On unexpectedly finding love after feeling like I don’t deserve it
I gave bits and pieces of myself to people that never really earned it. I was hurt repeatedly, but was okay with that, because I thought “I deserved it.” I had a resentment buried down inside of me so deep that it had tainted my being. I was told I wasn’t good enough and I believed it — I let myself believe his words. I had never looked in someone’s eyes and saw love. I just kept living with mediocrity.
And then I met her…
Supporting a transitioning family member, when there’s an un-supportive family
My husband’s sister is transitioning from female to a male. While we’re supporive, my husband’s family still thinks this is a phase, and Moe* (not their real name) will just go back to being “herself” again when this gets old.
They aren’t considering the fact that Moe has already started testosterone injections, and seems very set about this decision…
“We are Matthew Shepard. We are Stonewall. We are Pulse.” A passionate dissent of recent LGBT hate crimes
In response to the Orlando, Florida shooting at a gay nightclub, Pulse, AND the arrest of a man armed with assault weapons and explosives, on his way to attack attendees at LA Pride, my heart is heavy with so many reactions.
We have been disillusioned by recent political victories into the notion of societal equality. But we are not safe. We were never safe. They are murdering us.
We are the future: Our post-millenial, Pagan, LGBT, polyamorous family
This is what our healthy family looks like, our core family that is. It Extends, because that little boy there holding a mask over his head has never ever known what the rest of the country lives like. Add to that most of us are gay, bi, or polyamorous. This means, when one of us has a child we have to definitely “redefine family.”
Bisexual in a straight marriage
Coming out as bisexual to my husband was as strange as coming out to myself. I ended up speaking in so many circles that it took another conversation about two months later for him to realize that I was actually trying to come out to him. He had questions. I had questions. The biggest question was if I still wanted to be with him, or if coming out was also me realizing that I wanted more dating experience with other women.
How to respond to religious LGBT condemnation
We’ve been dealing with some pretty intense levels of religious LGBT condemnation from my fiancee’s family. We have received many emails, phone calls, and letters asking us to give up our “sinful ways.” In the hope that it may help others find words, I thought I would share our responses here.
My family is changing, I don’t know what to do about it, and that’s okay
Through single motherhood, relocation from the continent back to Hawaii, custody battles, family drama, building a new relationship and creating our family, job changes, graduate school, and career readjustments, I’ve had very few moments in which I’ve questioned what or how I was doing as a parent. Parenthood has taught me not to expect the status quo — every day is different. Every day brings a new challenge or change, and every day you stretch a little bit more to be the parent you need to be.
An open letter to gay kids from an incredible 9-year-old lesbian
We got this submission from nine-year-old Amaya who says she’s concerned that many children are being rejected by their families because of their sexuality or gender identity. She hopes that kids will read this article and understand that they don’t have to be afraid, and that they are not alone.