From left Roger Grape, Lucas Grape-Krueger and Steve Kreuger. Photo by David Taffet of the Dallas Voice.

Eighteen years ago National Association of Social Workers member Roger Grape, MSW, ACSW, DCSW and husband Steve Krueger in Texas were one of few gay couples who had adopted a child, according to this article in the Dallas Voice.

Now their son Lucas Grape-Krueger is leaving home for college, making Grape and Krueger one of a growing wave of gay parent empty nesters.

“I know we’ll get through it fine,” Krueger said.

“We’re having date nights again,” Grape said.

Although they joke now and Lucas has grown up to be a great young man, the road wasn’t easy. Some pediatricians refused to treat Lucas, saying they would not work with a family with gay parents. Lucas was a school athlete but the YMCA refused to give them a membership so the family joined the Jewish Community Center.

“Just because I’m gay doesn’t mean I can’t be a parent,” Grape said.

Cheers to Dallas Voice for running this piece.

Social worker are committed to equal treatment for all, including lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgendered people. To learn more visit the National Association of Social Workers Diversity and Equity Web page by clicking here. And to read profiles of GLBT social workers click here to go to NASW’s “Help Starts Here” 2011 LGBT Pride Month Celebration.

Noel Ramirez. Photo courtesy of Philly.com.

Cheers to Philly.com for a profile of social worker Noel Ramirez and HIV prevention program manager Quincy Greene.

Ramirez and Greene created Q Spot, a Philadelphia community center where  gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people can have a comfortable place to hang out and get HIV testing, tutoring,  relationship advice or a free meal.

To learn more click here to read the full article.

GLBT individuals have made a tremendous, positive impact on the social work field. You can click here to read profiles of GLBT social workers on the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Web site. Social workers are also committed to justice for all, including GLBT people. To learn more visit NASW’s Diversity and Equity Web page by clicking here.

Fran Drescher

Fran Drescher’s latest sit-com “Happily Divorced,” which premiered June 15 at 10:30 p.m. on TV Land, is based on her real life.

Drescher, who catapulted to fame with her long-running series “The Nanny,” was married in real life for 21 years to Peter Marc Jacobson. In fact, Jacobson helped co-create “The Nanny.”

John Michael Higgins and Fran Drescher star in "Happily Divorced" on TV Land.

“Happily Divorced” is about a florist whose husband ends the marriage when he comes out as a gay man. Drescher can relate to the project because her ex-husband Jacobson is also gay, although Drescher said their marriage did not end because of his sexuality and they are still friends.

Click here to read more about Drescher’s new show on Babble.com blog. The blog post also cites National Association of Social Workers member Michele Weiner-Davis, MSW, LCSW, a marriage therapist and author.

Social workers often help clients deal with problems in marital and other relationships. To learn more visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Relationships Web site by clicking here.

The controversial policy, which allowed gay and lesbian members to serve as long as they did not reveal their sexual orientation, will soon be phased out. But there is nowhere for servicemembers to go to find out about policies during this transitional period.

So students at the social work school created the Military Acceptance Project, or MAP. The Web site is a place for servicemembers to anonymously get information about policies concerning lesbian and gay soldiers. And policymakers can go there to find out what concerns servicemembers may have.

There are also resources on the Web site for people who experienced stress from living under DADT.

“We are addressing these issues from a social-work perspective,” said  Kristen Kavanaugh, a retired Marine officer who hid her sexuality and is now a student at the social work school. “Our biggest issue is mental health support. Everyone who is forced to hide under DADT has got some degree of post-traumatic stress disorder.”

Social workers are committed to social justice for all, including people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered. To learn  more, visit the National Association of Social Workers’ Diversity and Equity Web page by clicking here.

E.J. Plata (left), who is gay, said gaining acceptance from his parents help him address problems with drinking and depression. His parents later started a youth outreach group to help other parents with LGBT children. Photo courtesy of the Family Acceptance Project.

Getting love and support from family literally saves the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth, according to a new study from the Family Acceptance Project.

Youth who gain family acceptance are less likely to have depression, substance abuse problems and suicidal behavior in early adulthood, the study said.

Social worker Caitlin Ryan, PhD, ACSW, is director of the San Francisco-based Family Acceptance Center and lead author of the study.

“At a time when media and families are becoming acutely aware of the risk that many LGBT youth experience, our findings that family acceptance protects against suicidal thoughts and behaviors, depression and substance abuse offer a gateway of hope for LGBT youth and families that struggle with how to handle deeply held personal and religious values with love for their LGBT children,” Ryan said in a press release.

To read more on a press release on the study click here. ABC also ran an online article that cites the study. To read that click here. NASW also supports equal treatment for all, including members of the LGBT community. To find out more click here to visit the association’s Diversity and Equity Web page.

Robert Lamarche (right) and partner Donald Giustiniani with their adopted son. Photo courtesy of the Palm Beach Post.

Cheers to the Palm Beach Post for this article on National Association of Social Workers’ member and adoptive father Robert Lamarche.

Lamarche and partner Donald Giustiniani adopted a 15-year-old son and were part of the initiative to overturn Florida’s ban on same sex couples adopting children. A Miami appeals court last week ruled the 1977 law was unconstitutional.

“I know in my heart that we are wonderful parents,” Giustiniani said. “And we love him more than anything in this world. He is our son. We provide him with a safe, loving, caring home and that is the most important thing.”

NASW  supports equal treatment for all, including members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. To find out more click here to visit the association’s Diversity and Equity Web page.

Prison rape survivor Troy Erik Isaac. Photo courtesy of the New York Review of Books.

Several news organizations have recently reported on rampant abuse of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered young people in the juvenile justice system.

However, for some National Association of Social Workers (NASW) members, these harrowing tales of LGBT youth being verbally and physically assaulted on a daily basis and even raped by other inmates and staff are nothing new.

Social workers have known about this problem for years and tried to end abuse by improving training of staff at jails, prisons and other youth facilities around the nation.

“Yes, it’s an ongoing problem — it’s been a problem for decades,” said social worker Caitlin Ryan, PhD, ACSW, director of the San Francisco State University Family Acceptance Project, an initiative that studies the impact of family acceptance and rejection on LGBT youth. “It really has not been addressed at the systemic level.”

“Although there are wonderful guards and staff in every facility, there are some guards and staff with their own agendas and prejudices,” said Robin McHaelen, MSW, a social worker and director of True Colors Inc. Sexual Minority Youth and Family Services in Hartford, CT.

“When a staff member calls a youth names or harasses them, or equally importantly fails to intervene when the youth is being harassed because of their orientation or gender, other youth learn that is acceptable behavior — it escalates from there.”

Media coverage of sexual abuse of juveniles in detention picked up in January when the Justice Department released its first report ever on sexual abuse of youth in detention centers. That report said 12 percent of youth in state-run, privately run, or local facilities have been sexually victimized.

However, later reporting has focused on the fact that abuse of LGBT youth in detention occurs at a much higher rate. The Nation, the oldest magazine in the United States, in June ran this article about violence against LGBT youth in the juvenile justice system. And the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana on July 1 released this report about mistreatment of LGBT youth in state facilities.

“When I was first locked up, when I was first raped, I was a terrified 12-year-old boy,” said Troy Erik Isaac, 36, who was sexually assaulted  repeatedly while serving time in juvenile and adult facilities. “I had never been violent and I was different — I was skinny and effeminate.”

Isaac was mentioned in this article  that appeared in the New York Review of Books  in March and was interviewed by Fox Television in Los Angeles (to watch that segment click here) this year. He was in and out of jail for 20 years but created a community service organization and in February testified before Congress about sexual abuse of inmates.

Social workers are working to sexual and other abuse in both adult and juvenile detention facilities but much work needs to be done said Melvin Wilson, MBA, MSW, LCSW, manager of NASW’s Center for Workforce Studies and an expert on justice issues.

Melvin Wilson.

“The whole issue of sexual violence in the correctional system, including adult and juvenile facilities, is at epidemic proportions.”

NASW works closely with groups that seek to end victimization of prison inmates, becoming part of the dialogue and creation of action plans, Wilson said.

Ryan co-authored “Serving LGBT Youth in Out-of-Home Care.” That book, which was published by the Child Welfare League of America as part of the association’s best practices series and Model Standards Project, provided the first police and practice guidelines to improve services for LGBT youth in custodial care.

Ryan and McHaelen have no illusions that mistreatment of LGBT youth will change soon. Part of the problem is that detention centers are often geared toward being more punitive than rehabilitative, Ryan said.

Caitlin Ryan. Photo courtesy of the University at Buffalo School of Social Work.

McHaelen said anyone who works with youth should get initial and then periodic training on how to be more sensitive to the needs of LGBT young people.

Robin McHaelen. Photo courtesy of Facebook.

“Whatever the bias we are talking about — heterosexism, classism, racism, gender bias, etc. — each of us has internalized these prejudices to one degree or another,” she said. “When unexamined or unresolved, these biases can’t help but negativey impact our work.

“Unfortunately, the direct care staff with the most face-to-face interactions with youth are often the staff with the least amount of this kind of training. In my opinion, policies and procedures are necessary — but not sufficient in creating safe environments for LGBT youth.”

 What can Social Workers do to Help?

Robin McHaelen offered other social workers this advice on helping GLBT youth:

At the individual level: When you see abuse — intervene! Everywhere and every time.  Make sure you have done your work to separate personal views from professional responsibilities. 

At the family and group level: Start by getting yourself trained on the unique needs and concerns associated with sexual and gender minority youth and their families or caregivers. Then find ways to include and work with families and caregivers.  A key factor in the outcomes for LGBT youth is the response of the youth’s  family to their coming out. Families very often become more affirming over time. Look for ways that you can help them move along the continuum from rejection to ambivalence to acceptance and affirmation.

Finally, at the system’s level: Ask about your agency’s policies and procedures. Are they inclusive of LGBT youth needs?  If not, what can you do to get them changed? Then, find out what is happening at the state and federal level and look for ways to advocate on behalf of this very vulnerable population. For example: Did you know that lesbian, gay and bisexual people can be fired in 30 states?  And that transgender folks can be fired in 37 states.  Is your state one of the 13 that include gender identity and sexual orientation or one of the 37 who don’t?  At the Federal level, current concerns are marriage equality and the repeal of the discriminatory  ”Defense of Marriage Act” legislation as well as the removal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell which now results in the (military) discharge  of thousands of American patriots.

NASW supports equal treatment for all, including members of the LGBT community. To find out more click here to visit the association’s Diversity and Equity Web page.

Gary Bailey

You might think gays are not as prejudiced because they continue to face discrimination. That is not so, according to former National Association of Social Workers president Gary Bailey.

Bailey, who is now president of the International Federation of Social Workers and teaches at the Simmons College School of Social Work in Boston, was quoted extensively in this EDGE article about racism and other forms of discrimination in the gay community.

Bailey is an expert on racism and openly gay. “People who are oppressed are not immune to oppressing and having feelings that would allow them to discriminate against other people,” he said.

NASW supports equal treatment for all, including members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community. To find out more click here to visit the association’s Diversity and Equity Web page.

Photo courtesy of AskMen.com

A study done by researchers from two social work schools shows gay couples are just as fit to adopt as heterosexual ones, according to this article in the Ottawa Citizen.

Paige Averett, an assistant professor of social work at East Carolina University, Blace Nalavany also from East Carolina, and Scott Ryan, dean of the University of Texas School of Social Work Arlington and National Association of Social Workers member, interviewed 1,400 couples from around the nation, including 155 gay and lesbian parents.

They found sexual orientation had no bearing on the emotional development of adopted children. What mattered far more to the children’s well being was whether parents were satisfied with the adoption process, had a stable income and functioned well as a family.

To learn more about gay and lesbian adoptions and find out how social workers help families adopt, visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Web page on this issue by clicking here.

Ed Reggi (left) and Scott Emanuel.

Filmmaker Cody Stokes dated his girlfriend for six years.

But it wasn’t until he made “Heartland Transport,” a 10-minute documentary about a gay St. Louis social worker who organized marriage trips for same sex couples, that Stokes decided to tie the knot with Amanda last year.

“I’ve never been part of anything that has been so much joy in one day — to experience that and see these people be as happy as they are to be involved in civil liberties that were denied them,” Stokes said.

 ”Heartland Transport,” which is being shown in film festivals and other venues around the country, follows the first trip organized by social worker and ACLU worker Scott Emanuel, MSW, and husband Ed Reggi, who is an actor, producer and community organizer. Missouri in 2004 passed a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage but such weddings are legal in neighboring Iowa.

So Emanuel and Reggi started excursions to take same-sex couples on a 4 ½-hour bus trip from St. Louis to Iowa City to get married. The first trip took place in May 2009 and so far Emanuel and Reggi have organized four marriage tours.

 ”So far we have taken 58 couples,” Emanuel said. “Our plan is to get 100 couples by the end of 2010.”

Stokes heard through a “friend of a friend” that Emanuel and Reggi wanted to film the first trip. He had never met them before. “I said I would love to do that and could edit a film out of it.”

Cody Stokes

The result is “Heartland Transport,” a film that shows short, but sometimes powerful and moving scenes from that first marriage trip. Stokes said this film has even swayed some people who were against gay marriage to at least reconsider their position.

 ”When I put the film together I made a pretty conscious effort not to put any labels on it up front so people would not say it’s a gay film and not watch it,” Stokes said. “The title and advertising are ambiguous…to get people to experience this without preconceived notions.”

Stokes said he tried to put politics and religion aside and just show ordinary people who want to express their love for each other. “After every screening I have people come up and thank me for that,” he said.

Emanuel hopes the film will raise awareness among heterosexuals about gay marriage, which is now legal in five states and the District of Columbia. However, he hopes ”Heartland Transport” will also help more gays and lesbians realize they can aspire to have long-term relationships and marry just like heterosexual people.

 ”If you don’t see examples of relationships you don’t aspire to one,” he said. “The more they see they have choices in their lives, the better.”

Cody Stokes hosted a screening of “Heartland Transport” at the National Association of Social Workers headquarters in Washington, D.C. on May 28. Emanuel talked to the audience via conference call after the showing. To arrange a screening at your local chapter contact Stokes via email at: stokes.cody@gmail.com.

In honor of  Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Month in June the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Web site talked to LGBT social workers about why they chose the profession. To read their profiles click here.

NASW also supports equal treatment for all, including members of the LGBT community. To find out more click here to visit the association’s Diversity and Equity Web page.

A scene from HBO's "A Family is a Family is a Family"

How do you define family?

Comedian and actress Rosie O’Donnell will  try to answer this question through her documentary “A Family is a Family is a Family: A Rosie O’Donnell Celebration” airing Sunday, Jan. 31 on HBO at 7 p.m.

The program looks at all the shapes a family can come in, including  two-parent households, single parents, gay and lesbian parents and families with adopted children. No matter what form a family comes in, love is the tie that binds, said O’Donnell, a lesbian who is separated from her partner and raising children jointly with her.

“Family is forever. And family is love,” she said.

Social workers often help families build stronger relationships. For more information, visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Kids & Families Web page by clicking here.

Q: Social workers, could you please watch “A Family is a Family is a Family” and tell us what you think?

Jesse Tyler Ferguson, left, and Eric Stonestreet play Mitchell and Cameron, a gay couple on "Modern Family." Photo courtesy of ABC.

Television programs are increasingly featuring gay and lesbian characters.

For instance, the award-winning comedy “Glee” (Tuesdays at 9 p.m. Eastern on Fox) has a gay storyline and in tonight’s episode of “Modern Family” (Wednesdays at 9 p.m. Eastern on ABC) father Jay (actor Ed O’Neill) must confront the possibility one of his best friends Shorty (Chazz Palminteri) is homosexual.

Social workers have long supported the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. To learn more, visit this National Association of Social Workers Web site section on this issue. Which leads to our poll:

Nancy Edwards and partner Barbara Bradford. Photo courtesy of Minneapolis Star Tribune.

As society becomes more accepting of homosexuals, more women are coming out as lesbians later in life, according to this article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

The article features National Association of Social Workers member Joanne Fleisher MSW LCSW in Philadelphia.

Fleisher treats women who come out in their 30s and 40s and has a Web site, lavendervisions.com.

The article also mentions Nancy Edwards, 67, who came out as a lesbian after two marriages. Edwards did her dissertation for the University of Minnesota School of Social Work  on women who made the same transition.

“I got sober, and thought maybe my feelings for other women was from drinking too much,” Edwards  said. “What the drinking was really about was keeping those feelings under wraps.”

Social workers are committed to equal treatment for all, including gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people. To learn more, click here to visit the NASW Diversity and Equity Web page.

Johnson worked as a social worker for 30 years and was one of the first social workers to push for programs for people afflicted with AIDS. She is also a key Democratic Party supporter and long time activist for women, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights.

GLT asked Johnson, who lives in San Diego, why she chose social work:

“Well back in those days, there were very few things that a woman could do. I wanted a college education, and I wanted a graduate degree but the choices were very limited. I didn’t want to be a nurse because I didn’t like blood. And I didn’t want to be a teacher because I didn’t have much patience with children, and I was too noisy to be a librarian. So I chose to be a social worker.”

Visit this National Association of Social Workers Web site section to find out how social workers help gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people.

Catherine White-Holman. Photo courtesy of Vancouver Sun.

Our regards  to the Vancouver Sun in Canada for their moving profile of Catherine White-Holman, a pioneering social worker who helped provide health care to the community and was an advocate for gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people. White-Holman, 55, recently died in a plane crash.

To read the full story click here.

Transgender woman Adrianna King moved to Chicago's Lakeview section for acceptance. She aspires to be a social worker or work in entertainment.

 Transgender youth are moving to Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood because they feel safer in its gay-friendly environment, according to a recent Chicago Now news article. They are also going there to take advantage of social services offered at places such as the Center on Halsted and the Night Ministry.

This article highlights care social workers provide some of the most marginalized people in our society.

Steve Kornell and campaign worker Judy Ellis. Photo courtesy of the St. Petersburg Times.

We commend the St. Petersburg Times in Florida for its great article on the election of Steve Kornell to the city council. Kornell is the first openly gay man elected to that position. Oh, and before we forget Kornell is also a social worker and NASW member! For more information on NASW positions on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues click here.

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CSWE Executive Director Julia Watkins

The Council on Social Work Education and Lambda Legal on Nov. 3 released results of a study on sexual orientation and gender expression in social work programs. The study sought to find how prepared students to serve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered youth in out-of-home care. “The results of this study make it clear that we as a profession have integrated sexual orientation-related content into curricular offerings, but we can do more,”  CSWE Executive Director Julia M. Watkins said.