gays have kids too

During these days between the Jewish New Year and Yom Kippur, Jews are told to reflect on what really matters to us. So here it goes, one thing that really matters to me is continually bringing the stories and realities of everyday LGBT Jewish leaders into the mainstream. Many LGBT folks don’t always have the big life concepts mapped out for them. By the way, when I write “them”, I do mean me as well.

I often look to the experiences of my family to help me navigate this world but a few things don’t always translate. Some translations on expectations and roles get lost on me. Not so much because of discrimination any more, but more often the nuance of difference. I work to find community and friendships with other LGBT Jewish leaders, in part because they model one of the many ways that I might too have a healthy same-sex relationship, how to raise children, how to present the gender identity that works for me, or how to juggle the demands of chosen family versus biological family.

Something else that matters to me is a love of democracy and the drama of politics. So when I saw this ad yesterday, pairing my love of politics with a story that brings a local queer Jewish family into the mainstream – I had to link to it. So in honor of speaking out to what matters to me during the Jewish High Holiday’s as well as embracing October as LGBT History Month please take a look at this 33 second ad featuring our LGBT lives having mainstream visibility. The ad features a gay and Jewish former city supervisor, Bevan Dufty running for mayor of San Francisco, proudly introducing himself in his most important identity role: a father.

Related Stories

• Autostraddle, Bevan Dufty Reminds Us Gay Candidates Have Kids Too (link)
• I Want to be a (Gay) Dad, Celebrating LGB Parents (link)
• Queer Landia, Gay SF Hopeful features Daughter in New Ad (link)
• Towlroad, Gay SF Mayoral Hopeful Bevan Dufty Features Daughter (link)
• The Stir, Gay Candidate for Mayor ‘Exploits’ Kid By Admitting She Exists (link)
• David Mixner Blog, Impressions (link)
• Politco, Ben Smith’s Frontiers of Gay Politics (link)
• Gay Politcs, Bevan Dufty in Someplace New (link)
• San Francisco Bay Guardian, Bevan Dufty loves MUNI (link)