Three lesbian parenting pioneers share the struggles and triumphs they faced while raising intentional LGBTQ families, and how their adult children are now thriving.

Queer Parent Pioneers will present a roadmap for queer families navigating the complex issues of homo/bi/transphobia, intersectionality, and social equity will be presented at a panel discussion on May 15th from 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm. The free webinar will be moderated by LGBTQ historian, author, and filmmaker, Robin Lowey and will feature LGBTQ rights pioneer Donna Hitchens and community bridge builder Crystal Jang. It is sponsored by San Francisco-based Our Family Coalition, a nonprofit organization that advances equity for LGBTQ families and children through support, education, and advocacy.

Our Family Coalition invites young queer adults seeking to build (or in the process of building) intentional families, empty-nesters looking to see their generations’ stories told, and families interested in empowering their queer and non-binary children. Panelists will be sharing the stories of early LGBTQ parenting struggles, triumphs, and family values that led to the historic shift in both the queer community and the American family.

“A generation ago, in the face of legal barriers and social invisibility, LGBTQ families raised children by the power of love, imagination, and ingenuity,” said Lowey. “Our kids – now young adults – have not only survived intact, they’ve thrived, not in spite of who their parents are, but because of them.”

Panel topics will include: What does it mean to be a pioneering queer family; the superpower of growing up in a queer family; and a roadmap of perspective and positivity for today’s queer families. A question and answer session will follow, along with a trivia game and prizes.

Featured Panelists:

In 1977, Donna Hitchens co-founded of The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) which was then called the Lesbian Rights Project. In 1982, Hitchens wrote, published the litigation manual for attorneys defending lesbian mothers in child custody cases nationwide. In the 1980s, Hitchens and her wife Nancy Davis adopted two baby girls. Hitchens and Davis were the first couple to attain legal adoption as same-sex co-parents in 1986. Hitchens became the first out elected lesbian judge elected in the US in 1990. Currently, the couple enjoys grandparenting their daughter and her wife’s 16-month-old baby.

Crystal Jang became the first out lesbian in San Francisco’s Chinatown in 1978, and the first out Asian educator in the SFUSD (San Francisco Unified School District) in 1990. A community bridge builder and activist, Jang co-founded Asian Pacific Islander Queer Women and Transgender Community. Jang and her wife Sydney Yeong adopted a baby girl from China in 1996. Jang’s parents greeted them in Hong Kong, starting the first generation of openly gay APILGBT families.

Moderator:

Robin Lowey is a speaker, author, filmmaker, and historian, whose work elevates the discourse about the role lesbian history plays in advancing LGBTQ civil rights and social equity. Lowey and her ex-wife each gave birth to baby boys in 1990 and 1996, respectively.  A pioneering queer parent and activist, Lowey is the founder of Lesbian Game Changers, a project that shares the stories of LGBTQ+ role models who empower today’s youth to realize their full potential and value in their careers, communities, and families. Sponsored by Our Family Coalition, Lesbian Game Changers provides resource books and films that fill the gap in education about LGBTQ history. Lowey’s book Game Changers was awarded Best New LGBTQ Book at the New Generation Indie Book Awards.

Sponsor

Our Family Coalition is a 501c3 nonprofit that advances equity for the full and expanding spectrum of LGBTQ families and children through support, education, and advocacy. It seeks to create an inclusive and just world where all LGBTQ families with children have visibility and opportunities to thrive as valued participants in our schools, institutions, and communities. It is located at 1385 Mission Street in San Francisco.

The webinar will be recorded and available HERE
by June 15, 2021.

The webinar registration can be accessed HERE.