role of parents
Evaluating a Supposed LGBTQ+ Friendly College
In my co-authored book, When Your Child Is Gay (Sterling: 2016), I interviewed J.R., born Jennifer Rebecca in Staten Island, New York. Jennifer felt she was mismatched with her birth…
You’ve Heard Of It. But What Is It? Monkeypox
Nearly 5,000 people in the U.S. are reported to have Monkeypox. But 20,000 people have it in seventy-five countries. The World Health Organization has declared monkeypox a public health emergency…
Why LGBTQ Adults Keep In Touch With Rejecting Parents
I’ve read about Mothers who give hugs to LGBT children ( “free mom hugs”) who are rejected by their straight non-accepting parents. Sometimes these hugging mothers even substitute for the…
A Sticky Situation in Florida
To a child, a sticker is a reward. It’s a gold star on a chart. It’s an appreciation for good grades, a hand-out at the doctor’s office for good behavior.…
GLAAD’s 2002 Annual Accelerating Accepting Study Has Disappointing Results!
June is Gay Pride Month in many U.S. cities. It demonstrates solidarity for the LGBTQIA+ population and its allies as well as advances in LGBT+acceptance since the Stonewall Rebellion of…
Ellen DeGeneres Packs Her Bags, But We’re Still Unpacking Her Message
On May 23rd, The Ellen DeGeneres show, after its 2003 debut, ended. Who would believe today that Ellen had a tough time selling the show, but she did? She had…
School Board Overrules Fl. Superintendent re: Yr. Book Stickers
Like any high school yearbook, Longwood, Florida’s Lyman High School, considered to be one of the best in the state, will have room for the usual autographs in their yearbooks:…
Denial: What not to do when your child comes out
Coming out is fraught both for parents and their LGBTQ+ children. Your child has likely carefully planned what they’ll say, perhaps they’ve even rehearsed it in front of the mirror…
Keep Politics Out of Disney!
You go to Disney because it’s magic and fantasy! Built out of swamp land, children and relatives come in droves (58 million tourists this year) to see animals and humans…
Defeated by Jeopardy’s Final Question, but Not in Long Run!
Final question: “The only nation in the world, whose name in English ends with an ‘h’ and is also one of the 10 most populous.” Brainiac Amy Schneider was defeated…
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…
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…
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…
