LGBQT Community Specific Tip Sheets
The BC Council for Families (BCCF), with support from the Vancouver Foundation, has produced a series of Tip Sheets offering information for LGBTQ parents and for professionals working in community organizations.
The information sheets note, “There have always been LGBTQ people who are parents. Many LGBTQ people become parents in the context of heterosexual relationships, and many are stepparents, having entered families that already include children. In recent years, as a result of increased social/legal recognition and access to reproductive technologies, a broader range of parenting options has opened up for LGBTQ people.”
The tip sheet on Parenting Options discusses LGBTQ Family Structures and Routes to Parenthood, including Donor Inseminations (DI), In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), Gamete Freezing, Surrogacy, Adoption (Public, Private, International, Kin), and Fostering.
The FAQ sheet on LGBTQ parenting covers the following questions that may be asked by non-LGBTQ persons about LGBTQ parenting:
- I find all the letters confusing. LGBTTIQQ. What do they stand for?
- What do professional associations say about LGBTQ parenting?
- Won’t children who grow up with LGBTQ parents be confused about gender and/or turn out to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans themselves?
- Won’t the children be teased and harassed at school? Is it fair to them?
- What does recent research say about children who grow up with LGBTQ parents?
- What questions should I not ask?
The Resources Tip Sheet offers information for staff in parenting programs to increase knowledge in regards to LGBTQ families and to assist in finding the most accurate and up-to-date information to support LGBTQ parents in parenting programs. The tip sheet notes, “Searching the internet for such information can be challenging, as it is difficult to know what the best resources are if you are not an expert on the subject. This tip sheet contains a list of some of the best LGBTQ resources currently out there, including both print and internet sources of information.”
The Family Law Basics for Parents & Parents-to-Be Tip Sheet discusses family law and addresses the following questions:
- What family law issues apply to parents?
- Who is a parent?
- How does family law apply to LGBTQ parents?
- THE DIVORCE ACT:
- Who does the Divorce Act apply to?
- How does custody work?
- THE FAMILY LAW ACT
- Who does the Family Law Act apply to?
- Who is a guardian?
- Who can become a guardian?
- How do parental responsibilities work?
- How does parenting time work?
- How does contact work?
- RESOLVING FAMILY LAW ISSUES
- HELPFUL ONLINE RESOURCES
The Tip Sheet on Making Queer Parents “Legal” Parents in BC is not intended to provide all the information parents will need to make decisions about how to have a child. It’s intention is to explain how to be sure that the people who intend to parent the child are the child’s legal parents in the eyes of the law. It looks at the following areas:
- Adoption
- Having a baby through assisted reproduction
- Who are a baby’s legal parents?
- Intent and preparation: some examples
- What rights and responsibilities do an egg donor or a sperm donor have after the baby is born?
- What rights and responsibilities do a child’s ‘legal parents’ have?
The tip sheet ends with an important note: “If you are considering having a child by assisted reproduction, make sure to seek legal advice before your child is conceived so that you put in place the agreements you need to create the parenting arrangement that you want. Otherwise you may have to go to court for an order confirming who your child’s parents are.”
The final Tip Sheet on LGBTQ Terminology notes, “Terminology that describes and identifies members of LBGTQ communities is always changing and evolving. Some terms that were previously considered derogatory have been reclaimed by certain people as positive descriptors. Other terms have become outdated. This tip-sheet will introduce you to a few basic terms that may be useful to you.”