The Newest Boston Baked Bean: Family Pride adds Julia Bean to the Team!
julia on Sep 26th 2007
Hello new friends!
My name is Julia and I would just love to introduce myself to you! I have a fascination for exclamation points, so just bare with me, folks! Here are a few tidbits about me:
• My mother came out as a lesbian three years ago—which ignited my enthusiasm for family equality. As one of my best friends, my mother has always embodied ultimate compassion, selflessness, and undying love. If her fairly recent title of “lesbian” all of a sudden makes her a target of criticism and a “questionable” parent, I can’t just sit still and allow these fallacious ideas continue to build and snowball in our society. I am wholeheartedly committed to securing equality for all families, whether they are hetero-normative or not.
• While a senior at the University of Maine, I took a life-changing course called the ‘Sociology of Gay and Lesbian Relationships’ with Professor Stephen Marks. This was the first venue in which I was able to come out about my mother and it was fabulously supportive—it also lit my passion on fire to strive towards family equality.
• My major areas of work while in this position will concentrate on building parent groups, creating youth programming, and working on the Research Symposium for 2008!
• I was born in Presque Isle, Maine and spent most of my childhood biking through potato farms, water skiing up north, and playing with lobsters!
• I love hiking and hope to hike the Triple Crown someday! It includes the entire Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide. It takes about a full year to hike—anybody game?
I have been avidly researching for the best children’s books, music, and games with themes such as: LGBTQ parents, diversity, self esteem and tolerance. In the future, perhaps we will integrate these into our conferences with LGBTQ families. I have also been making appointments with child psychologists and guidance counselors to see what direction some of our youth programming can take! I’m really excited to be here and can’t wait to start making a difference!
Filed in general |
HI Julia,
Wow I loved reading your little piece, and I am very interested in the youth groups you will be working with.
You wrote below about your mom’s new title, and if that all of a sudden makes her a target…My kids experienced that when I left an unhappy marriage, and found happiness with a woman. I am shocked at how people treat my children..They are kids, they have NO predujice, just what they are taught, and I will tell you people are mean and nasty, exspecially what they are teaching their kids. I said to one mother who told her daughter she can NO longer play with mine because I am gay, teach LOVE, not HATE. The girls are 10. I aplaud you on your work, good luck.
“As one of my best friends, my mother has always embodied ultimate compassion, selflessness, and undying love. If her fairly recent title of “lesbian” all of a sudden makes her a target of criticism and a “questionable” parent, I can’t just sit still and allow these fallacious ideas continue to build and snowball in our society”
Hi Julia!
Awesome intro. article! I especially loved the fact that you took the initiative to learn more about LGBTQ issues and decided to join the fight for equality.
Welcome to the team!
Eileen,
when you told that mother to “teach love, not hate”. How did she react?
Bravo Julia for being so supportive of your mother. Some children are not as accepting as are some spouses. It’s a shame wheneveryone thinks a child is better off with the “straight parent”. Lesbian and gay men make just as good a parent as a hetero does. I hate the discrimination. I’m just a lesbian that had hoped to be a mom. My mom was not to reseptive when I came out at 29. If I brought my “wife” home with me I was to tell everyone she’s my friend. After we broke up I went back in the closet and didn’t come back out til this yr at the age of 50. I just decided to stop living a lie and be who I am. I’m proud of who I am and the people around me are very supportive. There’s a few homophobes, I just chose to ignore them. I’m glad you’re getting involved in the groups.