Posts Tagged ‘Social Compact Issues’

2+2=1 in Chicago

Posted by

Even with Father's and Mother's Day coming up (or the fact that my wonderful mom texts, IMs or calls at least once a day), I don't typically focus on parenting or parent issues as a single, 25-year-old practitioner in the city. However, single or married with six kids, it is common knowledge that Chicago Parent is one of the biggest publications in the Windy City for families, providing parenting and education advice to Chicagoland's extremely diverse communities.

Yesterday, I literally stopped in front of the Borders windows because this month's Chicago Parent, which profiles different families, proudly featured Robert Pooley and Howard Wax with their two children Sarah and Marcus. Entitled "Two dads, two kids, one happy family," Wax and Pooley's story and decisions to have children via a surrogate is a quick read here on the Chicago Parent site.

Chicago Parent didn't just stop, though, with telling the story of how these two men created a family. Instead, they addressed the uncertain road ahead, noting the couple's concern for their children's emotional and physical protection. Pooley, who is a local physician, said in the piece, "It's up to us, society as a whole, to always support parents because in the end, what we want to do is raise good, decent children."

Falling during Census Month and the many debates around how Americans classify themselves, their marriage and their family, Chicago Parent's bold move uses a story to bring humanity and purpose to same-sex families and adoptions. All parents want to raise good children, even if it is the toughest job in the world AND doesn't come with an instruction manual. It requires sacrifice and is a big decision for many.

Yet, it is something others try to discuss as an "issue." Case in point is the current coverage of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee's comments on the topic during an interview with the College of New Jersey's news magazine The Perspective. You can actually check out the interview tape over at Queerty.

I'll end by thanking Chicago Parent for introducing its readers to just one of the many same-sex families around the world. What are your thoughts on the story or same-sex families? Share them with us, or your greatest parenting advice, in the comments below.

| April 14th, 2010 No Comments »
Tags: · ·

Generation Hope

Posted by

When I joined the Out Front Blog a year and a half ago, the debate on gay marriage was growing and my colleagues and I took appropriate opportunities to review the communications of both sides. During that same time too, I made it a point to look also to our future and made an impassioned commitment to cover LGBT youth and students, as they are our future Out Front communicators and leaders.

I am happy today to be covering a recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education that showed freshman college students who chose the politically "far right" label are much more supportive of same-sex marriage than than the conservative Republican base nationwide. The following results come from the University of California at Los Angeles' Higher Education Research Institute:

  • 24 percent of the most conservative college students support same-sex marriage, as opposed to only 14 percent of conservative Republicans who feel the same (this finding is from the 2009 Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life's study)
  • Support is growing. 65 percent of college freshmen last fall supported same-sex nuptials, up from 56 percent in 2000
  • Support grows during college, too. In the 2004 study, 57 percent of students entering college supported same-sex marriage and grew to 69 percent in support by graduation
  • Since the study's origin in 1997, support for gay marriage has risen 21 points among liberal students, 16 percent among moderates and 2 percent for those on the far right
  • 72 percent of women and 57 percent of men entering college support same-sex marriage, compared with 43 percent of women and 34 percent of men nationally (Pew study)
  • 69 percent of Hispanic, 65 percent of white and 53 percent of black freshmen support marriage equality, with lower numbers in that same order nationally (Pew study)
  • At least 87 percent of Jews, Buddhists or those students not subscribing to any religion favor marriage equality, followed by 66 percent of Catholic college freshmen and 58 percent of Muslims. Most Protestant students of varying denominations fell between 50-75 percent. Nationally, 27 percent of Protestants and 45 percent of Catholics support legal marriage equality

This study is good news, as agreed by Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, who stated in the article, " Young people who know gay people, talk with them, and examine why marriage matters in the lives of real people move in support." It's something I've seen manifested in my own experiences time and time again — whether at home, work or community organizations. That's why we're continually reminding our readers to repeatedly share their life with any and everyone — it's this communication that brings about change.

This article, though, should not signal LGBT communicators and individuals to kick up their heels. As the balanced article shares, Glenn Stanton, director of family formation studies at Focus on the Family said, "Young people tend to be more liberal or progressive. It's a softer kind of conviction, not well formed or articulated in their minds."

If Stanton's belief is true, which it may be in part, this is a signal that while communicating for equality now is essential, so is sharing factual and powerful information with the next generation of allies and LGBT individuals in college. Our message should be direct, transparent and accompanied with real accounts of same-sex marriages — those that last, those that were taken away, and those that can't.

Call them Millennials, Generation Y or whatever. I call them Generation Hope.

What are your thoughts on this study?

| March 18th, 2010 No Comments »
Tags: ·

Technology: Bullying’s Latest Frontier

Posted by

According to a new study by Iowa State University researchers, one out of every two LGBT and allied adolescents are regular victims of cyberbullying, a form of harassment happening via Web sites, chat rooms, e-mail, cell phones and instant messaging. The study surveyed 444 youth, ages 11 to 22, including 350 self-identified LGBT subjects, as well as nearly 100 straight allies. More than 50 percent of non-heterosexual respondents reported being cyberbullied 30 days prior to the survey either about their sexual identifies or because they identify or are friends with LGBT peers. Among the LGBT respondents, in response to said bullying:

  • 45 percent report feeling depressed
  • 38 percent report feeling embarrassed
  • 28 percent report feeling anxious about simply going to school
  • One in four report having suicidal thoughts (Less than two months ago, a Massachusetts teen committed suicide in a case that has been linked to cyberbullying)

We’ve previously discussed the numerous challenges facing LGBT youth, including homelessness, violence, sexual abuse, and very often verbal harassment at school. Back when I was a geeky little tween, bullying was almost always verbal and most often done via folded-up note or overheard from a gaggle of girls outside a classroom. Today’s elementary to high school age kids now have cell phones, e-mail accounts, Facebook, MySpace, Tumblr, YouTube and Twitter, not to mention the terrifying Formspring.Me, a social media site allowing users to ask each other anonymous questions. Formspring.Me is already under fire for opening the door to harassment; less than three months after the site was launched, it helped start a near-riot at a Pennsylvania school.

So what to do? The effects of bullying can last for years, often with devastating emotional consequences. According to this article, these virtual assaults, be it embarrassing photos or spreading nasty rumors or private information, can be especially upsetting because “victims feel they have nowhere to turn.” According to survey respondents, 40 percent said their parents wouldn’t believe them if told, and ironically, more than half felt that their parents might restrict their Internet and phone access, which is particularly troublesome for LGBT youth, as it can often be their only connection to LGBT peers and allies. One of the study’s researchers, Warren Blumenfeld, states that “technology is often the ‘lifeline to the outside world’ for many young LGBT students who have been ostracized by their peers at school.”

One in four survey respondents said they needed to learn how to handle the problems themselves, but an overwhelming number (80 percent!) of those surveyed stated that peers should step in and do more to stop the attacks. Allies – this is where we can play a tremendous part. Act as positive role models to stem these types of bullying – don’t engage, rather help to educate others about LGBT youth and the struggles LGBT classmates face, and ways we can all help. 

As Blumendfeld states, “bullying can’t be seen as something that happens between an attacker and a victim, but must be looked at within the context of the community.” In the school community, teachers and administrators have unique opportunities to openly discuss the harmful effects of harassment, and can enact policies that prevent and punish bullying, both on and offline. In the online community, social networking sites need to establish more stringent rules and guidelines for its under-18 users, including account deactivations for repeated offenses, in order to demonstrate that cyberbullying will not be tolerated.

| March 11th, 2010 1 Comment »
Tags: · · ·

Music Makes the People Come Together…

Posted by

Dreamgirls-7_jpg_550x550_q85 It's like I'm in my own game of "Where's Waldo?" Today, I'm blogging from the Big Apple. Looking forward to a winter weekend back in Ohio (fingers crossed for no flight delays!).

Since I'm still living the life of a professional nomad, I've been collecting my random thoughts for this week's post. Happy Friday, and here goes…

  • Born in the U.S.A. I know he's the Boss, but now he really should be. This week, THE Bruce Springsteen posted the following to his site: "Like many of you who live in New Jersey, I've been following the progress of the marriage-equality legislation currently being considered in Trenton. I've long believed in and have always spoken out for the rights of same sex couples and fully agree with Governor Corzine when he writes that, 'The marriage-equality issue should be recognized for what it truly is — a civil rights issue that must be approved to assure that every citizen is treated equally under the law.' I couldn't agree more with that statement and urge those who support equal treatment for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters to let their voices be heard now." Go Bruce! I appreciate when artists use their communications platform to advocate for causes for which they are passionate. He came out in support of a highly debated issue, and he shared it with the masses. And now, he's got one more gay fan. Granted he had me at "Streets of Philadelphia," but still.
  • Glee Fall Finale. Any television show that involves a pairing of both "And I'm Telling You" from Dreamgirls and "Don't Rain on My Parade" from Funny Girl deserves its own Nobel Peace Prize. Seriously– Effie White and Barbara Streisand? I'm suprised there wasn't a blackout across the U.S. from all us show choir gleeks imploding.
  • Speaking of Dreamgirls: Took a break last night while in NYC and decided to go see the revival of Dreamgirls at the Apollo Theater, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary. What a historic place. And what a fitting place to host this stunning revival. I don't think I've ever seen so much celebrated diversity like I did at the Apollo– gay men, black men, white women… you name it, we were all captivated by the star turn of Moya Angela. And I'm telling you, you better get going there before it closes.
  • Sadness: My mother has made cameo appearances on this blog before. On Wednesday, during our daily conversation, she told me she happened to read the paper and saw the story about the proposed anti-homosexuality bill in Uganda. Her words to me: "I read so many sad things in the paper today. It makes me scared for you. You never know what hateful people can do out there." I won't get into a discussion about what's going on in Uganda. Actually– I can't. It's too tragic to think that such anger and intolerance still permeates our society.

Thank you Bruce, and thank you Mom, for caring about our human rights.

Talk to you next week.

(Photo Courtesy of Playbill)

| December 11th, 2009 2 Comments »
Tags: · · · · · · ·

A Text in Time

Posted by

Text This past Wednesday, my morning started with a text that said, "One day we'll each be able to get married and you'll be the greatest husband ever."

As I turned on the news to see the positive results from Kalamazoo and disappointing outcome in Maine, I frustratingly laughed. Standing in the living, watching the news on digital cable, holding an iPhone in my hand as it played digital music to help shake away the sleepiness, I re-read that message from my best friend that reminded me of my denied rights, my inequal status. All the technological progress and results of modern society surrounded me, yet the note and the news echoed a message of fighting for human rights — struggles similar to history book examples from 1776 and other past eras!

Before Wednesday, I was preparing a post on two issues around these concepts outside of United States that personally touched me. My good friend, Andrew Marin, posted on his blog about the pending bill in Uganda right now that allows the government to imprison or go as far as legally killing gays and lesbians for simply being who they are. There is a link on Andrew's post with more information and direct verbiage from the bill. I was comforted to see a growing online Facebook advocacy cry, but that is far from the amount of communications that must happen around this.

Read more »

| November 6th, 2009 No Comments »
Tags: · ·

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »