Blogging for LGBT Families Day: Two Moms and Two Boys DO Make a Family

by E. Ross

A Juneau lesbian couple and their two sons were included in AK Mom, the Mother's Day program that aired on the Alaska Public Radio Network (APRN) this year.

My Two Moms: When Woodrow Wilson declared Mother's Day in 1914, there probably weren't many two-mom families like the one led by Martha Murray and Jenifer Shapland of Juneau. They've been together for almost 23 years and are raising two boys.

The six minute segment can be heard on the APRN archive (starting at 29:50 of the 48 minute podcast.)

I asked Jenifer and Martha to reflect on the show and it's effects on their family for Blogging for LGBT Families Day.

Why did you choose to do the interview?

We chose to do the interview because we are proud of our family. We feel that having positive media coverage helps change attitudes, and offers support to other gay-parent families. 

Did you like the segment?

We were happy with the show, although we would have preferred to be profiled because of some accomplishment and had a side note that we were also a two-mom family. But in the conservative state we live in, being a two-mom family is an accomplishment in and of itself. 

What responses have you gotten from others?

We have received many positive comments about the show. Our friends, family, and acquaintances are all thrilled. I suppose some folks didn't like it, but had the courtesy not to tell us. 

How did this experience effect you as a family?

The effect on our family was positive. It is good for our sons to hear themselves on the radio, and to be reminded how much support there is for new family structures. We have many friends who are two-mom families, and several who are lesbian couples co-parenting with the dads of their kids. 

It's also good to hear support for families in general. In our individualistic society, it is important for kids (and adults) to remember that the family is the formative unit. It's where we learn our values, morals, and ideals, where we learn to love. 

We have the support of our friends and families, our community, our churches, our kids' schools, their friends' parents, their sports clubs. We really haven't run into problems anywhere we've chosen to go. We avoided Boy Scouts due to their anti-gay stance, but also for their para-military structure. We avoid anti-gay religious groups, but there are many who are welcoming. We don't work in careers that require us to be closeted, but we have our careers of choice. 

Despite the spate of anti-marriage bills being legislated across the country, the state of Alaska and the state of Washington have both recognized us as a family - our kids are legally ours. We can't get married, but we're legally a family! 

It's great to be parents, and we're proud of our kids. 

Check out the many posts on Mombian's Blogging for LGBT Families Day site - they make great reading!