Other Family as Straight Allies
While parents who become allies might garner the most attention, there are other family members who also take the next step by becoming a straight ally. In recent years the children of GLBT parents have become more visible and actively supportive. One such organization is Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere, which has existed since 1993.
Sometimes support comes from a grandparent. For example, conservative former senator and presidential candidate Barry Goldwater took his love and support for grandson Ty Ross beyond the family and into the public arena. In an op-ed he wrote for The Washington Post in 1994, Goldwater declared his support for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act "It's time America realized that there was no gay exemption in the right to `life, liberty and the pursuit to happiness' in the Declaration of Independence," he wrote. "Job discrimination against gays - or anybody else – is contrary to each of these founding principles." The Washington Post, 1994