Did you know that according to the William Institute “Same-sex couples raising children are four times more likely to than their different sex counterparts to be raising an adopted child.” We find that more LGBTQIA families are choosing adoption as a beautiful way to start their families. It is so vital and important to highlight the voices of our LGBTQIA community and share their experiences with adoption.

Adoptions from the Heart is hosting a virtual Heart-to-Heart Event on August 1st 2024 at 7pm-8:30pm EST to explore the highs, the lows, misconceptions of same-sex parenting, the support these families received by AFTH and their peers, and navigating life as parents. We want to give a voice to the LGBTQIA families and a safe space to share their experiences. To register visit this link:

Here are some of the topics that we will explore:

Misconceptions of same-sex parenting:

During our Heart-to-Heart event we will address facts about same-sex parents and the children they raise in order to clear some misconceptions left over from generations of oppression.

A common misconception is that “being raised by LGBTQIA parents will cause kids to be gay”. In fact, a child’s sexual orientation is not determined by the sexuality of their parents. According to our article of debunking myths about LGBTQ parents “In fact, most LGBTQIA people were raised by straight parents, and the large majority of children of same-sex parents grow up to be straight.

There are many other misconceptions that people have that we will explore and debunk about same-sex parenting in our Heart-to-Heart event.

AFTH Families & Stories:

It is important to share the voices of the LGBTQIA families who have worked with AFTH and have gone through the highs and the lows of the adoption processes. We will also dive in with our guest speakers as they tell their stories about adoption, having to navigate life as parents, and if they experienced any discrimination on same-sex parenting. This is a great way to get a perspective on their lives as they make their journey to becoming parents.

AFTH Birth Mom & Stories:

Along with our LGBTQIA adoptive parents guest speakers we will have a Birth mom who will talk upon why she decided to choose a same-sex couple to raise her child. Because adoption is a hard choice she describes all the reasons why she thought it was best for her and her decision.

AFTH HRC & Intersectionality Course

Adoptions from the Heart is a proud supporter of the Human Resource Center All Families and All Children program and have reached the Innovative Inclusion tier. This means that this is the highest level where agencies are pushing themselves beyond the sold foundation they have built and are implementing innovative approaches to LGBTQ+ inclusion in each of the 7 key policy and practice areas.

Intersectionality is the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage. Along we will have AFTH staff Isatou who teaches our Intersectionality course she will explain the importance about learning about what it is and why it is important.

Conclusion

Make sure to sign up for our Heart-to-Heart event for a night of inclusion, information, and fun! We will have a raffle basket at the end and will choice a winner towards the end of the event. Registration is completely FREE but donations are appreciated as the proceeds of the event will go towards AFTH programs and services for all of our clients. To learn more or to sign up visit our Heart-to-Heart event page. We hope to see you then!