Fortunate Families believes that when
parents explore and value their stories, they are empowered to
share that story with their family circle, their faith community
and the larger society. Here are some of their stories.
| Balog, Florence |
Mother of lesbian
daughters (twins) |
My twin
lesbian daughters |
Florence expresses
concern that the institutional church judges her twin lesbian
daughters without knowing them, and is grateful that her parish
follows Jesus' message and welcomes everyone. |
| Balog, Steve |
Father of lesbian
daughters (twins) |
The light has been
passed |
After his fearful first
sharing of having twin lesbians daughters with his church
congregation, years later Steve hears of the positive effect it made
with one parishioner. |
| Byers, Mary |
Mother of gay sons
(three of them) |
Rainbow
Fish Pin Ministry |
Ministries come in all
shapes and sizes. Mary wears a rainbow fish pin to honor her three
sons, but it also serves as a conversation starter and an
opportunity to impart information. Contact her if you'd like to have
one too. |
| Lopata, Casey |
Father of gay son |
Can My Son
be Gay and Catholic? |
Casey describes how he
reconciles his understanding of Church teaching with his son's being
gay. |
Lopata, Mary Ellen |
Mother of gay son |
God's
Love Revealed: Reflections on being a Catholic Mother |
After the initial
confusion, tears, pain, and fear of learning she has a gay son, Mary
Ellen struggles for years before coming to realize how fortunate she
and her family are. |
| Nelson, Tom |
Father of gay son |
God Gave
me a Gay Son … and I did not always think it a blessing |
Tom, Notre Dame grad,
writes movingly about his coming to terms with his having a gay son. |
| Pickett, Bill |
Father of trans m>f |
A Parent's
Perspective: Transsexual Identity and Wholeness |
Bill learns about
gender identity disorder and gender dysphoria, and supports his
daughter (formerly son) and her family through a difficult and
traumatic transition. |
| Szumiloski, Len |
Father of gay son |
Enfolding Gay Son
Elevates Family |
Len's Christmas
experience of family with his gay son and his partner enables him to
understand how they have enhanced his family despite a contrary
message from the church pulpit. |
| Szumiloski, Len |
Father of gay son |
Gay Agenda is Just
Human Agenda |
Len learns from his son
that so-called "gay rights" are not "special rights." |
| Weber, Fred & Carol |
Parents of gay son |
Acceptance of a Gay Son |
Fred and Carol move
from personal acceptance, to public acceptance, to advocacy. They
believe all people, regardless of sexual orientation should be
accepted with dignity and allowed all civil rights. |
