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LGBT Parenting Network
September 2006, E-News

This month:

Parents from the Start: Celebrating the Birth Registration Legal Victory for Parents in Same-Sex Relationships – Sept. 21
Queer Parenting Exchange: New Season Begins - Sept. 27
Queer Parenting Programmes at the 519: Upcoming courses
LGBTTT Adoptive Parents / Parents To Be: Seeking participants for research project
Queer Parenting Info Brochure Series and Family Tree Poster: Back in print
Seeking Other LGBT Families in Roncesvalles/Parkdale Area
Back to School Resources for LGBT Families
Lawyers for AA/BB/CC Seeking Academic Papers to Help Case
Camp Ten Oaks: Seeking Board Members
York Region LGBT Community Development Project: Seeking focus group participants
Italian Photographer Seeking Gay/Lesbian Parents to Photograph

PARENTS FROM THE START: Celebrating the Birth Registration Legal Victory for Parents in Same-Sex Relationships

On June 6, 2006 Justice Rivard found that the current Ontario birth registry scheme denies equality to same-sex couples by not allowing both parents to be registered on their child's Statement of Live Birth. He struck down the registration scheme and gave the government twelve months to correct it.

Come to a celebration of this victory and an information session about its implications. Also hear about AA BB CC, a related case being heard September 25-27, 2006. This case involves lesbian mothers who are co-parenting with an involved father and aims for legal recognition of three parents.

Thursday, September 21, 2006
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
519 Church St. Community Centre

Panel discussion including: Lois Fine and Mel Rutherford, parties to the case, Joanna Radbord, counsel on the case and Q & A.

Plus food, cake and celebration!!

Please Come Join Us !!

QUEER PARENTING EXCHANGE: FALL SEASON BEGINS SEPT. 27

Sept. 27 topic: Valuing Our History: Come hear from LGBT folk who became parents 30 years ago, 20 years ago, 10 years ago and now

Are you parenting and looking to connect with other LGBTQ 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 host a discussion forum on an issue related to LGBTQ parenting, as well as offer an opportunity to informally meet other parents and prospective parents. Snacks provided.

COME TO:

The 519 Church Street Community Centre
4th Wednesday of each month
8:00 to 10:00 PM

Fall 2006 Topics:

September 27:            Valuing Our History: Come hear from LGBT folk who became parents 30 years ago, 20 years ago, 10 years ago and now.
October 25:                Bi Parents: Discussion about the joys and challenges experienced by bisexual parents, their partners, significant others and children.
November 22:            Collaborative Law and Mediation: Non-adversarial approaches to family creation and change. Learn about the evolving practices of lawyers, mediators and counsellors who recognize the multidimensional nature of family conflict and work to keep people actively collaborating and out of court.

For more information, contact:

Chris Veldhoven 416-392-6878, x 109; queerparenting@the519.org
Rachel Epstein 416-595-0307, x 301; parentingnetwork@fsatoronto.com

QUEER PARENTING PROGRAMMES AT THE 519: UPCOMING COURSES

Queer Positive Pre-Natal Class
A two-day educational programme for women and men of diverse family structures and identities who are expecting a newborn.
When: Saturday, October 14 and Sunday, October 15, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day

Daddies & Papas 2B
When: A nine-week course for gay, bi and queer men considering parenthood
Tuesdays, 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m, October 3^rd to December 5^thLocation:
Programmes will be held at the Central YMCA's Family Development Centre (15 Breadalbane - just south west of Yonge and Wellesley).
Pre-registration at The 519 is required.
Registration: $60 per person. Registration takes place on a first come first served basis through the Front Desk Staff at The 519: 416 392 6874.

Trans Men Considering Parenthood
Stay tuned this Fall for details about our new pilot project: A Course for Trans Men Considering Parenthood.

For more course information contact:

Chris Veldhoven
Queer Parenting Programmes Coordinator
416 392 6878 x109
queerparenting@the519.org
http://www.the519.org/programs/children/index.shtml

LGBTTT ADOPTIVE PARENTS / PARENTS-TO-BE

We are looking for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, two-spirited, and queer individuals and couples who are either in the process of adopting or have recently adopted a child through public, private, or international adoption.

The goal of the research study is to learn about the experiences of LGBTTT adoptive parents and parents-to-be across Ontario. Participation will include completing short questionnaires and taking part in a 1.5-hour interview. The interviewer will come to you anywhere in Ontario, or you can participate at our office in downtown Toronto. Compensation will be provided.

We encourage responses from people of colour, transgender, transsexual and Two-Spirit people, people living in rural and remote areas, and people living with disabilities.

For more information please contact us:
Tel: 1-866-371-6667 or (416)-260-4138
Adoption_research@camh.net

This project has been sponsored by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

QUEER PARENTING INFO BROCHURE SERIES AND FAMILY TREE POSTER – BACK IN PRINT

We now have 10,000 freshly printed Family Tree posters (with a French version on the flip side) – to view family tree poster go to: http://www.queerparent.ca/poster_preview.htm. We have also recently reprinted the Queer Family Info Brochure Series – to view brochures go to: http://www.fsatoronto.com/programs/dks/res_LGBTbrochures.html Both are available for free, we just ask that you cover postage costs, or come pick them up. For information about ordering brochures or posters, contact James Robb, jamesro@fsatoronto.com; 46 595 0307, ext. 268.

SEEKING OTHER LGBT FAMILIES IN RONCESVALLES/PARKDALE AREA

My partner and I have recently moved to the Roncesvalles/Parkdale area and we are interested in meeting other LGBT families in the area. We have a 6-month-old son. Both of us spend part of the week at home with him so we are keen to find other LGBT families to meet up with in the park or in the various coffeeshop hang-outs in the area. And if anyone knows of an existing LGBT families group in the area, please let me know.

Thanks,

Angie Blake
angela.blake@utoronto.ca

BACK TO SCHOOL RESOURCES FOR LGBT FAMILIES

Below are links to two back-to-school resources for LGBT families. The first is from the Family Pride Coalition ( www.familyprideorg) and the second from the Human Rights Campaign ( www.hrc.org). Both are from the States.

Stay tuned: On Wednesday, October 4, 2006 the LGBT Parenting Network and LGBTTQ Resources and the Family Care Office at U of T are sponsoring a local event to talk about LGBT families and schools. More info soon.

Back to School: From Jennifer Chrisler, Family Pride Coalition

My twin boys, Tim and Tom, started pre-school this week. It was amazing! As my wife Cheryl and I watched them walk through the doors with their lunch boxes for the very first time, we were so proud and excited to see them growing up. But we were a little apprehensive, too. It got me thinking…

As a parent, and specifically as an LGBT parent, my children's safety is paramount. Consequently, Family Pride has developed this Back to School Tool to arm LGBT parents with information and easy-to-follow strategies to ensure your children's success in school. We want to help you be proactive—the best thing we can do is be present from the start. At every grade level and at every school, we as parents must step up to our responsibility to make our schools safe, welcoming and inclusive spaces for ALL children to learn and grow.

Watching Tim and Tom this week, I couldn't help but think—If our playground was unsafe, we'd stand up. If asbestos was in our schools, we'd stand up. Children are facing anti-LGBT hostility; we need to stand up.

Download, read and use this Back to School Tool. Share it with other friends and families. Ask your straight neighbors to be a part of it. And use the additional resources we offer.

As a parent, I know it's hard to find the time to do much of anything besides change diapers, pack lunches and proofread homework. Nevertheless, it is imperative that we ensure that our children are protected and included. That's why I am so deeply appreciative of the difference you're making every day in your children's schools.

Back-to-School Resource for Parents from Human Rights Campaign

Better dust off those backpacks and sharpen those pencils — back-to-school time is here again. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender parents often face a unique set of challenges when it's time for the kids to head back, whether it's talking to them about fairness for GLBT families or working with school administrators to create a welcoming learning environment. Find out more about what GLBT parents need to know at this time of year.

LAWYERS FOR AA/BB/CC SEEKING ACADEMIC PAPERS TO HELP CASE

AA/BB/CC is a case being heard in Toronto on Sept. 25-27. It involves lesbian mothers who are co-parenting with an involved father and aims for legal recognition of three parents. Below is a request from lawyers involved with the case:

Your assistance with the urgent request following would be very much appreciated - thank you in advance.

Please send any/all information/ research/ papers to Krystal Mackay at Epstein Cole. KMackay@epsteincole .com .

Joanna Radbord is away on vacation but asked me to contact you to see if you might provide us any authors who have written on some issues on families and mothering to use in our intervention in a matter before the Court of Appeal of Ontario.

We are preparing a brief of social science sociological, extrinsic evidence from journal articles and we need to include journal articles and papers about how adoptive parent/child relationships are stigmatized, how donor situations are stigmatized in the straight community, as well as the stigmatizing effect of step-parent relationships not being recognized. We also want to include papers about alternatives to traditional family formations, particularly drawing on cultures other than white North American. For example, in Aboriginal, African and Caribbean cultures there is often a lot of caregiving by aunts and other relatives, or by other adults in the community.

We are looking for writing about alternatives to a binary heterosexual relationship as the norm for raising children, and examples of larger, looser networks of caregiving - anything about the paradigm of heterosexual binary, normativity as being oppressive to those living in other family formations. Any articles, books, writings that you may know of would assist us greatly.

The time lines are for us to complete this is very tight, but if we could get any papers that are relevant, they will be included before the Court of Appeal of Ontario and maybe get cited by the Court.

We appreciate any consideration or assistance you can offer.

Thank you,

Krystal Mackay
Epstein Cole LLP
Barristers
393 University Avenue
Suite 2200
Toronto, ON M5G 1E6
Direct Line: 416.862.8180
Fax: 416.862.2142

CAMP TEN OAKS SEEKING BOARD MEMBERS

The Ten Oaks Project is a not-for-profit, charitable organization. Our mission is to develop, promote, provide and support programming for the children of LGBTQ and/or non-traditional families, LGBTQ youth, and their allies. We currently offer two programs: Camp Ten Oaks and Rainbow Families.

The Ten Oaks Project is currently seeking nominations for its 2006-2008 Board of Directors. We're looking for committed and passionate individuals to join our leadership team with experience and skills in finance, human resources, fundraising, summer camp planning, communications and/or marketing. Incoming Board members will be elected for a period of two years.

For more information or to receive a nomination package, please contact Trevor Buttrum at trevor@tenoaksproject.org or (613) 260-2355.

If you think you'd like to grow the Ten Oaks Project with us, return your completed package to us by mail no later than September 15, 2006. The incoming Board of Directors will be elected at our Annual General Meeting, which will take place November 8, 2006.

YORK REGION LGBT COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROJECT: SEEKING PARTICIPANTS FOR FOCUS GROUP

The York Region LGBT Community Outreach Project is in the process of developing a training and education program for organizations (e.g. social services including but not limited to Family Services, Addiction Services, Children's Aid Society, Canadian Mental Health, public/ separate schools, police, etc.) across the Region. This training will be used to heighten awareness and support the needs of LGBT persons and their families. We are looking for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered individuals and/or their friends and family members, from all across York Region to take part in a small discussion group. If you are using such services, we would like to know how well they are serving you. If you are not using these services, we would like to hear from you as well. Your involvement will consist of a single meeting for approximately two hours.

Those interested in participating can contact Barbara Urman at burman@asyr.ca or (905)640-5428 for more information and session dates. Discussions will be held in safe, confidential locations. You may choose not to participate at any time. All information gathered will be anonymous and used for program improvements only.

Barbara Urman, MSW, RSW
Coordinator
York Region LGBT Community Outreach Project

ITALIAN PHOTOGRAPHER SEEKING GAY/LESBIAN PARENTS TO PHOTOGRAPH FOR MAGAZINE STORY

Hi, my name is Giulio Di Sturco and I am doing a photo journalism project to show the daily lives of gay and lesbian parenting couples in Toronto. In Italy, as you know, queer parenting is a big issue, so I want to show the everyday lives of gay and lesbian families. The article will be published in Marie Claire and other big European magazines, probably in February. The project will be a series of portraits in your house. The photo shoot will take approximately 20 minutes, no more. And I am happy to send you copies of the photos I take. If you would like to see some samples of my work, please go to my website: www.giuliodisturco.com

If you and your family would like to participate in the project, you can contact me at: Giulio Di Sturco info@giuliodisturco.com

Thank you!

Past LGBT Parenting E-News issues:

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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LGBT Parenting Network September 2006, E-News