San Francisco, Calif. May 3, 2021 – A roadmap for queer families navigating the complex issues
of homo/bi/transphobia, intersectionality, and social equity will be presented at a panel
discussion on May 15th from 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm. The webinar will be moderated by LGBTQ
historian, author, and filmmaker, Robin Lowey and will feature LGBTQ rights pioneer Donna
Hitchens and community bridge builder Crystal Jang. It is sponsored by San Francisco-based Our
Family Coalition, a nonprofit organization that advances equity for LGBTQ families and children
through support, education, and advocacy.
The webinar registration can be accessed here:
https://ourfamily.z2systems.com/np/clients/ourfamily/event.jsp?event=105785
Our Family Coalition invites young queer adults seeking to build (or in the process of building)
intentional families, empty-nesters looking to see their generations’ stories told, and families
interested in empowering their queer and non-binary children. Panelists will be sharing the
stories of early LGBTQ parenting struggles, triumphs, and family values that led to the historic
shift in both the queer community and the American family.
“A generation ago, in the face of legal barriers and social invisibility, LGBTQ families raised
children by the power of love, imagination, and ingenuity,” said Lowey. “Our kids – now young
adults – have not only survived intact, they've thrived, not in spite of who their parents are, but
because of them.”
Panel topics will include: What does it mean to be a pioneering queer family; the superpower of
growing up in a queer family; and a roadmap of perspective and positivity for today's queer
families. A question and answer session will follow, along with a trivia game and prizes.
Featured Panelists:
In 1977, Donna Hitchens co-founded of The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) which
was then called the Lesbian Rights Project. In 1982, Hitchens wrote, published the litigation
manual for attorneys defending lesbian mothers in child custody cases nationwide. In the
1980s, Hitchens and her wife Nancy Davis adopted two baby girls. Hitchens and Davis were the
first couple to attain legal adoption as same-sex co-parents in 1986. Hitchens became the first
out elected lesbian judge elected in the US in 1990. Currently, the couple enjoys grandparenting
their daughter and her wife’s 16-month-old baby.
Crystal Jang became the first out lesbian in San Francisco’s Chinatown in 1978, and the first out
Asian educator in the SFUSD (San Francisco Unified School District) in 1990. A community
bridge builder and activist, Jang co-founded Asian Pacific Islander Queer Women and
Transgender Community. Jang and her wife Sydney Yeong adopted a baby girl from China in
1996. Jang’s parents greeted them in Hong Kong, starting the first generation of openly gay
APILGBT families.
Moderator:
Robin Lowey is a speaker, author, filmmaker, and historian, whose work elevates the discourse
about the role lesbian history plays in advancing LGBTQ civil rights and social equity. Lowey and
her ex-wife each gave birth to baby boys in 1990 and 1996, respectively. A pioneering queer
parent and activist, Lowey is the founder of Lesbian Game Changers, a project that shares the
stories of LGBTQ+ role models who empower today’s youth to realize their full potential and
value in their careers, communities, and families. Sponsored by Our Family Coalition, Lesbian
Game Changers provides resource books and films that fill the gap in education about LGBTQ
history. Lowey’s book Game Changers was awarded Best New LGBTQ Book at the New
Generation Indie Book Awards.
Sponsor
Our Family Coalition is a 501c3 nonprofit that advances equity for the full and expanding
spectrum of LGBTQ families and children through support, education, and advocacy. It seeks to
create an inclusive and just world where all LGBTQ families with children have visibility and
opportunities to thrive as valued participants in our schools, institutions, and communities. It is
located at 1385 Mission Street in San Francisco.
The webinar will be recorded and available at
https://ourfamily.z2systems.com/np/clients/ourfamily/event.jsp?event=105785
by June 15, 2021.
