Family Equality Council Blog

Matthew Shepard: 10 years later.

David — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:45:06 +0000

Today marks the 10 year anniversary of the murder of Matthew Shepard. It’s hard to believe it has been ten years since the brutal, hate-motivated murder. It’s even harder to believe that Wyoming still hasn’t passed a hate crime bill. In fact, Wyoming is one of 19 states that does not address hate crimes based on [...]

Sen. McCain Reponds to Jennifer Chrisler’s Questions on Family Policy

David — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:30:45 +0000

Back on July 23, Family Equality Council’s Executive Director, Jennifer Chrisler, issued identical letters to Sens. McCain and Obama, outlining the vast array of family types in this country and asking both candidates to explain how their administrations would work to recognize, respect, protect and celebrate all loving families in the US. One week later, [...]

Team Equality Spotlight: Stephanie Hazen

David — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:19:59 +0000

What is your role at Family Equality Council? I am the National Training & Advocacy Manager. While I will be continuing much of the local schools work I’ve been doing in Minnesota over the past two years, my role will expand to include some national LGBT family advocacy and policy work. I am really excited to [...]

Gay Families Find the Bronx Is a Place to Call Home

Dustin — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:30:27 +0000

This just in from the New York Times: “It is a statistic surprising even to those it describes: Same-sex couples in the Bronx are more likely to have children than those in any other New York City borough, according to a study released last month, and perhaps more than any county in the country.” “For Ron and [...]

Absentee Voting Starts in CA — Do Your Part to Maintain Marriage Today!

Dustin — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:16:04 +0000

Envelopes stuffed with California ballots are finding their way to California homes today, meaning that our efforts to defeat Prop 8, the CA marriage ban, matter not just on Election Day, but on every single day until then, too! Many voters choose to vote absentee. These voters’ feelings on Prop 8 might change between now and [...]

Two dads, a daughter and a marriage that is finally legal.

David — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:11:04 +0000

The following article, penned by Louise Rafkin, first appeared in the SF Chronical. “On the dance floor at the Stud,” answers Ed Valenzuela, 48, to the question of where he met his husband. He knows that for gay men, it’s a cliche to have met his partner, Gary Walker, 46, in a bar. But in [...]

Authors take stand against calls to ban their work.

David — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 13:11:23 +0000

Over the weekend, I found this article in the Chicago Tribune by Gerry Smith about the hot-topic drama of banned books. Did you know that you can now report challenged books directly through our website? It’s true! Click here to check it out. The penguins are so controversial that some want their story banned from the [...]

Meet Jill, Meg, Caleb and Tillie, Your Average LGBT Family…That Lives in a College Dorm

Dustin — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 12:30:35 +0000

Jill Schneiderman is a professor of earth science at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY. Meg Stewart is an academic computing consultant at Vassar, as well. For four years now, Jill and Meg, along with their two children, Caleb and Tillie, and their dog, Molly, have lived in a faculty apartment in Vassar’s Josselyn House dorm. Jill [...]

Team Equality Spotlight: Lisbeth Melendez Rivera

David — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 13:29:55 +0000

What is your role at Family Equality Council? I am Lisbeth Melendez Rivera and I am the project Harmony Manager at Family Equality Council. As such I work within our organization and with the community to represent and give voice to LGBT Families of Color. Why is family equality important to you? When I travel across the country [...]

Coming Out to the Grandparents…

David — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:49:54 +0000

When I was 17 years old, I came out to my mom and dad. It has been a rocky journey, but one with more ups than downs. It’s been 8 years; I’m 25 now and all the important people in my life - family, friends, coworkers (of course), etc - know that I’m gay. Everyone except [...]