TEXAS FAMILIES NEEDED IN AUSTIN FOR LGRL’S RALLY/DANCE MARCH 13-14

[Ian David]

TEXAS FAMILIES NEEDED IN AUSTIN FOR LGRL’S RALLY, LOBBY DAY MARCH 13-14, FAMILY PRIDE TO SPONSOR FREE FAMILY DANCE FOLLOWING THE RALLY
Join other LGBT Texans and our allies on Sun., March 13 for the Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby (LGRL) of Texas’ march and rally in Austin. Line-up will take place from 11am-noon in the TXDOT parking lot at the corner of Riverside and Congress Avenues. There you can meet up with Cris Fahrenthold, the Family Pride Coalition’s manager of advocacy and support, to be a part of the Family Pride contingent! Bring your signs and your families and friends!

The march will begin at noon and will proceed down Congress Avenue to the Texas State Capital. Following the march, a rally will take place on the south steps of the Capital to show lawmakers that real Texans support equality!

Join with other LGBT-headed Texas families for a Family Dance, sponsored by the Family Pride Coalition, in partnership with LGRL and MCC-Austin. The dance will take place on Sunday from 3-5pm at MCC Austin at Freedom Oaks. For directions, go to http://www.mccaustin.com/map.htm
This free event is a wonderful opportunity to meet other families, dance with your partner and your kids. Snacks will be provided.
Then, stick around for LGRL’s Lobby Day on Mon., March 14. During the last session, LGBT parents and our allies made a significant impact by making in-person visits with their legislators. Check-in for Lobby Day will begin at 8am, followed by a training session at 8:30am, with visits beginning at 10am. For more information, contact LGRL at [phone].


RECENTLY-BANNED “POSTCARDS FROM BUSTER” EPISODE NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH THE FAMILY PRIDE COALITION
Don’t Forget to Take Action on Thurs., March 10th as Part of Family Pride’s ‘Virtual Rally on Washington’

The Family Pride Coalition -- the only national non-profit organization exclusively dedicated to securing equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender parents and their families -- has announced it will broadcast online the “controversial” episode of PBS’ popular children’s program “Postcards from Buster.”

The program features Buster, an animated character who visits real-life families, exploring the diversity of America. But in the episode entitled “Sugartime!,” a storm of controversy ignited after U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings denounced the program because it featured children whose parents are lesbians. The Family Pride Coalition will make “Sugartime!” available to all families for one week from March 7-13 at http://buster.familypride.org. The Family Pride Coalition also hopes to raise awareness of the subject matter surrounding the program, while also generating support from the public in defending the dignity and integrity of all families.

In conjunction with the online broadcast, Family Pride will launch a “Virtual Rally” on Thurs., March 10 to defend family diversity around the country. Those interested in participating are asked to contact the Department of Education by phone, e-mail or fax, voicing their disapproval of Secretary Spellings’ actions against “Postcards from Buster” and demand she recant her incendiary remarks against LGBT-headed families. To participate in the rally, users can get more information by logging onto http://buster.familypride.org.

The controversy began late January when Spellings issued a strongly-worded letter denouncing PBS and the producers of “Postcards from Buster” for featuring a family with two moms, declaring, “Many parents would not want their young children exposed to the lifestyles portrayed in the episode.”

FAMILY PRIDE HOSTS ONLINE FORUM FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
In conversations with our families, both online and at Family Pride Coalition events, the issue of meeting the challenges of our children with special needs emerges regularly. To address this specific need within our national parenting community, the Family Pride Coalition has launched a Special Needs Online Community to further support and enhance dialogue around these issues. Many parents have already joined and found support and additional resources through this unique list-serv. If you, or anyone you know, would like to join this list, please click on the link below and register for this online community. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FamilyPride_Special_Needs_Chat
The Family Pride Coalition is the only national non-profit organization exclusively dedicated to securing equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender parents and their families.

By becoming a member of the Family Pride Coalition you have the opportunity to dramatically affect the lives of LGBT parents and their families. Please join the Family Pride Coalition today by filling out our online membership form by clicking http://www.familypride.org/joinus.htm.