How often do your children see families that look like theirs? I tend to think that we see lots of families that look like ours, but really, we don’t. Most of our daughter’s friends don’t have two moms. She doesn’t seem to mind, so we sometimes forget about it. As I was putting this post together, she grabbed a snack and sat next to me. She looked at all the families. We talked about them. I told her their names and a bit about their families. She wanted to see more, so we went through the archives a bit. I realized then how important it is to make some time in her week to see a few more families that look like hers. I realized how important that is for me too. Queer families rule.
“My name is Susan, and my daughter is Keely. She is 16. Just got her license last week!
My ex-partner and I had her together. We used my exe’s brother’s sperm. He gave up parental rights, and my ex adopted her here in Washington State…so the birth certificate has both moms on it.
What is awesome is that Keely also has a dad. He is not that involved, but he loves her..and her him. But Keely was raised by two moms. My ex and I split when Keely was 6, and we could write a book on how to do that well. Keely is a well adjusted, very self assurred and gorgeous girl…with a heart that I am so proud of. She has defended her “2 moms” since kindergarten (not that it was necessary very often)…but is very straight. She and her very steady boyfriend always attend Gay Pride and other events. She is a remarkable girl. We are very proud of her. She is by far the best part of me, and the thing I am the most proud of.”
Izumo You can find Susan on Instagram @sstratton61.
“Hi! I’m Mark and I have a 7 month old son named Grayson with my partner Steve. I used to work in retail but am now a stay-at-home dad for our son. Steve and I have been a couple for almost 12 years and we were married in August 2012. We talked about having children from early on in our relationship but it took awhile to make starting a family a reality. Grayson was born via surrogacy, and given all of the financial and other sacrifices we have made, our son entered this world with much love. We hope to give Grayson a little brother or sister in the next year or two. As a progressive and non-traditional family, we chose to live in Harlem where our family would be exposed to diversity. It’s hard to imagine that I’m married and have a son. When I first came out in the early 1990s the world didn’t look very promising for gay people. I came out shortly after my father, who was gay, died of AIDS in 1991. I know he would be proud of me and my family. While families like ours still face challenges, the world is definitely better.”
http://thehistoryhacker.com/2011/12/20/this-is-a-spoof-i-didnt-really-interview-an-ant/ You can find Mark on Instagram @Markglemieux.
“My name is Tina, I am 29. My partner, Jessica, and I have been together for almost 8 years. We met at a mutual job we had. I have a son who is almost 8 named Dylan. Jess has a brother with Down syndrome who is 28 named Matthew who she has custody of. We all live in Tennessee and together we live all four of us happily and very much in love. We are talking about marriage but nothing serious at this point. “
You can find Tina on Instagram @tina_watson84.
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All photos are shared with permission.
If you would like to share your family, you can tag your photos on Instagram with #myqueerfamily or #lesbianfamily or just email me a photo! Can’t get enough featured families? Check our our previous featured families for more!
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What a fantastic crew!! Casey, every time you post an update to this series, I am grateful. Hello you beautiful families!