GREETINGS FROM THE FAMILY PRIDE COALITION!

FAMILY PRIDE COALITION IN THE NEWS
Long Beach Gazette Newspapers
Homosexual Foster Parents Finding Home in State System
http://www.gazettes.com/fosteragency05192005.html

Gay.com
Christian group calls off Disney boycott
http://www.gay.com/news/article.html?2005/05/24/4

ANTI-GAY AMENDMENT REMOVED FROM TEXAS FOSTER CARE BILL
On Fri., May 27, the Senate Bill 6 Conference Committee moved forward with the measure after dropping an amendment added by Rep. Robert Talton (R-Pasadena), which would have created a ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual foster parents in Texas.
The discriminatory amendment was removed after thousands of e-mails, phone calls, faxes, letters and visits from LGBT parents, our friends, family members and allies.
The Family Pride Coalition thanks all of you who worked so courageously and so hard to help educate legislators and the general public in order to defeat this measure. We also thank all our coalition partners, most notably the Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas, for all their work in fighting this anti-family amendment.
To read more, go to: http://www.statesman.com/news/content/shared/tx/legislature/stories/05/28cps.html

REGISTER NOW FOR THE FAMILY PRIDE COALITION’S TENTH ANNUAL FAMILY WEEK IN PROVINCETOWN!
The Family Pride Coalition is happy and proud to invite you and yours to the tenth annual Family Week in Provincetown July 30-Aug. 5!
 
Family Week provides an idyllic opportunity for our children to meet other children with LGBT parents, and for parents to meet other parents and share experiences. Because every family has different needs, several activities are planned for each day – your family’s schedule can be as full of activities or as relaxed as you choose.
 
The Family Pride Coalition has invited COLAGE (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere) back for another year of exciting programming for youth nine years and older. Together, we provide a large array of family activities appropriate and fun for every age. Registration for Family Week in Provincetown is available at http://www.familypride.org/events/familyweek2005.php

WEEKEND OF EDUCATION, FUN FOR LOS ANGELES AREA LGBT-HEADED FAMILIES
This weekend, the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s Family Services Program will host its second annual parenting conference, “Building Blocks,” on Sat., June 4 from 8:30-3:30pm. In addition to educational workshops, there will be programming for youth provided by COLAGE, and free child care will be provided. For more information, e-mail familyservices@laglc.org.
On Sun., June 5, the Pop Luck Club’s seventh annual Gay & Lesbian Parenting Resource Day will take place in Plummer Park, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd. from noon-2pm. In addition, for the first time, the resource day will offer educational seminars on adoption and surrogacy. For more information, e-mail plcinfo@popluckclub.org.

LGBT PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN ENCOURAGED TO TAKE PART IN GLSEN SURVEY
LGBT parents and their children are encouraged to take part in a survey created by the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Eduation Network (GLSEN), in collaboration with the Family Pride Coalition and COLAGE.

GLSEN’s past research has proven invaluable in demonstrating the need for anti-bullying and anti-homophobic education in schools. This study promises to deepen our knowledge about the experiences of our families in schools. The results will illuminate our children’s experience in schools and empower us, as an organization and as individuals, to better advocate for LGBT families in general and our children in particular.

The survey contains questions about you, your family and your family's experiences with schools. The survey is completely anonymous -- we do not ask for your name (and please don't put it anywhere in the survey). Because it is anonymous, we hope that you will be comfortable being completely honest when answering our questions.

Please feel free to skip any question that does not apply to you or that you are not comfortable answering. The survey should take about 30 minutes to complete. Your participation is incredibly valuable, and is greatly appreciated.

If you are a parent, please click this link to take the survey: http://websurveyor.net/wsb.dll/24865/glsenfamilies-parent.htm

If you are the child of an LGBT parent or parents AND ARE 13 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER, please click this link to take the survey:
http://websurveyor.net/wsb.dll/24865/glsenfamilies-student.htm

If you have any questions about the survey, you may contact Dr. Joe Kosciw, research director, at jkosciw@glsen.org, or Elizabeth Diaz, research associate, at ediaz@glsen.org.