Dear ESME Sisters,
As an LGBTQ Solo Mom or as a parent of an LGBTQ child, you know that in most ways parenting is just . . . parenting, regardless of sexual orientation or gender expression.
We worry about our kids, just like everyone else. We want the best for them, just like everyone else. We’re crazy busy, trying to balance our parent lives, our work lives, and our self-lives, just like every other solo parent we know.
Throughout the LGBTQ rights movement, the phrase “We are just like everyone else” has been a useful tool.
Standing on this claim, LGBTQ activists and allies have decriminalized our sexualities, established hate-crime laws, expanded civil-rights protections, and gained the rights to marry, adopt, and have our parenthood acknowledged on our children’s birth certificates.
Standing on this claim, we continue to fight for discrimination protections in the workplace, schools, public spaces, and health care. We work on behalf of LGBTQ youth, to ensure they have safe and equal access to all aspects of education and extracurricular activities.
As we do this work, again and again, we appeal to our common humanity: we’re just like everyone else.
Except when we’re not.
See, if we were just like everyone else, we would not have a recent history of fighting for basic rights such as marriage. We would not have an executive branch of government refusing to acknowledge our existence on census forms. We would not need to lobby for laws that will protect our families against discrimination.
If our LGBTQ children were just like everyone else, we would not worry about their access to appropriate restrooms. We would not wonder if they will be allowed to invite the date of their choice to the prom or if they will be sent home or harassed for dressing like themselves.
ESME understands both our commonalities and our differences.
Sometimes as Solo Moms we’re looking for advice and support from other solo parents—ideas about dealing with an ex or tips on enjoying solo pregnancy or finance know-how from an expert who caters to single-income families. ESME’s got you covered there.
But sometimes what we really need is connection with and guidance from Solo Moms who understand the LGBTQ perspective. ESME’s got you covered there, too, in our Sister Chat; in articles relevant to LGBTQ parents and children; on our Resource Page; and in our Tribes, where you will find other LGBTQ solo parents and relevant conversations.
Welcome to the family. We’re happy you’re here.
Feel free to reach out to me at contact.us@esme.com.
My best,
