Infographic showing the top states where same-sex couples are raising children. The states are MT, WY, SD, KS, OK, AR, MS, AL, LA, TX, AK, SC
By Jos Truitt • @jostruitt • 12 years ago

Where are the queer parents in the US?

At the Netroots Nation LGBT pre-convening on Wednesday we talked a bit about organizing in red and purple states. As someone who’s only lived on the coasts, I know I’m often guilty of forgetting about the south and middle of the country. And there’s certainly a stereotype that all the queers are on the coasts anyway. But take a look at this map from the Williams Institute (via the Family Equality Council‘s site) that shows the top states in terms of same-sex couples raising children:

Infographic showing the top states where same-sex couples are raising children. The states are MT, WY, SD, KS, OK, AR, MS, AL, LA, TX, AK, SC

I know that’s not the data I was expecting. The fact is, queer folks are parenting in states that are often ignored by LGBT organizing. This isn’t to downplay some of the great work that is happening in those states, but the national focus (and the national money) tends to be in places like California and New York. Clearly, we need to be telling the real story about same-sex parenting in the US. We need to uplift the voices and issues of the families in states that are often ignored, and we need to support their work. I imagine parents face some different issues in South Dakota than in San Francisco, but the best way to know what these parents actually need is for them to tell their stories at the national level.

 

Boston, MA

Jos Truitt is Executive Director of Development at Feministing. She joined the team in July 2009, became an Editor in August 2011, and Executive Director in September 2013. She writes about a range of topics including transgender issues, abortion access, and media representation. Jos first got involved with organizing when she led a walk out against the Iraq war at her high school, the Boston Arts Academy. She was introduced to the reproductive justice movement while at Hampshire College, where she organized the Civil Liberties and Public Policy Program’s annual reproductive justice conference. She has worked on the National Abortion Federation’s hotline, was a Field Organizer at Choice USA, and has volunteered as a Pro-Choice Clinic Escort. Jos has written for publications including The Guardian, Bilerico, RH Reality Check, Metro Weekly, and the Columbia Journalism Review. She has spoken and trained at numerous national conferences and college campuses about trans issues, reproductive justice, blogging, feminism, and grassroots organizing. Jos completed her MFA in Printmaking at the San Francisco Art Institute in Spring 2013. In her "spare time" she likes to bake and work on projects about mermaids.

Jos Truitt is an Executive Director of Feministing in charge of Development.

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