[ + ] Text [ – ]

Children of lesbian and gay parents speak out about the freedom to marry

Freedom to Marry
October 11, 2006

With National Coming Out Day upon us, COLAGE (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere) and Freedom to Marry are working together to ensure that the voices of these young people who are being directly harmed by discrimination in marriage are heard.

October 9th - 19th, around the 19th annual observance of National Coming Out Day, Freedom to Marry is sponsoring a national radio tour featuring the young people of COLAGE who are speaking frankly about their lives, their families and how the denial of marriage and respect affects their parents and their own lives.

Children of gay parents, like other kids, need and deserve insurance coverage, social security, emergency care, and inheritance rights — and all the rest of the safety-net that comes to families through marriage. Similarly they deserve to attend schools and be a part of communities where their families are equally respected, represented, and valued. Like other kids, they want the security and respect, the basic dignity due their family — the intangibles that come through the freedom to marry.

Tune in to the COLAGE Radio Tour and hear COLAGErs Dakota Fine, Marina Gatto and Emily McGranachan talk about the joys of a diverse family life and the urgency they see in our work for the freedom to marry. Tune in this week to:

Wednesday, Oct. 11th, 10:30-10:39 a.m. ET with Marina Gatto, 10:40-10:49 a.m. ET, and with Dakota Fine on WMFN-FM in Tampa, FL.

Hear Dakota Fine again on Friday, Oct. 13th from 12:20-12:40 p.m. ET on The Frankie Boyer Show on WBNW-AM in Boston and nationally on Lifestyle Talk Radio Network.

Tune in to National Public Radio in Duluth, MN, on Monday, Oct. 16th, from 9:35-9:50 a.m. ET to hear Marina Gatto again discussing the importance of marriage equality and fairness for all American families. This interview can also be heard on WOJB-FM in Superior, WI.

Log in to our website to keep up with the news, and for more information on upcoming COLAGE Radio Tour interviews.

As the number of kids who have one or more LGBT parent grows, the need for places to connect, network, gain skills and strengthen their voices also increases. COLAGE encourages anyone who has or had an LGBT parent to join them this October in Dallas for Act OUT: The LGBT Family Conference, featuring a full leadership track focused on young adults and adults with LGBT parents will allow COLAGE to increase a community of youth and adults with LGBT parents. For more information and to join COLAGE visit them at http://colage.org/programs/events/upcoming.htm.