options
From the Editor-in-Chief
Rhode Island’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community news source since 1982.
Dear Reader, The fight for LGBTQ rights marches on in Rhode Island, with advocates pushing the state legislature to update parentage laws to unburden queer parents of invasive scrutiny and expensive legalities to ensure their children are lawfully theirs. (p. 10) Personally speaking, these laws can’t pass fast enough for my growing family. Love makes a family, true, but our cover story on family planning delves into the choices and necessities along the paths of adoption or biology that you’ll need to consider to include children in your LGBTQheaded family. (p. 13) Perhaps you’ve resolved to be more active in 2020. Fortunately there have never been more options for local queers of varying abilities to sweat together in sport. Writer Ricky Mejia has found that the binding force of local LGBTQ athletic leagues is not competition; it’s acceptance. (p. 20) There is more I could highlight in this issue, but space demands brevity of your editor. I’ll sign off with immense gratitude to our donors, without whom we literally could not have printed this issue. (p. 6) Thank you, donors, for your generosity. Go forth and multiply!
February/March 2020 Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5
Editor-in-Chief Jen Stevens jen@optionsri.org Resources Editor Myra Shays resources@optionsri.org Copy Editors Rex LeBeau, Ricky Mejia, Carson Pavao, Myra Shays Graphic & Layout Design Koki Mendis Online Content Manager Daniel Restrepo danielcanorestrepo@gmail.com
In solidarity,
Contributors
Jen Stevens
Felicia Nimue Ackerman, Ashley Delgado, Cathy Gorman,Tyler Hargis, Ethan Huckel, Rex LeBeau, Ricky Mejia, Jonathan Lucero McKinney, Abigail Nilsson,
Advertisers
Jen (left) and family.
Ray Sirico, Myra Shays, Jen Stevens, Kim Stewell, Mikel Wadewitz Photographers
2
Rhode Island Pride
11 Devereux Therapuetic Foster Care
4
PVD City Council Candidate Town Hall
11 East Coast Mental Wellness
5
Providence Flea
21 Neighborhood Health Plan of RI
7
Firex: Fire Extinguisher Services & Sales
25 Michael O’Mara, Counseling and
7
Insperiors: Inspired Interiors
7
Meeting Street: The Grace School
31 Friends of Toto
7
Law Office of Dawn Euer
32 Blue Cross Blue Shield of RI
9
Campus Fine Wines
Psychotherapy
Jen Bonin, Alejandro E. Carvajal Directors Ashley Delgado, Dr. Mike Marrapodi Advertising advertising@optionsri.org Calendar calendar@optionsri.org
Contact Us info@optionsri.org PO Box 6406 Providence, RI 02940 401-217-3939 www.optionsri.org Cover: Leighton Fernandes Family Photo by: Jen Bonin
optionsri.org
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