|
Organizations by State: California,
Colorado, Florida, Georgia,
Illinois, Indiana,
Massachusetts,
Michigan, Missouri,
Nevada, Rhode Island,
Texas, Washington
Regional Organizations:
Midwest |
|
National Organizations &
Resources |
|
 
|
|
|
2moms2dads.com is your
one-stop resource for gay and lesbian parents or gays and
lesbians interested in becoming parents -- through adoption,
surrogacy, in vitro, egg donors, sperm donors, etc. We
provide links to articles and resources specifically for gay
and lesbian parents and potential parents. If you're
thinking about becoming a parent, check out our invaluable
resources.
|
|
|
|
|
   
Families Like Ours
is a national nonprofit adoption
exchange providing adoption support and
education to pre/post adoptive families
and professionals that provide permanent
families for adoptable children in the
US foster care system. While our
emphasis is with gay and lesbian
adoptive families, we welcome and
encourage the diversity of all family
structures.
|
|
|
|
|
The
Family Acceptance Project (FAP) is a community research,
intervention and training initiative to study the impact of family
acceptance and rejection on the health, mental health and well-being
of lesbian, gay and bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth. Results
will be used to help families provide support for LGBT youth, to
develop appropriate interventions, programs and policies, and to
train providers to improve the quality of services and care they
receive. The project is funded by the
California Endowment. Additional funders include: the
Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, the
Annie E. Casey Foundation and
Casey Family Programs.
|
|
Family Pride is the national non-profit organization
committed to securing family equality for all loving
families, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer
parents, guardians and allies. Our work consists of strategically
linked initiatives—broad in scope, but simple in vision—love,
justice, family, equality. We make change. We share information. We
build community. We are visible.
|
|
 
|
|
Parents Of Gay Children
You're Not Alone
Hi, my name is Debbie and my husband and I
are parents of gay children.
If you are a parent that has just found out your son or daughter is
gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender and are now feeling shocked,
unsure, isolated or many of the other emotions we parents feel when
we first discover our child’s sexual orientation or gender identity,
(that is different to ours) then this site will be invaluable
to you.
We as
parents who are heterosexual and have been brought up in a society
with a low level of understanding of homosexuality (whether
because of society in general or perhaps of our religious upbringing)
often have a very hard time in coming to terms with news that our
very courageous and honest children have given us...(More)
|
|
Gay and Lesbian
Family Values
The
purpose of this website is to provide support to the growing number
of Gay and Lesbian couples or single parents who have children
through a previous marriage, adoption. or by other means.
We know
that in today's society it is becoming more and more difficult for
Gay and Lesbian couples to raise children, not only from the cost
incurred or even the physical and emotional strain, but also the
strain that society puts on the Gay and Lesbian community in raising
children, and providing the necessary support a family unit can
demand.
We would like to
promote the idea that a family is not only a father and a mother
with traditional and sometimes too conservative of values, but
rather a
UNIT OF LOVE,
with one or more consenting adults regardless of gender, creed or
color, providing support and unconditional love to their children
with human compassion and understanding. For those of us that
believe in the love that exists in us all, it is fast becoming time
to prove to a seemingly unconvincing world that Gay and Lesbian
couples can raise emotionally healthy children, able to lead happy
lives with encouraged self-esteem and insurmountable self love,
allowing them to have unyielding and uncompromising appreciation for
themselves and for those around them.
|
|
Gay
Family Options .org
Our Parenting Resource
Welcome! This site is a resource to help potential biological
parenting partners find one another. Anyone may submit an ad as long
as they adhere to the
ad submission guidelines.
Your primary reason for posting or responding to an ad should be to
become a parent or to help someone else become a parent. Reports of
inappropriate correspondence from someone listing an ad on this site
will result in immediate removal of that ad.
|
|
Gay Parent magazine
LGBT friendly resources for creating and nurturing your family since
1998
|
|
Lesbian & Gay Parenting
The publication is provided for the use of
clinicians, researchers, students, lawyers, and parents involved in
legal and policy issues related to lesbian and gay parenting.
Lesbian and Gay Parenting is the successor to Lesbian and Gay
Parenting: A Resource for Psychologists (1995).
It is divided into three parts. Part I is a
summary of research findings on lesbian mothers, gay fathers, and
their children written by Charlotte J. Patterson, PhD. Part II is an
annotated bibliography of the literature cited in the summary. Part
III provides some additional resources relevant to lesbian and gay
parenting in the forensic context: APA amicus briefs, professional
association policies, and contact information for relevant
organizations.
|
|
Love Makes A Family was founded in 1992 and
incorporated in 1993 when a racially diverse group
of sexual minorities in Oregon and Southwest
Washington came together to oppose anti-gay Ballot
Measure Nine.
The mission of Love Makes A Family is to work for
social change: to create a supportive environment
within our communities and to provide a public voice
for all families, especially those subjected to
social, economic and legal discrimination due to
sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.
Running an organization that is committed to full
inclusion and empowerment of low income people can
be challenging. Contributions arrive in amounts of
several dollars to several thousand dollars -- and
we need every one of those dollars!
|
|
|
Resources for the parents of gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgendered youth...
presented and maintained by
Scott Bidstrup
| Bewildered? Confused?
Angry? Feeling guilty? Worried? Believe me, you're
not alone. As the gay community comes out of the closet,
parents by the hundreds of thousands are discovering that
they are the parents of gay youth.
This can be a crisis or an opportunity,
it's all up to you! |
|
|
Welcome to
Our World Too!
The Ultimate Lesbian & Gay Parenting Resource
|
|
|
PrideParenting.com
serves as an online portal for gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender parents and their
families worldwide. Bringing family together by
being the best on the Internet serving the needs
and interests of the proud parenting community
is our goal. Welcome! |
|
|
|
|
|
 
The desire to have children and be parents
is one of the most fundamental aspects of
being human. In the past, this desire was
oftentimes denied to GLBT people. With the
advent of advanced medical treatments, as
well as changing societal beliefs, this
process is now much more accessible.
However, this does not mean the path to
parenthood is always an easy one. There are
so many decisions to make and so much
information to absorb and understand. This
is all in addition to the emotional
component of actually becoming a parent(s).
|
Hundreds of support groups for lesbian and gay
families exist throughout the country. The following list comes from
The Gay and Lesbian Parenting Handbook:
|
|
 |
TransParentcy
Supporting the
loving and caring relationship
between Transgender Parents and their Children. |
|
California |
|
 
Adoption Alliance of San Diego
is a non-profit adoption agency licensed by the state
of California. A program of Jewish Family Service, Adoption
Alliance provides programs and services that facilitate, support and
celebrate adoption. The program serves individuals and couples who
are seeking to expand and enhance their family through adoption,
regardless of their age, religion, culture, ethnic background or
sexual orientation.
Adoption Alliance is licensed to complete international adoption
services for residents of San Diego, Imperial, Orange, Riverside and
San Bernardino Counties. Adoption Alliance is also in the process of
applying for licensure to complete domestic adoptions.
|
|
 
|
Adoption Connection
believes that everyone gains when given the
chance to learn about one another.
Committed to education,
counseling and support, our goal is to
empower both birth and adoptive parents
before and after the birth, and to create a
positive outcome for everyone involved.
Adoption Connection
welcomes couples and individuals of all
ages, religions, ethnic backgrounds, and
sexual orientations. |
|
|
|
|
The
Mission of San Diego
Family Matters is to promote
and sustain the well-being of families with one or more parent who
is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered as well as those
considering parenthood in Southern California. |
|
 
 |
|
For more than 156 years,
Jewish
Family and Children's Services of San
Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties has
offered a helping hand that people can rely on in times of
need - cradle to rocking chair.
Founded in 1850 by Gold Rush
pioneers, JFCS is the oldest social service agency west of
the Mississippi. Since its inception, JFCS has been a
catalyst for change. With more than 40 programs serving more
than 55,000 people annually in the Greater West Bay Area of
Northern California, JFCS reaches out with comprehensive,
integrated social services, helping people in the most
effective, compassionate way possible, and providing people
of all ages, faiths and ethnic backgrounds with the
encouragement and tools they need to become productive and
self-reliant.
Integral to this effort are our
experienced staff, our generous community of supporters and
thousands of acts of lovingkindness - visits to elderly and
disabled community members, tutoring youngsters, delivering
food and love during the holidays - performed by more than
2,000 dedicated JFCS volunteers who give of themselves to
create a more caring community. |
|
|
|
Welcome to the
Lavender Storks
homepage!!
We are a group of lesbian moms
(and their kids) based in the South Bay Area. Our
children and the moms in our group vary in ages.
We have monthly family-oriented activities which
range from pool parties to trips to the pumpkin
patch.
It's a great way to connect with families like your
own!
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 
The Sperm Bank
With The Most "Willing To Be Known" Donors
We're very proud that for more than 20 years,
our sperm bank has helped thousands of women achieve their dreams of
motherhood, regardless of marital status or sexual orientation. As a
pioneer in the field, we are the most experienced and supportive
resource for women planning alternative families. We assure you:
§ *
the nation's largest selection of donors
"willing to be known" when a child reaches 18
§
*
the highest professional standard in sperm
donor screening
§
*
state-of-the-art artificial insemination
technology
§
*
quality care by licensed professionals
§
*
ongoing personal support throughout your
insemination process in a safe, caring environment
§
*
PRS is licensed by the health departments of
California and New York. New York has the most stringent
requirements of any state, equal to those of the American
Association of Tissue Banks.
|
|
San
Jose/Peninsula Chapter
|
|
The
Pop Luck Club is a
Los Angeles-based organization of gay dads that is the
largest known gay fathers organization in the world,
with hundreds of families and continued strong growth.
Its mission is to advance the well-being of gay
prospective parents, gay parents, and their children. We
do this through mutual support, community collaboration,
and public understanding.
|
|
|
|
|
|
A Known Donor Sperm
Bank
Since 1995
San Francisco
|
|
|
The
Sperm Bank of California (TSBC) is the first and only
sperm bank in the United States to operate as a nonprofit
organization. Our mission is to provide services, information, and
resources to all women and men who choose to create or expand their
families through donor insemination and sperm storage.
Since our
founding over twenty years ago, we have been dedicated to promoting
an open approach to donor insemination and advocating for family
diversity. We are proud to have developed the first
Identity-Release® Program in
the world, a program that allows adult children conceived by donor
insemination to learn their donor's identity. We conduct research on
many aspects of donor insemination in order to enhance societal
acceptance of alternative family building and to inform and
challenge industry practices.
Since our
inception in 1982
·
Over
1900 children have been born to TSBC recipients.
·
Girls
make up 49% of the births.
·
Close
to three-quarters of TSBC families have donors in our
Identity-Release®
Program.
·
Lesbian couples parent two-thirds of all children born through TSBC.
·
Single-mothers-by-choice and heterosexual couples head the rest of
TSBC families.
·
Close
to 30% of TSBC families participate in the Sibling Program and have
more than one child.
·
One
in five TSBC families participate in the Family Contact List. Of
these, two out of three have matched to at least one other family
with the same donor.
|
|
 
|
Walden Foster Care and
Adoption
Since 1976, Walden
Family Services has been meeting our mission of
supporting the lives of children and families
through lasting relationships. Simply put, we
ensure that children in the foster care system are
able to live with loving, stable families with as
little disruption or upheaval as possible, allowing
them to heal from the trauma of their abuse and
develop into successful adults. In addition, many of
our children have complex emotional and behavioral
issues, developmental delays or special health care
needs. Because of the challenge of caring for
children with such intense needs, others cannot or
will not care for these children. The result for
many is institutionalization or multiple placement
failures, leaving the child without a sense of trust
in adults, without the ability to build lasting
relationships, and without the sense of permanency
and belonging that comes with the support of a
loving family.
Throughout our 30-year history, Walden has
consistently sought and implemented cutting-edge
practices to best meet the needs of California's
foster care population. Transitioning from a group
home structure to a provider of therapeutic foster
care meant we could better address the mental health
needs of our children, which we have continued to do
through additional innovative programming focused on
children with special health care needs or
developmental delays, as well on LGBTQ youth and
those preparing to emancipate from the system. Our
culture is one that embraces change while providing
much needed stability for the children in our care.
Our
approach is multi-faceted and sustained; we believe
"once a Walden kid, always a Walden kid." Each
child's needs are met on an individualized basis,
whether it is through our Special Health Care Needs
Program, our general Therapeutic Services, our
outreach to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or
Questioning (LGBTQ) youth, or our Independent
Futures program for emancipating youth. |
|
|
|
Colorado |
|
|
|
Colorado Springs, Colorado
|
|
 
|
|
Florida |
|
We believe that Florida’s foster care
system is in crisis.
Thousands of
adoptable children are currently languishing in foster care, many
bouncing from home to home or from institution to institution.
Despite the best efforts of the Department of Children and Families,
there simply are not enough eligible adoptive parents to bridge this
gap. Meanwhile, thousands of qualified potential adoptive parents
are categorically excluded.
We recognize the expert opinions of professional organizations that
have carefully studied the scientific research and issued policy
statements supporting adoption by gay and lesbian people.
We recognize that there is no credible scientific evidence that the
sexual orientation of parents has any effects either on the quality
of parenting or on the well-being of their children.
We recognize that the latest census figures show that thousands of
children, many conceived through alternative insemination or
surrogate parenting, are being raised in Florida by gay and lesbian
parents. We believe these children deserve the legal protection
afforded by second-parent adoption.
We believe a categorical ban prohibiting all gay and lesbian people
from adopting, regardless of the applicants’ qualifications and the
best interests of the child involved, is harmful to children. We
believe adoption should be granted only to qualified applicants
based on an individualized assessment of what is in the best
interests of the child(ren) to be adopted.
|
|
|
|
Georgia |
|
 
|
Equality.
Family. Justice for All.
The
MEGA Family Project
is a nonpartisan, statewide organization dedicated to
educating, empowering, and strengthening the LGBT
community. Through our programs and outreach activities
we hope to build a stronger, more cohesive community to
advance LGBT equality in Georgia. We believe a stronger
LGBT community will better enable us to provide
effective public education that persuades other
Georgians to treat ALL people equally under the law. |
|
The MEGA Family Project has thousands of members who
support equality for all Georgians. We travel across
Georgia in our outreach efforts to speak to gay and
non-gay people about the need for LGBT family
equality.
We are incorporated in
the State of Georgia as a not-for-profit corporation.
The MEGA Family Project is a designated 501(c)3
organization with the IRS. Donations are tax deductible. |
|
|
Illinois |
|
Rainbow Families of Illinois is
a non-profit, community-based organization that includes lesbian and
gay parents and their children and those considering parenthood.
The mission of Rainbow Families is to build and maintain a strong
and caring community, recognizing the broad diversity and varied
interests among our families.
We are committed to protecting the right of LGBT people to raise
children with love and integrity in a culture of justice, respect
and belonging. In promoting the well-being of all of our families,
we sponsor social, educational and advocacy programs for adults and
kids of all ages. |
|
Indiana |
|
|
|
Massachusetts |
|
We are a
network of gay men who have children living with us or apart from
us. Some of us are divorced, some separated, and some still married.
Some of us are in committed relationships with other men.
Our meetings provide a safe, confidential, and welcoming forum
for talking about the issues of gay fatherhood, including parenting,
coming out, sexuality, and relationships with children, partners,
and spouses (current or ex). You are free to join in the discussion
or just observe, whatever feels most comfortable. Some of our
meetings also include speakers on topics of interest for a portion
of the meeting. |
|
Michigan |
|
|
In Michigan, some children have two parents yet the
state only recognizes one.
In Michigan
some children have one parent that is not legally
recognized. Children need the legal recognition of
parent-child relationships regardless of their parents'
marital status or sexual orientation. Second parent
adoption secures this legal recognition. It guarantees
the children a host of legal and financial benefits that
most families take for granted such as:
- Full
health insurance benefits
- Full
pension or social security benefits
-
Medical authorization for routine or emergency care
-
Permission to attend school functions
-
Permanence of extended familial relationships
-
Continuity of a parent-child relationship in the
event of separation or death
CARE advocates for
second parent adoptions because they are in the best
interests of children. |
|
|
Rainbow Families Great Lakes (RFGL)
is a newly formed, volunteer organization, comprised of
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) advocates,
their allies and friends open to all persons that support
diversity and rally against discrimination within their
local communities. RFGL's overall objective is to support
LGBT parents and their children of all ages, prospective
parents, and extended families and allies as they strive to
secure and strengthen their fundamental human rights.
|
|
We are Lesbian Moms who are interested in
networking
within our local community of Washtenaw County
in the State of Michigan.
We want to share information, resources, and advice.
We want our children to know other families like their
own.
So far, we are over 250 local families strong.
|
|
|
Midwest |
|
Rainbow Families®
works to build a safe, just, and affirming world for lesbian,
gay, bisexual, and transgender parents and their children.
Serving Minnesota and the Greater Midwest, we provide education,
outreach, and advocacy for these families in communities,
schools, and workplaces. Our Annual Rainbow Families®
Conference is held each spring and brings together families from
all over the region for workshops and social events--over 1200
people attend every year. Our School Initiative works with
districts throughout Minnesota to ensure that LGBT families are
safe and the classroom is inclusive. We offer information and
referral for medical, legal, and other areas, as well as monthly
Prospective Parent meetings, social network groups for new
parents and for parents coming out in mid-life, and more!
Contact us for more information.
|
|
Missouri |
|
MAFA
is a welcoming and inclusive group
of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender parents, their children,
and people who support them in the
Kansas City metro area and beyond.
|
|
|
|
|
Nevada |
|
We
Are Family
began in
the early 1990's as a small play group for a few lesbian moms and
their children. By the year 2000 the group had grown into a social
support network of over 25 families of lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender parents and their children. Then the We Are Family group
began developing and organizing educational workshops for LGBT
parents about financial planning, positive parenting skills and
preparation for sending children to school. The goals of the We Are
Family group include: increasing participation in social events to
help families connect with each other and promoting accurate
messages about LGBT families to enhance public understanding.
|
|
Rhode
Island |
|
There are an
estimated two to three million Gay Fathers in North America and this
is a conservative number based on self report.
According to a 1992
study by University of Virginia researcher Charlotte Patterson,
there are an estimated six to fourteen million children with GLBT
parents in the U.S.
Coming out to
yourself marks a celebration of who you are and is facilitated with
the support of others
Coming out to your
children models for them the value of living life authentically. It
not only shows respect for your relationship but sends a message of
encouragement for them to stand up and assert their truth. This can
help your child as they confront peer pressure in their own lives.
Gay dads are loving
men who continue to excel in their role as fathers.
|
|
Texas |
|
 Welcome
to Houston Gay
and Lesbian Parents.
HGLP is a social and support group for lesbian, gay,
bisexual, or transgender parents, their partners and kids, and
parents in planning. Some of us are single and some of us are in
relationships. Some of us are very open about being gay parents and
some of us are in the process of coming out to our children and the
world. Some of us still are in the planning stage and some of us are
juggling all the details that having kids entails. Some of us had
children in heterosexual relationships, some through adoption, donor
insemination, surrogacy, foster care, or other arrangements. Some of
us have babies or toddlers, some have elementary-age kids and some
of us have teenagers. Some of us have survived having teenagers and
have adult children, even grandchildren!
|
|
Washington |
|
|
|
|
