stats and facts ::

Our relationships are under siege. Our nation’s children are being bullied. Our families are being lied about. Here are the real statistics, the facts about LGBTQ-headed families. Additionally, we’ve included figures pertinent to the family equality movement, our organization and our strategy. To make things easy to find, our stats and facts are divided into our families, our schools, laws affecting our families, our organization, and our strategy.

> Our Families ::

• 4-14 million children are being raised in LGBT-headed households in the U.S. (U.S. Census, 2000).
• According to the 2000 U.S. Census, only 23% of families in this country are married mom-dad families with kids. That means that the vast majority of families in this country, 77%, are different from that societal recognized norm.
• Just 1 state, Massachusetts, legally protects us and our children through marriage equality (As of May 17, 2004).
• 49 states still refuse to protect families by passing legislation to ensure marriage equality.
• Marriage confers 1,138 federal policies and protections. Whether we as individuals want to get married or not, we absolutely must have access to marriage.
• In 2004 and 2005, 15 states enacted their own “Defense of Marriage Acts,” making discrimination against our families a part of their constitutions.

> Our Schools ::

• Bullies—1/3 of teens report that students are frequently harassed because they are or are perceived to be lesbian, gay or bisexual (“From Teasing To Torment: School Climate in America ” study from Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)”).

> Laws Affecting Our Families ::

• 24 states have a ban on second-parent adoption.
• 28 states refuse to allow single gays to adopt (list).
• 29 states refuse to allow lesbians and gays to adopt as individuals and then petition for a second-parent adoption.
• 1 states has an outright ban on LGBT adults adopting (FL).
• 2 states (MS & UT) allow only married couples to adopt, effectively banning all LGBT adults from adopting.
• 22 states and the District of Columbia have granted adoptions, at least in some counties, to gay and lesbian individuals, as well as same-sex couples.
• 40% of adoption agencies in the United States do not accept applications from LGBT parents.
• 3 in 5 of all adoption agencies in the US have not placed a child with an LGBT parent.
• 19 States have constitutional bans against same-sex marriage.
• 45 states have explicit provisions prohibiting marriages between individuals of the same sex.
• During the 2005 legislative session, 15 anti-family bills were introduced in 5 states (AZ, OH, TN, UT, VA).
• Either by incurring costs or losing incentives, excluding LGBTQ parents from the pool of potential foster and adoptive parents not only harms the children who need homes, it also harms states financially. It is costing our country millions of dollars to prevent qualified LGBTQ adults from becoming parents.

> Our Organization ::

• The organization that is now known as Family Pride began in 1979. Read more about our history.
• Family Pride is proud to be the national non-profit organization dedicated to securing family equality. Maintaining the focus of LGBT parents and their families, in 2005, Family Pride expanded their mission and embraced the fight for full family equality for all loving families. We recognize and believe that the laws, provisions and ordinances that hurt LGBTQ-headed families also hurt so many others—single parents, blended families, families of color, etc. To that end, Family Pride is standing strong to defeat anti-family legislation and promote pro-family legislation.
• Headquartered in Washington, DC, Family Pride continues to work with other progressive national and state-based organizations, local parents groups and families, friends and allies to make change, share information and build community. We are absolutely committed to achieving family equality in our lifetime!

> Our Strategy ::

• We are committed to sharing the over 30 years of scientifically valid research about our families.
• We must fight for marriage equality—not civil unions, not domestic partnership benefits. Separate has never been equal and this is no exception.
• We are re-framing the concept of “family” in this country to accurately reflect the diversity and make-up of American households.
• We are educating people about the depth and breadth of the child welfare crisis in this country and its clear connection to the family equality movement.
• We are making mindful comparisons to the progressive movements of the past. The fight for civil rights is not over is this country until everyone actually has their civil rights.
• We must mobilize allies to win the fight for family equality. We truly believe that if straight America knew how our families were being treated on a daily basis—at work, at school, in our communities—they would stand up for us.