HRC Blog

This is the first blog post in what we’re calling “Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Family” -- a series of conversations and blog posts celebrating National Adoption Month. This post comes from Ellen Kahn, HRC Family Project director: November is National Adoption Month, an opportunity to celebrate adoptive families, to educate the broader community about the adoption experience, and to raise awareness of the 130,000 children and youth who are waiting for a permanent family. Because many of us know adoptive families, because some of us are adoptive parents or hope to be, and adoption is a common path for LGBT parents, the HRC Family Project is celebrating National Adoption Month through our “Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Family” blog series and web chat (more information below). We want members of our community to feel included and to see ourselves and our families represented in the stories about adoption that permeate the airwaves and e-waves in November when there is increased attention to this important subject. It is increasingly common for adoption agencies to welcome LGBT adults as families for children and youth in need of stable, supportive homes. In fact, many agencies are actively seeking us by coming to Pride festivals, advertising in LGBT news outlets, or partnering with local LGBT organizations, all with the hope of finding families for children in need. As of this week, 45 agencies have formally signed on to All Children—All Families and are actively working to include and support LGBT families. While there are still bad laws in many states as well as discriminatory practices that continue to place obstacles in our path to parenthood, the general trend among child welfare professionals is in the right direction. Not only do we have 25+ years of research concluding that we make good parents and our children are fine, but adoption professionals have their own real examples of strong, thriving LGBT adoptive families and we are increasingly seen as an important and valuable resource for the children and youth awaiting families. Our blog series will feature entries from LGBT foster/adoptive parents, adults who were adopted by LGBT parents, and several of our allies in the child welfare profession who are eager to provide guidance and inspiration to any of us who are considering adoption. Whether you feel a connection to this issue or not, I encourage you to tune in and learn more about the children and youth who are waiting for families – perhaps families like yours – and to join our celebration of National Adoption Month. To invite participation in National Adoption Month, on Thursday, November 19 at 3 p.m., HRC will host a national web chat on LGBT adoption. Prior to the discussion, we'll accept questions that will be answered live in our chat room at www.hrc.org/chat. Questions may be submitted in advance by emailing [email protected].

• WHAT: National web chat hosted by Human Rights Campaign
• WHO: HRC Family Project Director Ellen Kahn; AdoptUSKids Project Manager Kathy Ledesma; CEO and Founder of Roots Inc. Toni Oliver, and Dennis Patrick, a foster/adoptive parent and LGBT parenting expert
• WHEN: Thursday, November 19, 2009 from 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. EST
• HOW: To participate, visit the following link: www.hrc.org/chat