2010 Newsletters

The Fortunate Families newsletter is published 8 to 10 times yearly. It includes up-to-date news concerning lesbian and gay Catholics and their parents, thought-provoking articles, stories from parents and others, and a calendar of events.

We welcome your comments, and especially your hope-filled stories! Newsletters are available as Adobe Acrobat documents.

If you do not have the free Acrobat reader, click here to download and install. 

December 2010

• Words to ponder
• What a Weekend It Was… By Linda Karle-Nelson President, Fortunate Families
• Friday Night Introductions By Tom Nelson
• Saturday Panels By Deb Word
• Using Our Stories to Build a More Welcoming Church By Ron Ohmann
• Reflections on the Fortunate Families Conference
• A welcome change in tone from the Vatican By Allen Rose, Dec 02, 2010

November 2010

• Words to ponder
• Fortunate Families Conference
• On sexual orientation, it’s time for the church to join the bandwagon By Mike Sweitzer-Beckman,
• Knights, Minnesota archbishop endanger church neutrality By Nicole Sotelo,
• Letter to Archbishop Nienstedt
• Catholics for Equality launched
• Do We Discriminate? By Deacon Al Symonanis

October 2010

• Words to ponder
• Equally Blessed unites Catholic Voices for Marriage Equality, Justice
• To Be or Not to Be A CATHOLIC TRANSSEXUAL SPEAKS By Hilary Howes
• Dear Editor …
• The invention of marriage By John Corvino
• Focus on the Family Goes After LGBT Students By Maureen Costello

September 2010

• Words to ponder
• Marriage: sacraments and politics By Mary E. Hunt, NCR, Jul. 10, 2010
• All are beloved children of God By Bishop Matthew Clark, Diocese of Rochester
• How big is your table? By Deb Word
• Same-sex Marriage: “Finding of Facts”

July 2010

• Words to ponder
• A Parent’s Journey By Linda Karle Nelson, President, Fortunate Families
• How would Jesus handle firing a lesbian theology teacher? By Susan Greene, Denver Post
• Catholic Organizations Challenge Firing of Lesbian Religion Teacher A Joint Statement from the leaders of Call To Action, Fortunate Families, DignityUSA, and New Ways Ministry
• Same-sex marriage is about fairness By William McKenzie
• Caught in the crossfire By Nicole Sotelo, National Catholic Repoter, June 10, 2010
• Renting while gay By Deb Price, with author’s permission.
• A gay adventure By Deb Price, June 2, 2010 With author’s permission

June 2010

• Words to ponder
• Fortunate Families expands board, elects new officers
• Fortunate Families challenges USCCB position on ENDA
• Thought for the Day, 17 May 2010 by Clifford Longley
• Call To Action Stories By David Saavedra
• Who Speaks for Catholics? By Jeannine Gramick
• Why a Pride Booth for Roman Catholics? By David Kennedy

May 2010

• Words to ponder
• Joining Hands-Reaching Out. Fortunate Families gathering of parents, Oct. 22-24!
• Parents live rule: God doesn’t make mistakes by Ed Langlois
• Is homosexuality connected to pedophilia by John Corvino,
• From silence to advocacy – one family’s story by Marianne M. Buccini,
• Catholic policy toward gays misguided by Susie and Randy Roth

April 2010

• Words to ponder
• Fortunate Families gathering of parents planned for Oct. 22-24!
• Fortunate Families Listening Parents Network growing
• A teaching that is disordered – An NCR Editorial. Feb. 15, 2010
• A Place at the Marianist Table 2010 by Beth Garascia
• Dear (Boulder) pastor
• Gays need allies to turn up the volume By Deb Price
• Fortunate Families cosponsors ad decrying action against children of Colorado lesbian couple By Jerry Furlong
• CODA: HETERO HERO Hope from a Catholic Mom by Chuck Colbert

February 2010

• Words to ponder
• Listening Parents Network Update
• New Jersey gay marriage bill: An unhappily unmarried mom weighs in By Joan Garry
• Coming Home: A gay Christian speaks to fundamentalists by Jonathan Odell. Commonweal
• Dismantling heterosexual privilege by Kara Speltz
• Testimony against MD House Bill #90 1-28-2010

January 2010

• Words to ponder
• Fortunate Sons How two parents of gay sons are breaking down the barriers between Catholicism and gay rights by Jessica Carreras, in “Between the Lines” #1749, 12-3-09, Livonia MI, with permission.
• Pain and possibility – Being a Catholic parent of gay children by Beth Garascia
• A decade of wonderfully dizzying progress for gay couples by Deb Price Dec. 9, 2009
• Mind the gap Which path do we choose when the twain of experience and church teaching don’t meet? by Bryan Cones
• Family Rejection as a Predictor of Negative Health Outcomes in White and Latino Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Young Adults–A Summary Prepared by Fortunate Families