I wish it weren't true but we missed it this year. By a week, no less! I try to know what's going on where & when & with whom but, truth be told, I'm a working parent with two kids under 5, so who am I kidding? So, rather than tell you about an exciting opportunity to DO something (my fave), I must resort to the less direct, but ever-important consciousness raising. So what did we miss? Seven Straight Nights for Equal Rights, of course, the brainchild of Atticus Circle.
Atticus Circle is a group dedicated to achieving equality for all parents and partners, regardless of sexual orientation. There are, of course, a wide array of excellent organizations and people working tirelessly to promote LGBT rights in this country. But Atticus Circle speaks to me, at this parenting-obsessed juncture in my life, because it invites straight people into the advocacy work, helps us find a voice to support our LGBT friends, co-workers and family members who are also parents. Parents who deal with all the pressures I do, plus more than I can imagine.
Seems this parenting connection might shine some light on our similarities, rather than our minor differences. I mean, we're all reading books on how to sleep through the night, we're all worrying about what they eat/won't eat, and we're all, yes it's true, reading uM! Because what type of thermometer to use and how to handle delayed speech are questions we all have. What we don't all have are the same rights.
Atticus Circle very eloquently states its reason for being:
- It is time for us to stand up and stand with our gay and lesbian friends who are being systematically denied the most basic rights and recognition – the very things we, in the heterosexual world, take for granted day after day.
- It is time for all children, regardless of their parents’ sexual orientation, to share the same rights and protections.
- And it is time for our country to acknowledge that the right to love a partner, be a parent and build a family is a fundamental, equal right for each and every one of us.
Hear, hear. Its mission is education, policy development, and legal advocacy. One goal is to create attitudinal change. I like that. We need that.
Ready to Take a Stand? Got 50 Friends? Of course you can always join Atticus Circle, donate to Atticus Circle, or sign up to be a part of its grassroots network (all good ideas), but you can also do 50 x50 x 50. Huh? That's right, mamas, start countin' your friends. Here's how it works: you send an inspiring & well-written (by someone else) e-mail to 50 (fewer is allowed!) friends to tell them about Atticus Circle. It's called Fifty Friends Forward - the goal is to welcome 50 new supporters in 50 states in 50 days. Brilliant. And a great way to keep this consciousness raising thing in motion.
And as for missing Seven Straight Nights for Equal Rights, there's always next year. Though an overnight vigil in Salem may not be the most family-friendly event around, anyone can pop in for a few hours on the capital steps!
As Atticus Circle says so well: Stand up and be counted, mamas. Equal rights is important stuff. (Ok, so I added the mamas, part).
Bless you and thank you, Activistas, for this post!! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your bringing this topic to light. As a lesbian parent, I too often feel excluded from the discussion and definition of Family. As a gay activist who struggles for the most basic of rights and protections for myself, my partner, my son, I often feel exhausted. We need allies. We cannot achieve full equality alone. Beren deMotier has written extensively and quite beautifully about this: http://www.berendemotierweblog.blogspot.com/. Her September 26th post is incredibly profound.
Posted by: Mary | October 25, 2007 at 08:02 PM