Author: Brett

About

COLAGE Mission

COLAGE is a national movement of children, youth, and adults with one or more lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or queer (LGBTQ) parent/s. We build community and work toward social justice through youth empowerment, leadership development, education, and advocacy.

COLAGE Vision

We envision a world in which those of us with one or more lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or queer parents or families are connected to a broad community of peers and mentors, are recognized as the authority of our experiences, belong to respected and valued family structures, and have the tools and support to create and maintain a just society.

We envision a world in which all families are valued, protected, reflected, and embraced by society and all of its institutions; in which all children grow up loved and nurtured by kinship networks and communities that teach them about, connect them to, and honor their unique heritage; and in which every human being has the freedom to express sexual orientation, gender identity, and self.

http://www.colage.org/featured/new-research-on-gay-adoptive-parents-healthier-in-states-with-pro-lgbtq-laws/

COLAGE Research Committee member Dr. Abbie E. Goldberg, author of Lesbian and Gay Parents and their Children has released with the American Psychological Association another new groundbreaking study about gay adoptive parents. Not surprisingly,  ” Dr. Goldberg’s research indicates that, among same-sex couples raising adoptive children during the first year those who lived in states with anti-gay laws and social attitudes had more mental health issues than those who lived in states that provide a more supportive legal and social environment towards gay parenting and parents.”

http://www.colage.org/featured/demographics/

Recent reporting about the Pew Research study entitled The Decline of Marriage and the Rise of New Families showing increased acceptance of gay and lesbian families may have left some with a less than complete picture of the rich diversity of families with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) parents. While we are very happy that acceptance of the idea that gays and lesbians should have the right to raise children has risen, we envision a world in which ALL families are treated with dignity, respect and equality.

LAST month, advocates and opponents of same-sex marriage packed the New Jersey State House in Trenton, supporters in blue, opponents in red. Near the end of the day, Kasey Nicholson-McFadden took the microphone. “It doesn’t bother me to tell kids my parents are gay,” he said in a clear voice. “It does bother me to say they aren’t married. It makes me feel that our family is less than their family.”

http://www.edgeonthenet.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc3=&id=126907&pg=1

 

As the holiday season approach, it often means times of family gatherings. It’s also a time when one might see extended family members whom they haven’t seen since the last holiday season. Often this will involve some sort of travel as well, sometimes just across town, while others will venture out of the country. For some this is a joyous occasion to anticipate, while others find it quite stressful.

The LGBT community has embraced the concept of marriage over the past several years, legally being allowed to wed in Canada and a half-dozen other countries, as well as a few progressive states here in the USA. It’s also becoming more prevalent that these couples are choosing to raise children in increasing numbers. This is in addition to the LGBT individuals with children who are living in common law relationships or are single parents.

http://thoughtcatalog.com/2011/my-big-queer-family/

Last night I experienced a major “New York moment” when I attended a reading by famed gay author Michael Cunningham. Hosted by Wilde Boys—a queer poetry salon—the event was held in the living room of a warm lavish apartment in Chelsea, creating a special intimate feel that I had yet to encounter at a reading before. In case you’re unfamiliar with his work, Cunningham is perhaps best well-known as the author of The Hours, which was later adapted into an Oscar-winning film starring Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, and Meryl Streep. But to avid readers of his work, Cunningham is most respected for his accurate modern depictions of homosexuality. In particular, A Home At The End Of The World and his latest novel, By Nightfall, challenge the notion of a traditional family by blurring the lines of sexuality, focusing on the tight bonds of friendship and forming a new kind of tribe: The queer family.