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LGBT Parenting Network
February 2005, E-News

This month:

NEWS FROM THE COMMUNITY:

LESBIAN NEW-MAMA GROUP (for lesbians with 0-6month olds)

Are you looking for other lesbian mothers with infants? Want to spend some time sharing stories about first smiles, strollers, poop, coffee-cravings, breastfeeding, special needs/wants/desires etc. etc. etc. with other mothers who are queer?   

E-mail Ilana at ilanalewis@yahoo.com and let's see if this is something we want to do on an ongoing basis!

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FACILITATORS FOR QUEER POSITIVE PRE-NATAL CLASSES

The 519 Church Street Community Centre is looking for a few good facilitators for our Queer-Positive Pre-Natal Classes.  We run the only explicitly queer-positive classes in Toronto .  We are looking for facilitators who are open-minded and have some experience in pre-natal education. 

Doulas, pre-natal educators, midwives and advanced midwifery students are welcome to apply.  Our classes run twice a year and our next series will begin in early April. Facilitators will be compensated for their involvement in this programme.

For more information, contact Rebecca Gower at 416-392-6878 x109 or e-mail rgower@the519.org

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MOTHERING ON THE MARGINS (MOMS)

 Are you a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, two-spirited or queer (LGBTTTQ) woman who is:

  • Currently trying to conceive,
  • Currently pregnant, or
  • The non-biological parent of a child less than one year of age OR the biological parent of a child less than one year of age?

If so, we want to hear from you!

The goal of the MOMs project is to learn about the factors that contribute to emotional well- being in LGBTTTQ women parents and parents-to-be.

Your participation would involve completing a set of questionnaires which will be sent to you by mail. You may also be invited to take part in an interview. Participants will be compensated for their expenses. Participants must be located in Toronto or within 250km of downtown Toronto .

We particularly encourage women from diverse communities, including women of color and transsexual, transgender and two-spirit women, to respond!

For more information or to find out if you would be eligible, please contact:
Cheryl, Research Assistant
Centre for Addiction & Mental Health
Tel: 1-866-371-MOMS (6667) or (416) 260-4138
E-mail: moms_project@camh.net

All calls and emails are confidential.

This project has been sponsored by Canadian Institutes for Health Research.

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INSEMINATION PROCEDURES BROCHURE NOW READY!

 The LGBT Parenting Network and the Sherbourne Health Centre are happy to report that the seventh brochure in the Queer Parenting Info Series is now ready.  The brochure, Insemination Procedures, can be obtained from the LGBT Parenting Network (email: jamesro@fsatoronto.com) or the Sherbourne Health Centre (416-324-4180).   Other brochures in the series include:

  • LGB Parenting for Family and Friends
  • Transsexual/Transgender (ts/tg) Parenting: Basic Information for our Friends and Families
  • Choosing a Sperm Donor: Known or Unknown
  • Information for New Lesbian Parents in Ontario
  • Parenting Options for Gay Men
  • Co-Parenting

All brochures can be viewed and downloaded at: http://www.fsatoronto.com/programs/dks/res_LGBTbrochures.html .   Check out the rest of the LGBT Parenting Network web page while you’re there.

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QUEER PARENTING EXCHANGE – CO-PARENTING – WEDNESDAY, FEB. 23

Come join us on Wednesday, February 23, 8 – 10 pm at the 519 for the Queer Parenting Exchange.  Topic for the evening is: Co-parenting: creating our own families.  Special guests will be the London , Ontario family who are fighting for legal recognition of three parents.  We hope to also have lively discussion about the creative ways lgbt people are creating families – and some of the day-to-day realities of life in our families.

Info on upcoming Queer Parenting Exchange events below:

The 519 Community Centre and the LGBT Parenting Network (FSA Toronto ) present the:

QUEER PARENTING EXCHANGE

  • Are you parenting and looking to connect with other LGBT parents to talk about common issues?
  • Are you lesbian/gay/bi/trans and considering parenthood? Trying to figure out how to bring kids into your life?

Each month we will take some time for discussion of an issue related to LGBT parenting, as well as offer an opportunity to informally meet other parents and prospective parents.  Snacks provided.

Where: The 519 Church Street Community Centre
When: 4th Wednesday of each month, 8:00 - 10:00 pm

Winter/Spring 2005 Topics:

January 26: Queer perspectives on equity work in the schools.
February 23: Co-parenting: creating our own families (possible guests: London family fighting for legal recognition of three parents)
March 23: March Break Movie Night (movies, popcorn, fun)
April 27: Single Parenting: an opportunity to meet and talk with others who are or are considering single parenthood.
May 25:  Access to Sperm and Eggs II: share and learn about the Toronto world of reproductive technology. All genders encouraged to attend.

Upcoming Special Topics:

April 16: Transgender / Transsexual Parenting     2 -5 pm .   Details to follow.

For more information, contact: Rebecca Gower, 416-392-6878, ext. 109;
e-mail: rgower@the519.org or
Rachel Epstein, 416-595-0307, ext. 270; e-mail: rachelep@fsatoronto.com

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HEALTH CANADA RESPONDS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT HOME INSEMINATION

There has been a lot of concern in recent months amongst LGBT communities about the new federal Assisted Human Reproduction Act (AHRA) and its implications with regards to home insemination.  FAB magazine editor Andrea Nemeth recently wrote to Health Canada asking about this.  Below is their response which indicates that "it is not the intention of the Government to become involved in the private matter of home insemination." 

See below for Health Canada’s  full response:

Hi Andrea,

As promised, here is our response to the question you e-mailed us about the AHRA.

Question:

The Act states that:
No person shall, except in accordance with the regulations and a licence, obtain, store, transfer, destroy, import or export (a) a sperm or ovum, or any part of one, for the purpose of creating an embryo.

What impact will this have on the informal, home inseminations that have been conducted by lesbians & gay men, which are unregulated and unlicenced?

If these are found to be offenses under the AHRA, how will these activities be monitored? Will these home inseminations be subject to criminal prosecution?

Response:

The Assisted Human Reproduction Act applies to any procedure where gametes are manipulated for the purpose of creating an embryo. The intention of the Act is to address assisted human reproduction procedures that take place in a health care setting and are performed by a professional. It is not the intention of the Government to become involved in the private matter of home insemination. Regulations to be developed under the Assisted Human Reproduction Act will serve to further clarify this position.

Thanks, and our apologies again for the delay.

Catherine Saunders
Media Relations Officer / Agente de Relations avec les médias
Health Canada / Santé Canada
tel.: (613) 946-4250
fax: (613) 952-7747

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STUDENT SUMMER RESEARCH POSITION IN MOMS PRORJECT

Mental health in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual and two-spirit mothers

A summer research position is available with the "Mothering on the Margins" research team in the Women's Mental Health & Addiction Research Section, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health (College St. site).

To be eligible, you must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program and returning to undergraduate studies in Fall 2005.

For more information please see http://www.library.utoronto.ca/ims/programs/summer.htm

Interested applicants please send a CV and cover letter before Feb. 16, 2005 to:
Dr. Lori Ross, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto
E-mail: l.ross@utoronto.ca
Fax: 416-979-6811

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JOINT POTLUCK LUNCH FOR QUEER MAMAS AND PAPAS – SATURDAY, FEB. 26

The 519 Church Street Community Centre and the Queer Parenting Program proudly announce a Joint Potluck Lunch for Queer Mamas and Papas with children aged 0-6.

When: Saturday February 26, 2005, 12:30-2:30 PM
 Where:  The 519 Church Street Community Centre

Please bring a small dish to share!

Join Us for arts and crafts, indoor play space, community information, resource library and to meet other queer parents.

For more information, contact Family Support Worker Rebecca Gower 416-392-6878 x 109 or e-mail rgower@the519.org

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SEEKING PARTICIPANTS FOR DOCUMENTARY ON SINGLE GAY FATHERS

My name is Allan Cordero and I am a 2nd year media arts student at Sheridan College . I would like to do a short documentary on GLBT families, focusing specifically on gay fathers. Growing up gay and without a father or any father figures, I have, over the years, appreciated what fathers do for their children and fathers in general. So this project is specifically something I want to do on a personal level: to pay tribute to single fathers around the world.

However, I would also like to pay tribute to gay fathers out there that raise their children on their own. We always hear of lesbian mothers but do we ever really know how it feels to be a gay single dad? I want to be able to show audiences the complications, as well as the joys, of being a single father and gay, living in a world (or city) that does not really acknowledge their existence.

My main objective is to follow one or two single gay dads and how they go about their week, and their life in general, and how they came to this point of taking care of their children, without a mother figure.

Anyone interested in being documented and featured in this student documentary, please e-mail me at btvsfan26@hotmail.com or call me at 416 561 3345.

I think this would be a great opportunity to open up people's minds about gay adoption and gay families, in general, and to also show them that GLBT families do exist and raise their children as well as other families out there. Thanks and hope to hear from one of you soon!

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CALL FOR PAPERS: CONFERENCE ON QUEER MOTHERING

In celebration of Pride week the Association for Research on Mothering (ARM) invites submissions for a conference on Queer Mothering, June 21st, 2005, York University , Toronto , Canada

Confirmed keynote speakers include: Rachel Epstein, Coordinator, LGBT Parenting Network, Family Association of Toronto ; Ph. D Candidate, Faculty of Education, York University, Joanna Radbord, Family and Equality Rights Lawyer, Epstein Cole LLP.

If you are interested in being considered as a presenter, please send a 250 word abstract and a 50 word bio by April 25th, 2005 to:

Association for Research on Mothering
726 Atkinson, York University , 4700 Keele Street
Toronto , ON , Canada M3J 1P3

Call us at 416-736-2100 x 60366, or e-mail us at arm@yorku.ca, or visit our website at www.yorku.ca/crm

One must be a member of ARM to submit a paper.

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DONOR CONCEPTION: UK/NETHERLANDS – PARENTS’ ATTITUDES

Parents' attitudes to sperm donation - still some concerns about being open http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=19254

Two studies in Europe's leading reproductive medicine journal, Human Reproduction (published by the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), http://www.eshre.com/), provide a generally optimistic picture about attitudes towards the increasing trend in society to be more open about the use of sperm donors. However, they indicate that not all parents are comfortable with the new openness, there are still many unknowns about attitudes and further research and public education will be needed.

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FAMILY PRIDE ( U.S. ) HOSTS ONLINE FORUM FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

 (Excerpt from Family Pride (U.S) email newsletter

In conversations with our families, both online and at Family Pride Coalition events, the issue of meeting the challenges of our children with special needs emerges regularly. As your national LGBT family organization, we applaud your commitment to create the best possible lives and opportunities for your children and acknowledge that this journey is often fraught with challenges, unanswered questions, isolation and a great need to network and communicate with others.

To address this specific need within our national parenting community, the Family Pride Coalition has sponsored workshops for parents attending our events. Now, in the interest of broadening access to the greatest number of people, we have launched a Special Needs Online Community to further support and enhance dialogue around these issues. Many parents have already joined and found support and additional resources through this unique list-serv.

If you, or anyone you know, would like to join this list, please click on the link below and register for this online community. We welcome you and will continue to seek ways to support the courageous work that you do as parents.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FamilyPride_Special_Needs_Chat

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Disclaimer: News from the Parenting Network, as with our Pride & Joy newsletter may include reprints, excerpts or summaries from other sources. We cannot take responsibility for any inaccuracies or omissions. We are also happy to publish information about research projects and other community initiatives. We do so in the spirit of sharing information, but do not have sufficient knowledge to actively endorse or advocate participation in particular projects.

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