Resources for Gay & Lesbian Adoptive Parents
Some of these resources are intended specifically for adoptive Gay & Lesbian Parenting; most serve gay and lesbian families of all types. Please let us know of any resources we’ve missed!
National
Transition to Adoptive Parenthood Project (TAPP): This is the first-ever study to focus on same-sex couples' transition to adoptive parenthood. It is being conducted by Abbie Goldberg, PhD, at Clark University in Massachusetts. Please contact her for information about how to participate. Couples will be interviewed over the phone before and after they adopt for the first time. All couples will receive information about the results. Go to http://www.clarku.edu/faculty/goldberg/ to learn more about Dr. Goldberg's research.
COLAGE: Children of Lesbians & Gays Everywhere – San Francisco-based international nonprofit supporting young people with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered parents. Offers pen pal program, Family Week event and more. U.S. chapters in Portland, Seattle and San Francisco. http://www.colage.org 415-861-KIDS
Families Like Mine – Created by Abigail Garner, author of Families Like Mine: Children of Gay Parents Tell it Like Is (see reading list below), this web site provides support, advice, networking, resources, and workshop information for adults and mature teens of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered parents. http://www.familieslikemine.com
Family Pride Coalition – Washington D.C.-based nonprofit advancing the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered parents and their families through mutual support, community collaboration, and public understanding. Provides information about local parenting groups, newsletters, workshops and events, and various other resources. http://www.familypride.org 202-331-5015
Human Rights Campaign – Powerful Washington D.C.-based nonprofit advocates for all aspects of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered equality. Web site’s “family” section includes information about adoption. http://www.hrc.org 202-628-4160
Love Makes A Family – Portland-based organization with national membership, emphasis on advocacy. Offers newsletter, speaker training and resources. See Oregon listing for more info. http://www.lmfamily.org 503-228-3892
National Adoption Information Clearinghouse – Provides several publications on gay and lesbian parenting and adoption law. http://www.naic.acf.gov
PFLAG – Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays is a national nonprofit organization with a diverse advocacy and support mission. See http://www.pflag.org for a list of chapters (found in many cities in the Northwest), programs and resources. 202-467-8180
Transition to Adoptive Parenthood Project (TAPP) – This is the first-ever study to focus on same-sex couples' transition to adoptive parenthood. It is being conducted by Abbie Goldberg, PhD, at Clark University in Massachusetts. Please contact her for information about how to participate. Couples will be interviewed over the phone before and after they adopt for the first time. All couples will receive information about the results. Go to http://www.clarku.edu/faculty/goldberg/index.html to learn more about Dr. Goldberg's research.
Oregon
Abdill-Ellis Lambda Community Center – Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community center located in Ashland. Holds family support meetings, including meetings of the Family Pride Coalition of Southern Oregon. http://www.abdellis.org
Love Makes a Family – Advocacy organization offering support groups for gay and lesbian families. Metro Portland Group and Clark Country Group meets every month. The Dad’s Group (social support group for men who are DADs or want to be a dad and are Gay, Bi, Trans or Questioning) meets the fourth Thursday of each month. For details visit http://www.lmfamily.org and http://www.thedadsgroup.com
Rainbow Rascals Junior – Gay & lesbian adoptive parent support and play group started by OA&FS adoptive parents. For information, e-mail Jackie or Lee at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Washington
Families Like Ours – Seattle-based nonprofit providing centralized resource for information and support to nontraditional adoptive and pre-adoptive families. Web site includes resource list, FAQ and more. http://www.familieslikeours.org
Gay Fathers Association of Seattle – Parenting group providing support and social groups, resource lists, workshop and more. http://www.gfas.org 206-324-4359
Rainbow Families of Puget Sound – Social and informal parenting support groups and resources. http://www.rainbowfamiliesps.org
San Francisco
Jonathan Pannor – San Francisco-based social worker and family therapist leads workshops about adoption, some specific to adoption in the gay and lesbian community. http://www.post-adoption.org
Our Family Coalition – Large Bay-area group focusing on education, advocacy, social networking and grassroots community organizing. http://www.ourfamily.org 415-981-1960
Reading
About.com – General information web site publishes list of resources and articles about gay & lesbian parenting and prints list of books for adopted children with gay/lesbian parents. http://adoption.about.com/od/gaylesbian/a/readinglistkids.html, http://adoption.about.com/od/gaylesbian/#more
American Psychological Association – The APA publishes a list of books on gay and lesbian parenting. http://www.apa.org/pi/l&bbks.html
Families Like Mine: Children of Gay Parents Tell it Like it Is – Book by Abigail Garner. Published by HarperCollins, 2004.
Gay Parent Magazine – LGBT friendly resources for building and nurturing your family. http://www.gayparentmag.com
The Kid: What Happened After My Boyfriend and I Decided To Go Get Pregnant: An Adoption Story – Book by Seattle celebrity Dan Savage about his and his partner’s experience adopting through OA&FS. Published by Plume, 2000.