Family Pride goes “down under” with Daniel Robinson
David on Aug 26th 2007
Hello everyone! My name is Daniel and I am writing to introduce myself as a new team member here at Family Pride. I hopped onboard this summer and have not had the chance to look back. I have been amazed (and yes, sometimes overwhelmed) by how hard the staff works everyday to do all that Family Pride does. I thought this would be easiest to do in a brief interview, and lacking an interviewer I have decided to interview myself.
Give us the basics?
The basics: I am a 6’4”, half-Aussie graduate of Bowdoin College (Bio Major, Gay and Lesbian Studies Minor) who is passionate about many social justice issues, especially LGBTQ equality.
Why Family Pride?
I think it is important to start this answer by saying family equality hasn’t always been important to me. Growing up in a conservative military town meant that I never (knowingly) met anyone whose family pushed the bounds of the “traditional” nuclear family very far. Without realizing it, I absorbed the sentiment that the “traditional” family represented an ideal and that deviations from that ideal meant the family became “dysfunctional.” Even arriving at Bowdoin and coming out, I secretly struggled with my desire to one day be a father and my internalized, homophobic fear of deviation. Then I met and began to baby-sit for two sets of lesbian mums. After observing first-hand how incredibly loving and caring these families were, my internal struggle came to rest only to be replaced by a controlled rage at the hoops LGBTQ-headed families had to jump through to simply build and protect themselves. So I am here at Family Pride for two reasons: 1) to help our families tell their stories to people like me who only need to be exposed to be convinced of their legitimacy and 2) to fight for that legitimacy to be legally recognized.
Favorite food?
Chicken pesto pizza from anywhere or anytime. Start your morning with a piece one day and find out what I mean. Delish.
Welcome to the team, David!
Oops! I meant Daniel! I was thrown off by the name of the poster’s name “David”.
My apologies!
Welcome, it’s exciting to see the growth at Family Pride. It’s gone from a little grass roots organization that was some what fringe - gay parents - to a force that has a place at the table. It’s exciting to be part of it and seeing so many smart young people joining the team. You are changing the country for my family, but most of all for my kids. Thank-you!