Adoptions

Nov 30th, 2010 06:06 PM By Mariel & Chelsea

Why is it that most states adoption law’s indicate that Same Sex Partners are not “allowed” to adopt but yet there are thousands of children in dire need of a good home?

My partner and I wish to have kids later down the road but my time clock is ticking loudly and she is not sure if she wants to go through the artificial insemination process, so recently we were discussing adoption and then realized that it would be very hard for us to adopt as a married couple here in the states. So then we thought let’s check it out overseas when we are ready to make it happen, but then we thought about the thousands of dollars we would be spending to make it happen. So right now it’s in the back burner, until further notice.

But our thing is, why can’t we adopt a child as a married lesbian couple when there are thousands of children that are abused every day by their heterosexual foster/adoptive parents? It just doesn’t seem fair to us in the LGBT community, as well as to the children. It is constantly said that we are “not fit to be parents”, but then again we know a lot of heterosexual parents that are not doing even a mildly good job to begin with. Talk about being unfair to our community, which is why we give a damn.

Gay Parents’ Rights

Nov 30th, 2010 06:04 PM By Jorie

I have an 11 year old son whom I didn’t actually give birth to. I was with his Mom thru-out the pregnancy and helped with the birth. I fed him his first bottle, I was the first to rock him to sleep, and I was the one to name him.

Then his Mom and I split up when he was 2. Sure I still have contact… Get him a lot during the summer and holidays, and on most weekends. I do NOT agree with his home situation right now, but I don’t have any say in it. My ex (his Mom) asks for advice, but takes any as a personal attack.

If this were a ‘normal’ situation, I’d have a say… I’d be able to do something legally.

He knows the situation, he BRAGS about having two Moms… He often expresses his wishes that he lived with me, but again, I can do nothing about that, but be the best Mom to him with what I AM given! And believe me, I WILL!

“I Don’t Want You Raising My Daughter to be Gay!!”

Nov 30th, 2010 06:01 PM By Jeanine

I have a seven year old daughter. I had her when I was in the military and married. I knew I wasn’t straight then, but being in the military, loving in any way except heterosexually is frowned upon. I have been raising my daughter to know that discrimination of any kind is wrong.

Recently, my daughter’s father went onto my Facebook and copied pictures from my profile and posted them on his own profile for himself and others to ridicule. There was nothing ‘bad’ in the pictures except for my fiance and I sharing a kiss the day we got engaged. He and his friends and family were saying things like, “She shouldn’t be taking care of your kid, what kind of a mother is she?” or “Take her to court, they’ll give you your daughter for sure!!”.

I reported each and every picture that he stole from me and his account eventually got deleted. We ended up getting into a HUGE fight over the phone about it because we are 6 hours away from each other. I told him that I wasn’t doing anything out of line in front of our daughter and that he needed to accept that I am a lesbian. He yelled into the phone “I don’t want you raising my daughter to be gay!!!!”
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Proud

Nov 30th, 2010 05:58 PM By Megan

I am a better person because I have 2 dads. Having a gay father truly has made me a better person and now parent. My dad taught me to be tolerant and respectful of everyone no matter their orientation. I love my dad so much and I am proud of who he is and who I am as well!!

Everyone Just Doesn’t Understand

Nov 30th, 2010 05:48 PM By Crystal

Everyone is always like “well, I guess you will never be able to actually have real kids of your own because your a lesbian.” Well, I am here to tell everyone that that isn’t true. I just wish people would open there eyes and realize that its not always about actually giving birth, it is about giving that child love and someone to come to and raising them in good surroundings.

I have always also heard “What do you think the kid/kids will think when they grow up and find out y’all are together and gets made fun of for having 2 mothers?” My comment on that is that yea, I’m pretty sure that crap will be said because we are lesbians, but I hope that my kid/kids will be strong enough to overlook the other’s stupid comments and know that they are loved the same, if not as more, by his 2 loving parents. no matter if they are 2 females.

I can’t believe that it is okay for people who are on drugs to have kids. Or people that abuse them. But, the second anyone gets wind of a bi, lesbian, gay, or trans person having kids it makes top story and everyone believes that they should not have that right. So, I can’t wait for the day that I can show everyone that I can have my own child because I provide for them, love them, and let them become my world.

A Woman’s True Identity

Nov 30th, 2010 05:35 PM By vanessa

I was my parents’ gift, a healthy blond hair, blue eye baby girl. Everything all started at the age of 11 when my parents had a very ugly separation. Shortly after, my bullied brother had changed my life, as well as my parents, by committing suicide due to the fact he was a little different. That’s when I took a stand and told myself I wouldn’t be like the others and actually give a damn about things that I stood for.

I was around 14 and I already had a couple girlfriends and several boyfriends. I was living with my dad and he learned that I was a proud young lesbian. All he told me was “dad already knew you were one.” However, it was not till several years later that an ex girlfriend had told my mother that her little precious daughter had dated many girls and that she was one of them.
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My Dad

Nov 30th, 2010 05:27 PM By Olivia

I grew up all of my life without a dad, and I always felt like something was missing, and then when I was 8 I went to see my mom at work and while I was there I met Larry. He immediately took me and my twin brother around to all the people that were there and told them we were his kids and how cute we are and how much he loves us. He always had us over for Christmas and made us fudge and cookies!

He always sent me birthday cards and every time I saw him he would always tell me how much he loved me and would always take me to anyone who was around and would tell them I was his daughter and how much he loves me. I’m 18 now and have met my real father once, he was just what I thought he would be like and walked out on me and my twin brother once again. I realized right then that I had always had a father in Larry, he loved me unconditionally and would never have done anything to hurt me. I still call him Dad and I love him as if he were my biological father more than my biological father!!

I love my dad and because of him I didn’t have to grow up feeling like anything was missing. It has never made any difference that he was gay, I didn’t even know until I was 16, but I realized it didn’t matter. That is my story, my Dad deserves to be treated with the love he’s shown me!

My Family is Fighting for Your Family!

Nov 30th, 2010 05:23 PM By Jennifer

I am a mother and wife. I am also straight. My husband serves in the military. He doesn’t have to fear losing his job for sharing his life with me. These are not rights that we had to fight for and I don’t believe that these are rights that others should be denied. Being straight does not make me a better partner or parent. Being straight doesn’t make my husband more qualified to fight for our country. I just want people to have the same rights as me regardless of who they choose to love.

Everyone deserves the right to have a family! Everyone deserves the right to choose who they marry. Everyone deserves the right to hold their child for the first time. These are experiences that I have been lucky enough to have the right to have and I think it is time that everyone gets to have those rights too.

Being Transgender, and How It Added to My Parenting Skills

Nov 30th, 2010 05:14 PM By Bella

I have always been a parent figure in my life to my family and friends. A mother, brother, sister, and father. I have protected those around me with 200% of my ability. So when it came time for this T person at 17 years of age to be a dad, it was easier than I thought.

I have always given the same respect to others so naturally when my daughter was born I gave her more respect for who she was. I had not accepted myself at that time, (wish I knew then the information I am blessed with now), knowing that my desire was for her to be a positive loving human being was definitely my starting point. I loved her with abandon and never pointed out the differences between people’s choices. I only pointed out the outcome for every personal decision that’s made.

I waited until she was 13 years old to share my sexuality, in fact, I waited until she came home from school and there were her peers coming out with there own personal identity. As a trans person I realized that every time I chose to make my identity an issue that people would stand up and fight me on it. Well… its not an issue anymore, it is an identity, part of who I am, an absolute statement that I do not budge or argue about. My daughter taught me that, she always stood firm on her ideals, agreed those ideals were of child like nature, but that is the point.
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Growing Up With A Gay Parent…

Nov 30th, 2010 05:09 PM By Chelsea

I shouldn’t have to start everything off with “my dad is gay,” but some people act like they are okay with it, but in reality are closet homophobes. My parents divorced when I was two because my dad is a gay man, and he came out to me when I was five, and I tried to understand as best as I could what being gay meant. I thought I was gay because my dad explained it as two boys liking each other, or two girls liking each other so I thought I was gay because I had female friends who I liked, little did I know what he was really trying to tell me.

I finally understood when I went into middle school what gay really meant, and it was fine with me, because I never missed out on any love, I was a spoiled Daddy’s Girl, I was never exposed to anything inappropriate or overly sexual growing up and it just so happens my dad is the best man I have ever known, and I owe him more than I could ever give him back. I live in the Bible Belt and I didn’t understand why my friends all of a sudden were not allowed to come over and their parents didn’t want them around me, my dad finally told me it was because of his sexual orientation, which never crossed my mind because I feel that there is nothing wrong with being gay.
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