“Inclusiveness means treating all people with equality… We respect the uniqueness of each individual and welcome diversity within the circle of adoption!” — www.friendsinadoption.org
Come stop by and say Hi to FIA as we celebrate our LGBTQ families at upcoming Pride events!
Sunday, June 5 – Asbury Park, NJ Gay Pride
Saturday, June 11 – Brooklyn, NY Gay Pride
Sunday, June 12 – Philadelphia,Pennsylvania Gay Pride
Stop by our table as we celebrate our LGBTQ families at the New York City Pride Parade on Sunday, June 26!
To register email: jen@friendsinadoption.org
Friends in Adoption (FIA) celebrates June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month. Looking back 47 years ago to June 1969, the Stonewall Riots in New York City defined a turning point in the advancement of civil rights and Gay Pride. Many of us can remember when people who identified as LGBTQ were not approved as adoptive parents because of their sexual orientation or identity. Thankfully, and to the benefit of many, many children and families, our society has evolved and things are getting better. FIA is proud of its history in helping to bring about this progress!
Recently, some FIA staffers had a great conversation with our friends and allied colleagues at Open Adoption and Family Services (OAFS), located in Oregon. We were discussing that “not all adoption is created equal.” Still today, an extremely high percentage of adoption agencies in the United States are religiously affiliated, many of which oppose adoption by LGBTQ individuals. There are only a very few agencies like FIA and OAFS in the entire country that promote fully open adoption, lifelong support, respect for ALL of a woman’s choices regarding pregnancy decisions, and inclusiveness such that neither prospective adoptive nor birth families are discriminated against on the basis of race, ethnicity, marital status, age, religion, physical disability, income, sexual orientation, or gender identity/expression.
For the sake of children and families, FIA is proud to continue its good work in open adoption for all, and we are grateful to our allied partners who join us in promoting and supporting adoption “done right.”
