SPECIAL QFT SCREENING OF 'The Kids Are Alright'

You are cordially invited to a special screening of The Kids Are Alright, which will be introduced by Lesbian Advocacy Services Initiative (LASI) and followed by a panel discussion on the film.

SUNDAY 21 NOVEMBER 6.20PM, QFT BELFAST

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi381421337/ (<-- watch trailer)

The Kids Are Alright is the heartfelt new comedy from acclaimed director Lisa Cholodenko, starring Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, and Mark Ruffalo. Two teenaged children get the notion to seek out their biological father and introduce him into the family life that their two mothers have built for them. Once the donor is found, the household will never be the same, as family ties are defined, re—defined, and re—re—defined. The New York Times raves that its "a generous, nearly note—perfect portrait of a modern family," and Entertainment Weekly calls the movie "funny, smart and sexy!"

As a LASI member you can avail of the special ticket price of £5 by visiting the QFT website www.queensfilmtheatre.com and entering the following promotional code: LASI10

Programme, SUNDAY 21 NOVEMBER 2010

6:20            Introduction to film

6.30            The Kids are All Right

8.15            Panel discussion and Q&A.

8.45            Post discussion reception in QFT foyer

Venue

Queens’ Film Theatre, 20 University Square, Belfast BT7 1PA

The Discussion Panel

Etain O’Kane (Chair)

Etain is the Project Coordinator of Lesbian Advocacy Services Initiative (LASI).  She has worked in many areas of social justice and equality, but has been particularly devoted to promoting the positive visibility of lesbian and bisexual women and our families over 17 years of activism and working in the community/voluntary sector.  She lives in Belfast and has just completed her Masters in Creative Writing at Queen’s.

Catherine Couvert

Catherine is the lesbian mother of two beautiful sons, and works for the Law Centre (NI), a local NGO specialising in social welfare law.  One of her most cherished achievements was Dykes with Babes, a social group for lesbian mothers and their children, which she and her partner started together.  The group lasted for four years and achieved much in its time, both as a support group and in helping shape law and policy. Nowadays, she spends most of her free time studying eCommunications and enjoying her family.

Iris Elliott

Iris is the author of the Voices of Children: research on the experiences of children of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Ireland, which was launched in September 2010 by Marriage Equality.  She lives in Belfast and is completing her doctorate on women's human rights activism in the Global Women's Studies Programme, National University of Ireland, Galway. Iris has worked as a national and all-island policy adviser on health, mental health and disability, a health promotion specialist and a social worker.

Michele Kavanagh

Michele is a mother and a lesbian who also practises as a consultant clinical psychologist.  She works with children and families who have experienced adversity.  She has a particular interest in resilience development.

Conor Prendergast

Conor Pendergrast is the 24 year-old son of a lesbian couple, born in London and raised in County Kildare in the South of Ireland. Conor and his brother, Daragh, have been campaigning for the last 5 years for equal rights for lesbian and gay people in Ireland, specifically relating to marriage and family rights.

Anne Ramsey

Anne is in a lesbian relationship and is the mum of two teenage daughters.  She is a member of the LASI Family Group.  The Family group is open to all lesbian and bisexual women who have children, or are in the process of starting a family. They meet monthly in LASI’s community space in Belfast to discuss and share common issues and experiences, and to plan family-friendly social events.

LESBIAN / BISEXUAL WOMEN'S FERTILITY

Please tick all that apply:

• Are you a single lesbian or bisexual woman or same-sex couple?
• Have you ever asked your GP for a referral to NHS Fertility services to  help you have a baby?
• Have you gone to an NHS fertility clinic?
• Have you gone to a private fertility clinic?
• Have you had a child or are you in the process of trying to conceive  with the help of a clinic?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, we want to hear from you!

We need lesbian and bisexual women across Northern Ireland to tell us about your experiences – good and bad – to help us raise awareness and improve access to publicly funded fertility and maternity services in Northern Ireland.

The information that you share will help us to develop our family support work, improve the resources and information we provide to lesbian and bisexual women, and help us to campaign for improved access to publicly funded services at a local and regional level.

Your do not have to be out to share your story, and we will not use any personal information about you without your permission.

If you would like to share your experience with LASI please contact:

Etain O’Kane, Project Coordinator

Telephone: 02890249452

Mobile: 07597879628

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

CHILDREN OF LESBIAN COUPLES DO WELL IN SCHOOL LIFE

This article has been taken from: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6562KX20100607

(Reuters Health) - Being raised by a same-sex couple is no hindrance to healthy psychological development, researchers say as the first generation of children conceived by lesbians through donor insemination is coming of age.

In fact, lesbian mothers rated their 17-year-olds higher in social and academic skills, and lower in rule-breaking and aggression, than did mothers of teenagers who also had a father.

The study, which appears in the journal Pediatrics, is the first to follow children of lesbian couples all the way from conception to adolescence.

"There are so many places in the United States where same-sex couples are not allowed to adopt or foster children in need," said Dr. Nanette Gartrell of the University of California, San Francisco, who started the so-called US National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study in 1986.

While opponents of same-sex parenting often mention cultural or religious values, some also contend that growing up with two moms or two dads can't be healthy for the child, said Gartrell.

But there isn't any solid evidence that homosexual parenting is any worse or better than its conventional counterpart, according to Gartrell, who is in a same-sex partnership.

"There is not a single study that has shown there are any problems in terms of psychological adjustment" of the child, she said. "The things we know that make for good parenting are love, resources and being very involved in your child's life."

The new findings are based on 77 families of both girls and boys. The researchers interviewed the lesbian mothers about their kids and then rated the teenagers on the Child Behavior Checklist, a standardized assessment that has been used for decades. Each teenager also filled out an internet-based psychological questionnaire.

When comparing the results to how mothers living in conventional families rated their teenagers, children of same-sex couples were more competent in school, had fewer social problems, broke fewer rules and were less aggressive.

Based on what the children reported themselves, they did just as well whether or not they knew the identity of their biological father.

However, those teenagers who -- according to their mothers -- experienced homophobia and bullying did turn out to be more anxious and have more depressive symptoms than their peers. It wasn't clear if the anxiety was a product of the bullying or if it was the other way around.

"What this data shows is that it's not the parenting that seems to be the issue," but rather the stigmatization, said Ian Rivers, a professor of human development at Brunel University in Uxbridge, England.

But he noted that homophobia was on the decline.

"We are starting to see a sea change," he said, adding that there was "an awareness in schools that homophobia is something that is inappropriate."

According to recent data, a good quarter million American children are living with same-sex parents. Rivers, who was not involved in the new study, said concerns about the children's well-being had not come true.

"These children have not faced many of the issues that critics of gay and lesbian parents say they should be facing," he told Reuters Health. "This is why this is such an important piece of work."

It is unclear why kids of same-sex couples would be in better psychological shape than those of heterosexual parents. While the researchers are still analyzing the internet questionnaires, Gartrell said one reason could be that lesbian mothers had planned their parenthood carefully and were prepared to help their children though any discrimination they might face.

"These were chosen children, they weren't accidents," Gartrell said.

SOURCE: Pediatrics, June 7, 2010.Lesbian/Bisexual Women’s Parenting