While we were working on this issue, COVID-19 happened. All of the articles, except one, were written pre-pandemic—before life changed to Zoom computer screen images and face coverings. When you read this issue, we hope it brings you back to a time when life was more carefree.
May is National Foster Care Awareness Month and included in this issue is a listing of LGBTQ friendly foster care and adoption agencies and organizations that can assist in building and nurturing your family.
We also feature two stories of foster care and adoption. "We've even had the contents of our refrigerator evaluated," says Christopher Katis when describing the adoption process he and husband Kelly Huntington experienced. Christopher and Kelly are raising their two sons in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Inspired by being foster parents, Brad and Nick Schlaikowski created a group home for LGBTQ kids needing a place to live and feel safe. In 2015 they founded Courage House MKE in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Brad explained that their mission at the time was to “just get out in the gay community and wake people up to the problem that was in our backyard; focusing on the homeless LGBTQ kid population. The couple are also raising four children.
Other stories include Tara and Delia Guzman of California and Ricky Cortez of New Jersey. Tara and Delia are balancing their time raising their three children, taking classes at Mount San Jacinto Valley College, and giving back to the community with their work with the Kiwanis LGBT+ Club of Southern California. When COVID-19 wreaked havoc, Ricky Cortez found a way to help others while being quarantined at home with his husband and young children.
Starting with this issue we are no longer printing paper issues and making our current issue in digital format FREE. Search our website for past remaining print issues and digital issues that are available for purchase.
24 pages, 4 mb digital file.