimination and…
Pronouns Aren’t Just Good Grammar
If you have an LGBT child, you need to address them by the right pronouns. It not only demonstrates acceptance but acknowledges their identity. It is particularly troublesome for a transgender child or gender non-conforming child to hear the more common pronoun she/her/he/him that is applied to cis-gender kids (those who identify with the sex…
What Can You Do If Your School Isn’t An Ally To Prevent Bullying
National Bullying Prevention Month is coming to a close. Your kids have hopefully been able to attend school these last two months. While the opening of schools may be a blessing for you as a parent, it may be hellish for your LGBT child if he is being bullied. Although the school climate is better…
How Do You Make Your Child’s School An Ally?
Great! You’ve been doing your duty of making your child an ally at home. You’ve taught how to outsmart bullies, online and in person. But how do you make the school an ally, especially when you’re not there to see the violations? Here are some tips: Include your child in the problem-solving. If he’s included,…
How to Outwit Your Child’s Bullies at School
Last week, I wrote about cyberbullying and how it affects your family. I also gave tips on how to protect your child during National Bullying Prevention Month (October). It’s important to know how to teach your kids to confront bullies in person. School has started and the bullies are in session with your kids. Is…
October is Bullying Prevention Month
Perhaps, one of the most famous cyberbullying cases involved a Rutgers Freshman, Tyler Clementi a talented musician who happened to be gay. In 2010, Tyler was humiliated and shamed when his roommate Dharun Ravi activated a secret video camera to record Tyler’s sexual relations and streamed it to others on the campus. This cyber-harassment lead…
LGBT History Month Oct. 1-31
LGBT History Month is an annual month-long observance that takes place in October. It was founded in 1994 by a Missouri high school teacher named Rodney Wilson. Its purpose is to showcase the achievements of gay icons as well as the gay and civil rights movements. It combats prejudice against the LGBT community. Some Questions…
What R.B.G. did for gender equality. Parents of LGBT Kids Are Indebted.
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court and one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in 2015,” liberal icon and pioneer Ruth Bader Ginsburg advanced LGBTQ rights. In 1993, President William Clinton nominated her to the High Court. She, replacing retiring Bryon White, took her oath of office from Chief Justice William H. Rehnquest at…
The World Needs Bisexual Awareness Week September 16-23
Bisexuals make up the largest portion of the LGBTQ+ community (40% of America), according to data from the Pew Research Center. However, society tries to erase them. How? The Bisexual Resource Center (BRC), America’s oldest national bisexual organization in Boston, reports that this community experiences significantly higher rates of physical, sexual, mental and social health. …
Who is Marsha P. Johnson and Why It Matters
After high school in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Marsha P. Johnson, born Malcolm Michaels, Jr. in 1945, moved to New York City with $15 in his pocket. He couldn’t wait to leave New Jersey. Wearing dresses at age six, he was ridiculed. He identified as gay, but back then in 1951, “gay” was not a common…
Moving Towards Equality For The Trans Community
According to cnn.com at least twenty-two people, mostly black trans people, have been killed in 2019. Believe or not, these numbers may be low as no U.S. jurisdiction or agency routinely collects information about a person’s gender identity when they die. The Williams Institute, a think tank focusing on LGBT policy at UCLA School of…
Long Before Edie Windsor, Civil Rights Icon John Lewis Fought For Gay Rights
Edith Windsor’s same-sex marriage fight led to an important Landmark Ruling, in 2013, although it was limited to thirteen states and District of Columbia. It declared the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional and was signed by President Clinton. The bill defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman. In essence, Windsor,…